Seashellsakura - SeaShellSakura

as a procrastinating overachiever i feel like i don’t necessarily “half-ass” things, it’s more like a “3/4 ass”. like overall did i do pretty well? yeah. did i reach my maximum potential though? i think the fuck Not.

allroundlostcause said: 

My best advice would be to read, a lot, because reading is your fuel. Read critically. Read good stuff and bad stuff and decide what is distinct about them. When you read a sentence you love, write it out, analyse it, and ask yourself why it’s so precious. DON’T skim read; if you find yourself doing that, you’re missing too much. Read out loud instead.

Write drabbles (short scenes which might never make it into your writing) to explore characters. Ask yourself questions about them that you don’t need answers for in the book. Think about them. Are they a cat person or a dog person? It’s not enough to have the answer, you also need to know why. What drives them? What makes their voice unique?

You need to know what your characters want, and which of those desires matters for your story, and which of those desires is going to get in the way. If they want to be good but they’re ultimately selfish, when will that trip them up? If they want to be reckless but they crave security, how is this going to prevent them from doing what they have to?

When you read, consider what makes a character feel rounded out, and study story structure. Well-written stories often have a solid structure under them which is almost invisible until you think critically; but it drives tension and movement.

Last but definitely not least, have fun. Why don’t you like your writing? If you’re new to it, then it will come, with loads of practice (most of which never goes anywhere) and learning to love the process itself, the creation of worlds. If you’re not having fun, and if you don’t value the process, and crave the practice, you will probably never throw yourself into it in the way you need to to really get amazing at it.

Who are you and why are doing awake this early on a Saturday? Thank you for the addition, is better than the original answer.

Another advice coming from this: Your current mood will affect your writing, being in a bad/sad mood won’t help when writing a happy scene, unless it comes from nostalgia.

L.-

Giveaway Contest: We’re giving away ten vintage paperback classics by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, Harper Lee, Walt Whitman, George Orwell, and others. Won’t these look lovely on your shelf? :D To win these classics, you must: 1) be following macrolit on Tumblr (yes, we will check. :P), and 2) reblog this post. We will randomly choose a winner on April 22, at which time we’ll start a new giveaway. And yes, we’ll ship to any country. Easy, right? Good luck!

We each pray that the other will wake to better days, and then, without looking back, we go our separate ways.

Grazia Curcuru (via prosebyday)

when you’re stressed: 

this is temporary, this will pass.

i will not let stress overcome me.

i am living for the present, where i am calm and focused.

my stress will not be my downfall. 

when you’re about to hand up an assignment: 

i have no doubts in my ability to succeed. 

this represents my sound ability to learn, develop and succeed. 

i am intelligent and capable of successfully completing this assignment. 

when you need a little motivation:

i will accomplish all of my goals. 

i will stay attentive to all my work today. 

i am worthy of success.

i have an abundance of knowledge that must be used to my advantage. 

when you’re preparing for a test:

i am competent.

i am working to the absolute best of my ability.

i am a successful student.

An old practice sketch of my own hand

So about 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in my final year of highschool. I got splitting headaches every day, blanked out in the middle of tests, broke down regularly, was extremely suspicious of people, tried to please everyone, the works. It didn't really help that I am really competitive about my studies.

In the short term, I would first recommend going to a doctor - there are medications that can actually reduce the immediate feeling of anxiety, lower your heart rate and calm you in stressful situations. Knowing you're on something that works can make you more confident in your ability to overcome it, too. My psychiatrist also recommended some breathing exercises in those moments - take deep slow breaths, and concentrate on how your tummy moves in and out with each. It takes your mind off the situation. Control your body language - if you have to, imagine you are your favourite cool character in your favourite show or book. No matter how you feel, force yourself to walk confidently into a situation. Tell yourself you can handle it. Trust me, it really works.

In the long run, you will have to work with yourself. Therapy is useful, but you don't really need to go. Figure out which thought processes are telling you that you should conform to other people's expectations, and challenge them every time you start to think that way. Tell yourself that you are amazing, every time. They should be glad they know you. I would say, set a goal for yourself, maybe talk to a new person every month, or join a club for you've never done before. Keep trying, and make an active note of your improvements.

Try to actively avoid things that depress you, even if you like them. Some of my favourite songs and books are depressing, and I have avoided them for a while. If you are going to go to them, focus on other things - how nice the voice sounds or the particular style of writing. Actively find things that pump you up, and pursue them. Listen to deep bass in your music, find books or shows that crack you up. Tell yourself you can and will be happy. Make stupid jokes and laugh at yourself. Try to challenge pessimistic thinking. Try to walk with a spring in your step, even when you're tired. Get excited about things you like.

Remember, it's all up to you. You can choose to wallow in your issues, or try to overcome them. It won't be quick, and it won't be easy, but it's the only real way you can do it. Remember, there are lots of people with the same problems who have gotten over them, who are happy and successful.

All the best. We're all here for you.

Hi i really need advice on how to overcome anxiety. Lately I've been really down because I've recently come to realization that life is moving way to fast and that I'm not really living it like a normal teenager should because I'm letting my anxiety and what other people think get in the way of what I want to do in life. Also because I tend to be skeptical a lot, it causes me to be pessimistic with really bothers be because I really just want to be a happy positive person. Plz help me plz!!!

anyone wanna tackle this one?

You got that right @thinknshine ⚡️💖

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😞