i see what's mine and take it

20/ london / creative writing and publishing

[kim-birdwonders]

15 things students should appreciate

1. the first time you use your new markers and stationary  2. sitting outside in the sun during a break between classes 3. a good coffee-to-go in your hand during a long lecture at uni 4. unlimited free books in your university library 5. student discount while shopping in many big shops (like forever21) 6. a neatly organized and healthy filled lunchbox, prepared the night before 7. classical music in the background while studying 8. walking through the university hallways surrounded by busy crowds of motivated young people with big dreams 9. being fortunate to be able to study 10. professor’s with quirky personalities and jokes 11. endless possibilities, still waiting in the future 12. cosy study sessions with friends 13. creativity in fashion, food and home decor because of little money 14. sleeping in and spending time at home/in your dorm because you don’t work a full job yet 15. dinner nights that involve cooking with fellow student friends and drinking cheap wine on weekdays 

[itii14]

Coffee🖤

[midnightlie]

do you ever drop foreshadowing in ur own writing and just go OOOHHhhhhoOOOHHooooOHHOOHHOOHHOO

[limestyle]

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde

[the-messyfrenchie]

(Messy) desk situation: trying to stay hot and cozy while studying for finals

[eudaimonia-111]

11.4.17// 9:10 pm. happy november! studying at my favorite coffee shop today ☕️🍂

[entjlady]

[studyellenstudy]

Last two weeks of uni and I’m still recovering from my cold and prob gonna be late for my lecture BUT I’m gna kill it like a bad bitch

[elrood]

This week was a very happy one! My dog is here and I really enjoy going for walks with her every day 💛 work is still lots of fun! I also got a new notebook which makes working even better :‘) and I had my psychotherapy presentation last week which went very well 👌🏻

[take-up-and-read]

Just about a third of the way through my last term paper 😅📚📚📚

[historystudies]

Since finishing my undergrad I’m able to leisure read again without remorse ✨ also my research for my dissertation is chugging along nicely, so overall it’s been a pretty good week 💫 who else is excited for December?

[shannanastudies]

22 °11°17

Autumn, assignments and junk-food. It’s that time of the year again, spending long days at the library to prevent yourself from unnecessary stress at the last minute. 🌙🍂

[pomegranate-heart]

[theliteraryarchitect]

Quick Plotting Tip: Write Your Story Backwards

If you have a difficult time plotting, try writing or outlining your story backwards—from the end to the beginning. Writers who have a difficult time outlining, plotting, and planning their stories often benefit from this technique. You’ll need a general idea of what your story is about for this to work, and of course you need to know the ending, but you might be amazed how helpful this trick can be.

Why is writing backwards easier? Basically, instead of answering the question “this happened… now what comes next?,” you’ll be answering the question “this happened… so what would come right before that?” which narrows the possibilities for your next move and can help keep your story on track. (Incidentally, it’s also the way Joseph Gordan-Levitt’s character comes out on top in the film The Lookout.)

Writing backwards can also help you more tightly weave together your subplots, themes, and character relationships, and keep you from going too far down any irrelevant rabbit holes.

If you don’t want to write or outline completely backwards, remember that you’re free to jump around! If you’re feeling stuck in your story or novel, jump to the middle or end and write a few scenes. Many writers get stuck because they feel they have to write their story linearly from beginning to end, which results in an overdeveloped (and often irrelevant) beginning and an underdeveloped ending.

So go work on that ending! It’s much more likely that you will need to change your beginning to fit your ending than the other way around, so spend time on your ending sooner rather than later!

[neuroticmedblr-deactivated20190]

how to avoid education burnout

have 3 achievable goals a day: having a laundry list of things to do everyday is super unrealistic, and you just end up feeling bad about yourself because you didn’t accomplish your goals for the day.

leave your sundays open: i love sundays because they’re my day to chill out and catch up on school work that i wasn’t able to finish during the week.

recognize when you’re at your emotional limits: forcing yourself to get work done when you are unable to comprehend your study material does not benefit anyone.

learn how to say no: people will ask you for your time and it will stretch you to the limit, whether it be at your job, in your extracurriculars, or in your personal life. know when to step back and say no.

take care of yourself physically: take breaks, go for walks, shower regularly, get enough sleep, eat healthy, see your friends

celebrate your accomplishments: go out to eat with friends after a big exam, indulge in a night off after a busy week with some netflix and wine

make a study plan beforehand: it can be daunting to see how much work you need to put in to a class or task beforehand, but this allows you to spread your work evenly so you don’t become overwhelmed.

learn how to ask for help: it is very rare that people make it through school, whether it be high school or university or any graduate program, without needing the advice of others or just a kind soul to vent to. find that person.

never forget your hobbies: you will need things that keep you sane. if you love to play music, write, play volleyball, or cook, make you sure you don’t lose these things. they will become your escape when times get tough.

log off from time to time: it is exhausting to be constantly connected to social media and your email. just physically disconnecting from these for a night to take care of yourself can really help you clear your mind.

[pencilpeach]

a small wisdom that I need to remember 🌿

[theliteraryarchitect]

How to Make Your Descriptions Less Boring

We’ve all been warned about the dangers of using too much description. Readers don’t want to read three paragraphs about a sunset, we’re told. Description slows down a story; it’s boring and self-indulgent. You should keep your description as short and simple as possible. For those who take a more scientific approach to writing fiction, arbitrary rules abound: One sentence per paragraph. One paragraph per page. And, for god’s sake, “Never open a book with weather” (Elmore Leonard).

But what this conventional wedding wisdom fails to take into account is the difference between static and dynamic description. Static description is usually boring. It exists almost like a painted backdrop to a play. As the name suggests, it doesn’t move, doesn’t interact or get interacted with.

There were clouds in the sky. Her hair was red with hints of orange. The house had brown carpeting and yellow countertops.

In moderation, there’s nothing wrong with static description. Sometimes, facts are facts, and you need to communicate them to the reader in a straightforward manner.

But too much static description, and readers will start to skim forward. They don’t want to read about what the house looks like or the stormy weather or the hair color of each of your protagonist’s seventeen cousins.

Why? Because they can tell it’s not important. They can afford to skip all of your description because their understanding of the story will not be impacted.

That’s where dynamic description comes in. Dynamic description is a living entity. It’s interactive, it’s relevant. It takes on the voices of your narrators and characters. In short, it gives us important information about the story, and it can’t be skimmed over.

So how do you make your description more dynamic so that it engages your readers and adds color and excitement to your story? Here are a few tips.

(I have a TON more tips about setting and description. These are just a few. But I’m trying to keep this short, so if you have any questions or want more advice about this, please feel free to ask me.)

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