Reading - Blog Posts

Genuine question for people who went to school: how did y'all learn how to read? I've been homeschooled my whole life, never been to school, and everything was taught to me by my parents. In school, is it like a group effort? Did you have reading homework? I genuinely don't know how it works.

Cozy time 💛

Whenever I give yellow flowers, whenever I get yellow flowers, whenever I see yellow flowers in someone's hand... Every time I have this scene in my head 💛

It's such a strong association...

Yes 🩶

Tired but so inspired ☺️

Of course I couldn't just walk past such a bag 🤣

Meeting new person to me and we are both in a pleasant surprise. She's just written her first book and sent it off to publishers and I'm... "I'm writing a bit..." I replied to her and there was no stopping us...☺️

Love this feeling 🩷

Mood for today 🖤

My inspiration🩷 part 5.

My thoughts: tired, texts, coffee, texts about coffee, kids, childhood illnesses, snow, coffee again, distance, hugs, exhale 🖤

My inspiration... Part 4🖤

Reading 🩷

And people think it's weird that I want to live in a library

it's always so fascinating and heartbreaking when a character in a story is simultaneously idolized and abused. a chosen prophet destined for martyrdom. a child prodigy forced to grow up too fast. a powerful warrior raised as nothing but a weapon. there's just something so uniquely messed up about singing someone's praises whilst destroying them.

Tips to Writing Memorable Characters- Authoring Advice 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Here is a few characters you may know. 

Harry Potter       Gandalf      Yoda     Joker       Mary Poppins

Jack Sparrow     Sherlock Holmes     Winnie the Pooh 

Do you notice some similarities? Probably not many, but you still have probably heard of these characters. I haven’t even read or seen the Lord of the Rings, and yet I know who Gandalf is. I have a few ideas why that is. Each iconic character has something unique about them that sticks in your mind.

Appearance-

Harry Potter best suits this category. His name may be famous because of the popular book series named after him, but If I showed you a single picture of a lightning bolt and perhaps some glasses you would immediately know who it is.

His famous scar and classic glasses are famous. This is because Harry Potter has a unique trait about his appearance no one else has. You should consider adding traits like this to some of your characters.

The other famous characters I have listed also have special aspects as well. Yoda is a small, green goblin thing. Winnie the Pooh is a yellow bear wearing a red jacket. 

(Not to mention that people can dress up as your character easier if there’s details specific to them)

Speech-

Who else would hold this category? Yoda has one of the most well known ways to talk. Speaks backwards, he does. Yoda is as memorable as he because of the way he talks.

 If your character has a distinctive voice, this will link something to your readers mind. Your character can be unique just by the way they talk. Consider giving quirks to your characters speech. (Maybe not your main character. Readers may find it annoying after a while. Choose a side character.)

The Joker, Winnie the Pooh, and even Jack Sparrow all have unique ways to communicate.

Personality-

Perhaps the hardest to write. Personalities are always difficult, and yet one of the most effective.

Cap’n Jack Sparrow’s personality is the reason why him and the whole franchise was famous. 

The character of the character is usually the funnest and maybe funniest to read. If a character is funny and charismatic they are automatically my favorite. Personality can make readers love or hate your character. But even if they do hate them at least you did your job and gave them a personality. The more readers love or hate your character, the more they will remember them. And the more the reader is entertained by just simply reading about them.

Jack Sparrow has the funniest lines and oddities.if you want to give a reader a reason to remember your character, I suggest giving them a strong and unique character.

Quirks-

Everybody has quirks, so your character should already have some. But little strange things a character does will just be one step to having a iconic character. 

Collecting rocks, singing while doing work, sleeping with a stuffed animal, writing poetry, baking, obsessed with perfection, random mood swings, and art are all examples of quirks (some may apply to a few readers.)

Maybe you should try a quirk against a person’s personality. Say if a person is the most serious person you would have ever met and they love dogs. They go completely out of character because they saw a puppy. This will not only make your readers love them but also remember their strange oddity.

Quotes-

One of my favorites! I love repeating random quotes from my favorite books.

