MarinaProse

Travel, Tea, and Poetry

[ghostflowerdreams]

Other Important Survival Skills & Information

For whatever reason you’re here, knowing survival skills can save your life or your character’s life (especially for those writers out there that are researching this topic).

Basic Rules If You Are Lost And Alone In The Wilderness

Basic Wilderness Survival Skills

Celestial Navigation & Land Navigation - Navigation without a Compass

Finding True North Without a Compass

Telling Time Without A Clock: Scandinavian Daymarks

Wilderness Survival - Field-Expedient Direction Finding

Wilderness Survival - Contact With People

Wilderness Survival - Clouds: Foretellers Of Weather

Wilderness Survival - Camouflage

Wilderness Survival - Sea Survival

Wilderness Survival - Cold Weather Survival

Wilderness Survival - Tropical Survival

Wilderness Survival - Desert Survival

Wilderness Survival - Field-Expedient Weapons, Tools, And Equipment

Wilderness Survival - Psychology of Survival

Wilderness Survival - Signaling Techniques

Morse Code

The Survivalist - Survival Gear: Make Your Own Signal Whistle

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Signal Whistle Codes

The Survivalist - Survival Gear: How To Make A Compass

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Folk Wisdom Weather Predictors

The Survivalist - How To Make Rope From Natural Fibers

The Survivalist - Tying Knots That Work

The Survivalist - More Knots That Work

The Survivalist - How To Make Your Own Tick And Bug Repellent

The Survivalist - How To Make A Toothbrush In The Field

The Survivalist - Insulate You Clothes To Survive The Cold

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Find Natural Toilet Paper

Going To The Bathroom In The Woods 101

How To Go In The Woods

Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

One Green Planet - DIY Natural Insect Repellent

Preventing Bug Bites In The Woods

Homemade Natural Bug Spray Recipes

Bushcraft Camp Hygiene

Wilderness Hygiene

Preparing For Your First Year Trip — Wilderness Living

Camping and Cramping: How To Handle Your Period While You Enjoy The Great Outdoors

Hiking While Menstruating?

What Did Women Use For Menstruation In Europe and America From 1700 - 1900, And Probably Earlier?

Menstruation, Menstrual Hygiene and Woman’s Health in Ancient Egypt

Survival: Animal Attacks

How to Survive Wild Animal Attacks

[heywriters]

Old links, but some are still alive! Visit old websites, remind them they still matter!

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My October Stat Tracking !

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Getting Started

Starting any writing project is a huge step. To go from 'idea' to 'draft' is one of the hardest parts of the writing process - and those difficulties come from a variety of spaces. There's the issue of finding the time, there's trying to maintain the passion, there's your inner critic telling you "hey this sucks".

But you can and should start - and I have to take my own advice on that. I started this writing blog before the pandemic, and once it hit, I lost all my motivation. So here are a few tips for getting started so we can do it together.

Your First Draft Sucks

A difficult but crucial first step is turning off that inner critic. As long as you are trying to be perfect, it's easy to second guess yourself, and prevent yourself from going forward. You'll never reach paragraph two if you are obsessing over paragraph one.

Let yourself write the first draft as poorly as you want. It is going to be easier to polish a finished work than it will be to prefect it along the way. You have time for a second draft, third, tenth, as many as you need.

It's common advice, it's easier said than done, but accepting that your first draft is not meant to be good is freeing.

Something is Better Than Nothing

The truth is - it doesn't have to be every day.

Maybe it's just me, but I get very stuck on 'streaks'. I tell myself I'll start at the beginning of the week, I'll write X amount of words per day. The first time I fall short, I failed. I'll try again next week.

You don't need a milestone to start - it doesn't need to be the beginning of the week or the month. If you set a word goal, and you fall short, something is still better than nothing.

Write every day if you can. It's a really, really great habit to get into - but "write every day" is great advice as long as it doesn't hold you back. Start today. Write as much as you have time for. If that's daily, amazing, but if it's weekly, if it's just Sunday afternoons, if it's only 50 words a month: that is better than nothing. Do what you can.

Making in a Habit

If your goal is to write every day, the best way to do that is to build a habit. Forcing yourself to write daily can get the job done, but in my experience, making it something that you enjoy and love is so much better.

When I get ready to write, I prepare a cup of tea. I have a writing playlist. I turn off the other distractions - even writing-adjacent distractions. (I start writing and 15 minutes in I absolutely have to stop to google exactly what a young girl would call her father in Bactria in the year 330BC).

If you find yourself googling random facts, checking social media, and getting caught in distractions, an extension like Cold Turkey might get you to focus. If you hit something you need to research, make a note! Skip it and come back to it later. If you have a fact you need to research, make a note and come back to it. Otherwise, turn off your phone, have our drink and snack ready. Go to the bathroom, lock your door, light a candle.

Make your writing time a privilege. Candle lit, music on, lights dimmed, drink in hand. Distractions and notifications turned off. It should be something you look forward to, a time that is quiet and welcoming.

Whatever you are working on: the real point is to just get words on the page. You can clean it up later but for now, getting started is the best thing.

Good luck and happy writing,

MarinaProse

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Welcome to MarinaProse

I’ve always found the hardest part of any project is the beginning. I can find a thousand reasons to delay or tiny details to fuss over, but despite (a pandemic long) of procrastination, a new start is here for me. 

For years, I’ve wanted to share with you the three things I love the most: travel, tea, and poetry. In January of 2020, I had it all planned out, how I would spread so much positivity, inspiration, and passion through my writing. I had trips planned to Japan and to Boston, Massachusetts. 

Needless to say, there were some unforeseen events - like an international pandemic - that got in my way. I’ll have to forgive myself for the procrastination this time around. 

I am still keeping travel to a minimum, but as we slowly, and mindfully, begin our new normal, it was time to come back to writing. A two-year hiatus was by far long enough. So, with that, welcome to MarinaProse. 

I’m still finding a new rhythm to things and recreating the plan. I hope creative people find a gentle home here, in a soft, simple, and peaceful space of inspiration and shared passion. With love,

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I really hope the 1920s aesthetic catches on so I can be this cute every day.  

Twitter / Insta: @marinaprose 

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I've got my cup of tea, my positive vibes, and my (massive) pile of notes. What are you going into #NaNoWriMo with this year? 

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Hello Tumblr!

This is a new tumblr blog for writers, poets, and other literary artists out there. My name is Marina Montenegro. I am a nonbinary and Latinx writer from NYC, as well as a prize winning poet. I’ll be using this blog to promote other writers, post writing advice, answer questions, and share what I’m currently reading. 

Everything here is a work in progress - if there’s something you want to see let me know! I’m excited to get to know the tumblr writing community! 

Best,  Marina Montenegro  Find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram