Warrior Women - Empowering Women, Writers, and Dreamers

I know this is not my typical writing advice post. But, the reality is we all struggle with different things throughout our lives and this has been my struggle for a long time, and the focus of my writing, as a way to process my feelings. After all, isn't that what writing should be? A way to write about what we are feeling and work through things, and become better and overcome and deal with struggles as a result? I wrote a similar article on my Facebook page a few months ago, as well as wrote this article for my wonderful aunt's blog, which focuses on how we can be ourselves, flaws and all, and still be incredible women and change the world. I figured it was high time I shared it on my own blog as well. Enjoy. It’s been nearly five months since I had surgery. I’ve debated for months whether to post anything on a highly sensitive and deeply personal subject, but have concluded that more people can benefit from having an open conversation and normalizing the topic, than me keep...

For those days when you are discouraged and need some encouragement to keep going, continue writing, and persevere to create your work of art. "Writers don't play enough like dancers. Dancers enjoy their art, we can enjoy our as well." -Brother Allen "Writers see the world through eyes of compassion. People do crazy things for a reason, because they are broken, and writers understand the hidden stories." -Brother Allen "Sneak around the inner critic, the "police state" in your mind." -Brother Allen "Write for one reason, to entertain, or stimulate the intellect." -Brother Allen "Story answers the question. 'and then?' Plot answers the question, 'why?'" -Brother Allen "Being a writer is a title you have to earn every day; by writing." -Brother Allen Let's embrace who we are, and recapture the joy we used to feel in our passions, by doing something that we love every day! :)

Hey folks! Hope y'all are having a lovely summer! Rule number 8 for a successful writer's life is to: 8. "Learn the craft." As with most things in life, it is never a "flood of inspiration," that gets us to the level that we want to be at. It takes hard work and sacrifice. It takes a 1,000 hours to become a master at a sport or instrument, it is going to take the same amount of time to become a master at writing. So, start that practice now :) Be a craftsman in your own right and use the tools in your toolbox of writing, such as: point of view, conflict, dialogue, diction, scenery, time, backstory, etc. Writing is a special form of art, as you transform words into images in people's minds and convey emotion that was not there before. Reading changes people. Become a master of your own craft of writing and set out to change others for the better. 9. "Give honestly." Give art for others; it is not about you, it is a labor of love for other people...

May the fourth be with you! :) Rule number 6 for a successful writer's life is to: 6. "Read, read, read." It is important to always be reading, both rereading classics that you love, and, exploring new things. It is important to read books in the period of time you want to write about. That way you can immerse yourself in the time period and culture. Then you can better understand, and then write about, the styles and the issues of that time or genre. It is also key to read contemporary authors, and to keep up on modern issues. Then, as well as writing about internal, eternal struggles, we can better incorporate modern issues in our writing to make it relevant to readers now. 7. "Accept criticism." It may seem like a no-brainer so we can improve, but it is easier said than done. We need to separate our writing from the worth of our soul. We need to remember that the critiques are on the writing, NOT on you as an individual. Accepting criticism is the only way to...

Rule number 4 for a successful writer's life is to: 4. "Be nerdy." It is okay to be openly passionate about things that you love! We don't have to be robots who all love the exact same thing. If we did, the world would be a very boring and dreary place. One of my favorite authors, John Green, once said, "Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff.... Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can't-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they're saying is 'you like stuff.' Which is not a good insult at all. Like, 'you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.'" It is good, and healthy to be excited about things. Love things and love what you write about. Write what you are passionate about and don't apologize for it. 5. "Pay close attention to the world around you." Brother Allen, my creative writing professor at BYU-I, ...

I apologize that I have been AWOL for so long. Had preparations for the holidays, there was a nasty flu bug that wiped one out for several weeks straight, had some health issues, and visited family over Christmas break. But, better late than never, Happy New Year and all that jazz, I am back! :) Today, let's talk about a writer's life. If you walk in any bookstore  or peruse the shelves at the library, you'll very quickly notice that most of the authors are older and mostly in their 40's-60's, with established lives and careers. You don't really see any younger, success authors out there in their 20's and 30's, those who are barely out of college or starting a family, or living on their own. Why is that? What happened to authors like, Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein when she was 17, or Helen Keller who wrote The Story of My Life at 22, or Charles Dickens who published his first novel of the Pickwick Papers when he was 24, or Ralph Waldo Emerson wh...

I recently finished an excellent book that was recommended to me by a friend, called "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear," by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of, "Eat, Pray, Love." In the book she talks a lot about how fear is a crippling demon that keeps us from becoming our best selves and achieving our dreams. Fear can keep us from a lot in our lives, and manifests itself in many different ways. It can keep us from writing, or creating art, or going after the dream job, try out for a competition, asking for a promotion, making a new friend, or taking a chance on a relationship. Basically, your fear is something that is always going to be a part of you.  Elizabeth Gilbert says, “Basically, your fear is like a mall cop who thinks he’s a Navy SEAL: He hasn’t slept in days, he’s all hopped up on Red Bull, and he’s liable to shoot at his own shadow in an absurd effort to keep everyone 'safe'.”  The thing we can do is to learn to live with the fear of rejecti...