(Don’t tell me you don’t know where “And In the morning, I’m making waffles.” is from.)

The things characters say can inspire people, make them laugh, make them think, make them love or hate the character. Dialog is part of the characters personality, and reveal the wisdom that a character was hiding. The more unique the quote or meaningful, the more its associated with the book and your character. Thats what you want for an iconic character. Think of every character you love, can you name one quote from each one, or multiple?

Actions-

The actions a character makes can be unique to that character. Actions can reveal a person’s true colors. Some choices can cause readers to have respect or despise a character. 

(A character without any actions and choices are probably not going to become iconic. (unless that’s what makes them memorable, a couch potato with no cares in the world))

Achievements-

The achievements of a person can make them legendary, that includes characters. Not many legendary characters are helpless morons with no spine.

Powers-

Powers can automatically make your character unique. I don’t have much to say on this topic because it’s so big. I can talk for hours about powers, but I won’t. Maybe give your character some powers, like Mary Poppins, Yoda, Gandalf, or Harry Potter. 

Thats all I got!

Who is this                                             

Vs.

 Thank you for reading! Have a FANTASTIC day! Have fun writing, fellow author!😊

Tips to Writing Siblings- Authoring Advice 🎪

Siblings are like besties but most of the time they wouldn’t be friends if they weren’t born or adopted by the same parents. And quite frankly, I think siblings are one of the best relationships to write. It can be so fun! Constant bickering, chaos following where ever they go, and the secret family love they have for eachother.

Of course, some siblings are enemies. This isn’t uncommon in stories. Some siblings have finally just met, and need time to get to know each other. And some avoid each other like the plague. But I want to talk about normal, perhaps teenager siblings. This can be for any age though, so ENJOY!

Arguments

If there’s something you can predict being on this list, it’s disagreements. SIblings didn’t have a choice to be placed together, (this is different than best friends), there for they could have contrasting and grating personalities. 

Some siblings are constantly fighting, sometimes with words other times with physical violence. But make sure the arguments are not hateful. They could be if the people are really furious, but most of the time there should only be shouting and glares. Nothing that could ruin a relationship.

Love

You may not know it, but 9/10 siblings love each other (in a family way). They have grown up together (unless if there’s a serious age difference or were separated). They have shared their lives, and had many fond memories.They should care about each other. Stick up for one another. If one is in danger the other should risk their life to save them, even right after a argument.

Usually siblings don’t explicitly show their love. In fact they try to hide, perhaps even lie. This is usually because of their pride and not wanting the other to have an upperhand. Adult siblings, I have noticed, are normally not so prideful and do show their feelings. But almost all teenagers, children,and young adults do not.

This can change if they have been through a traumatic situation. Most people reveal their true emotions during hard times, especially if they had almost died. So take this into account.

Good Moments

The best parts of relationships. Good moments are necessary in all bond that involve love. 

Siblings may not be similar in personalities but they should know the other’s personality well. Like I said earlier, they have shared their lives together, they should know their siblings inside and out. They know what they like, their preferences and favorite stuff.

Siblings can be completely opposites, but they should have some similarities. Not only in physical descriptions, but also in their dislikes and likes. Like how everybody is different, everyone is also similar in some way.

I have a brother who gets on my nerves a lot. But we both love many foods, shows, and activities. This should be the same for your characters, maybe not foods but perhaps other things. This is a good way to have good moments.

Flashbacks aren’t bad either. I don’t mean for you to write a flashback, those are usually really boring, but if the siblings bring up a funny moment in their past, they can have a good laugh and the reader can see more of their relationship.

Relationship Development

Siblings relationships are strange. Develop your characters in your own way but siblings sometimes don’t need their relationship to develop. They already care about one another, they already know almost everything about the other, but as they grow as people their bond may grow to.

Maybe the siblings were put into a life risking situation. This can make the them realize that they have limited time together and may change them in some way. Or it may be that one is moving away. Perhaps their parents died. Anything can happen. 

Sibling relationships are special. They can care about each other simply because their blood. They are family, almost everyone can relate to having family. Less people have lovers or even best friends. Therefore it’s important for you show their connection right, and also make it fun or depressing for the reader to read. It should never be boring.

I base a lot of my characters who are siblings off of my own brother and sister. So not of this advice may apply to you. But thanks for reading, have a FANTASTIC day!😀

Came for the story, stayed for the characters.

Reese Hollingsworth (Me)

Tips to Write Best Friends- Authoring advice 💕

There are many types of best friends. Some besties are complete opposites, others would have hated each other’s guts without their experiences together. Some are childhood buddies, and some met much later in life. But each one has similarities and are important.

For me, writing the relationship between two characters is the best part of writing, but for others… it may be difficult.So here are some tips!

Good Moments

Each friendship should have a few good moments in the book. This helps show why their friends and how their relationship works, also provides some clarity on their personalities.

The moments could be bantering between one another. Perhaps teasing, or helping the other cope. It could be anything that isn’t negative. They could be doing an activity together, even if it’s silent. They could be having a meaningful conversation; this is useful for explaining exposition to readers as well 😉. 

But be careful. You can’t just be sprouting meaningful conversations out of nowhere.It’s best to give hints at their relationship in the first or second chapter you meet them. Build the base of their bond.

The good moments should be consistent with their personalities or situation. Character A maybe should not be teasing their bestie a chapter after their dad died. 

Arguments

Disagreements between friends are inevitable. Its bound to happen, therefor conflicts are needed in your story. Your characters are people, and have their own opinions. And those opinions are not identical to their companion’s.

But, unless there’s a good reason and its believable, they should always make up. You chose how to do this, their your characters.

Reading Each Other's Mind

I do not mean literally. And it may not be constant, but best friends (especially if they knew each other for years) should be able to predict each other’s emotions, actions (some if not most of them), and reactions. These buddies should know when not to cross the line, (of course people always make mistakes so take that into account.).

Maybe the besties know each other so well they can synchronize. I am thinking of a team, fighting on the battlefield, fortelling eachothers moves and working together. This can also work for sports teams, charades, and attempting to not to die.

Relationship Development

This does not go for everyone. Some people and their relationships don’t change. But growth never hurts, and can in fact help your story to have some development. 

Example: say if character A realizes she does not appreciate character B, in some form. This changes their relationship because now character A listens to character B’s thoughts.

People and their bonds change. They grow and evolve, so it’s realistic to have growth to you story.

This is all I got! Thank you for reading, and have a FANTASTIC DAY! I’m posting soon!

Writing Advice: 10 Worst Experiences During the Writing Process😭

The experiences to prepare for, and to relate to during the writing process. Good luck fellow author! 

10. When you are trying to think of the perfect word thats right at the tip of your tongue. (Its worse when you loose the word all together)

This one is at number 10 because it is horrible, but you are still mentally active and not ready to cry yourself to sleep. Though it stinks!

Solution:

Think of a similar word, usually the second one on your mind and look for synonyms on google or other sources. The word you’re looking for or a better one may come up. If not than either choose one of the options or look for synonyms of another similar word.

9. When you write something that may not be correct so you research the topic for an hour. (I’m not talking about the big stuff you should have looked into before you started writing, exp: cultures, I mean basically meaningless stuff)

This has happened to me twice (once about horses and once about how to grill a pig) It’s second on the list because it takes up more time than the first one and it’s annoying. But usually not demotivating.

Solution: 

Do not do it.

8. When you read an article or watch a video about writing and realize you have been doing it wrong the entire time. 

Do I have to explain?

Solution:

Take in the advice if you like it and continue on with your book using the advice but do not go back and change what you have already written. Leave that to your editor self.

7. When you are irresolute (look it up) because of a family/friend. colleague/ exd’s opinion. (I mean they talk down at you for being a writer, or something similar)

This is hard on our feelings box and/or heartbreaking. But this list is mostly my opinions and since I haven’t felt the crush of this fully, its higher. I am sorry for those who have been hurt.

Solution:

Don’t listen to them! In fact, let it fuel you. Show them who can do what! Or who can be successful! You can do anything!

6. When you feel overwhelmed. This may be because you can’t make yourself forget that you have so much to do before finishing the book. Maybe your busy.

The editing, marketing, and paying are what overwhelm me. The writing phase is not particularly easy, but it was less stressful for myself. It may not be the case for you. You may still have chapters to finish, a world to build, characters to create. It could be very stressful.

Solution:

Make it fun! Make it a game and your going through the levels. Once your done creating your world and characters, you can finally write! The thing you have been waiting for months! 

Remember, you are building your world. Enjoy every moment of it. Because one day, you will finish your book or series and you have to say goodbye to your baby and creation. Enjoy it while it lasts!

5. Losing motivation to write.

Are you surprised this is only half way down the list? I’m not. Even though this is horrible, it’s not the worst thing. There are simple solutions.

Solution:

It may be different for everyone but here’s a few ideas that are good for me.

1.Start writing. Yep. If you just write, that motivation will soon come back. (This works best if you are very familiar with your characters)

2. Look back through your notes and future plans. Get excited, again, for your book or series.

3.Watch videos and read articles about writing 😉, they can help you get through the problem or just be fun.

4. Remind yourself why you want to write and why writings fun. its different for everyone but reading is an example.

5. Sleep, be healthy, socialize, get sunlight and fresh air, exercise. These can clear your mind, get you in a good mood and helps your overall day.

4. When you realize your dialog sucks or unnatural. 

This may not be as bad as some of the others I already mentioned, but dialog can help or ruin a book. Dialog can spark ideas of character development, relationships, sub-plots, or even how to continue the overarching plot. But if you do it wrong, it can take forever to fix.

3. When you are stuck.    You want to write but you can’t think of anything. I like to call this Writer’s Traffic instead of Writer's block. 

This is one of the worst case of scenarios for me as a writer because I want to write but instead I am staring at a computer screen.

Solution:

Skip the scene. Skip the next few lines. Leave a note for yourself so you can come back to it at a better time. 

2. When you realize you don’t know your characters enough.

It’s hard to admit, but when your character is inconsistent and its not part of their personality then you have a problem. You may even have to rewrite most of your book if you’re far in. If you don’t know your characters and your on chapter 4 then stop now and save yourself.

Solution: 

Do character questionnaires, explain anything important in their past. Anything traumatic they have experienced, their personality, how they would react in a certain situation. It’s really important to know their background (Note: You need to know, not your readers unless necessary) 

Link to a character questionnaires. https://www.writerswrite.co.za/prousts-questionnaire-35-questions-every-character-should-answer/    also they got some awesome writing advice!

1.DUN DUN DUN!THE LAST ONE! When your writing (or lack of) has an effect on you daily life and you feel absolutely miserable.

You would be surprised how often this happened to me, It’s almost like a heavy depressed feeling that makes it painful to basically do anything. 

Maybe it’s outside writing that makes you feel this way but you just can’t write. Everything is dull and grim, your head hurts or you have no motivation to do anything.

You just can’t.

Solution:

Use your miserableness as a motivation. You want to get rid of it, right? Then you must do what helps. Here’s a few tricks. 

1. Drink water. Perhaps your dehydrated.

2. Exercise. This one is really helpful on more than your emotions. Do this before considering taking a nap, because naps can make it worse.

3. Go to bed earlier. If your like me than your nocturnal but if you simply go to bed at 10 then you will feel much better in the morning. I suggest reading or doing something other than look at a screen before going to bed. Screens can make it troublesome to fall asleep.

4. Socializing. You may be awkward but at least you have a mother? A father? Grandparents? A best friend? Siblings? Random people online? Anyone who can distract you, and make you feel better. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a pleasant conversation, just one that won’t bring you down. Socializing can make you feel so much better.

5. Get a horrible beta reader. (this is a joke…kind of) A beta reader is a person who reads your book or a chapter and gives feedback. A good beta reader is honest and gives praise and criticism. This is what I meant for a bad beta reader. Someone who you trust who will probably be scared to hurt your feelings. Even though it might not be true, positive feedback will help. 

That is all I have! I hoped you enjoyed! Have a Fantastic day! I will be posting again soon!