So good.
If you suffer from joint pain, you need to read this!
by Stephanie Morrill Stephanie writes young adult contemporary novels and is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com. Her novels include The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series (Revell) and the Ellie Sweet books (Playlist). You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and check out samples of her work on her author website. We are so excited to share that there were 204 entries to the 100-word contest that closed on Friday! Finalists should be announced later this week. A writer emailed me with a great editing question. She wanted to know how to judge if her character had developed well over the course of the story. Even when you enjoy the editing process (which is an acquired taste, in my opinion) there's always the possibility that you're so close to your novel that you can't see the flaws. This happens to novices and seasoned writers alike. That's one of the reasons why it's helpful to know about story structure even if you never fill out a plotting spreadsheet in your life; you can use it after you've written the book to be sure the building blocks for a strong story are there. A faulty character arc is, in my opinion, one of the easiest things to accidentally overlook. Maybe it's like how mother's don't always see their kids with the clearest eye. (In the Harry Potter books, the way that the parents fawn over Dudley is hilarious because we all know parents who look at their super bratty kids and somehow think they're wonderful.) We love our main characters, and it can be hard to see them clearly. Here are a few questions you can ponder as you try to determine if you've done your work with character development: (Warning: I use Cars and Pride and Prejudice as examples of character development so if you haven't seen Cars or experienced Pride and Prejudice and don't want to spoil it for yourself, I wouldn't read on!) What can your character do at the end of the novel that they couldn't do at the beginning? My favorite scene in Cars is that last one, where Lightning McQueen sacrifices winning first place in order to push The King across the finish line. The first few times I watched that movie, I actually got teary at that scene. (Now that I've seen it approximately 100 times, I just get goosebumps.) That scene is so powerful because it's the fruit of the journey that Lightning McQueen has been on. When we met him, all he cared about was winning the Piston cup and landing Dinoco as his sponsor. He never would have sacrificed those two things. But by the end of the movie, we see him do something both sacrificial and heroic. Once you've figured out what your character can do at the end that they couldn't do in the beginning, you need to make sure the scenes are in place that will make that moment plausible. First Lightning learned how to accept racing wisdom from somebody else. Then other characters speak truth into his life - like Sally saying that she used to be rich and live a faster pace life but that she was never really happy. And then Doc asking Lightning when the last time was that he did something for somebody else. Both those statements strike a chord with Lightning and set change in motion. We also have the scene at the end of the second act where Lightning buys something from every store in town before he leaves. That gives the viewer a glimpse of how much change has taken place, and it sets us up for his heroic finish. Does your character have a lie they believe at the beginning, and how have they been set free? A great example of this is Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy believes Mr. Darcy is nothing more than a proud, rich dude and that he would prefer to not spend time with her. There's a reason she believes these things and at times there are shades of truth to them. (Which is a great quality in a story lie.) By the end of the book, Lizzy has not only learned the truth about Mr. Darcy and his feelings for her, she has seen her own errors. Like how she was too quick to believe Mr. Wickham and the lies he spread about the Darcy family. Your character's lie needs to be chipped away. Yes, it's great to have that big scene where the lie is obliterated, but you should have several scenes that have prepared your main character and your reader. In Pride and Prejudice, Lizzy is offered several reasons to doubt what she believes about Mr. Darcy. For one thing, he proposed to her. She now can no longer fully believe that the only thing Darcy cares about is his social status, because he never would have proposed to her otherwise. When she sees him so attentive with his sister, she can no longer think him cold and unfeeling. The lie is chipped away until it's obliterated by the measures Darcy goes to when he redeems the reputation of the Bennet family. Is your character's dream tested multiple times? In Pride and Prejudice, Lizzy intends to marry only for love, which in the time the book was set, was a very courageous goal. She is proposed to by Mr. Collins, whom she doesn't even like, but who is to inherit the house they live in when her father dies. Marrying him would ensure security not just for herself but for her mother and four sisters as well. Saying no to him takes a lot of bravery. Again, Lizzy is proposed to. This time by Mr. Darcy, who is considered the most eligible bachelor of all. This is another opportunity to save her family, but Lizzy detests the man, and turns him down. Whatever your character's dream is, make sure you've found several places in the story to test their resolve. This deepens their internal growth and may teach them something about what motivates them. Marrying for love is a noble goal, but Lightning McQueen dreams of being the first rookie to win the Piston Cup due to his desire for fame. During his journey, he's forced to acknowledge that his fame isn't as important as having friends. What happened in your character's past that they need to get over? Many main characters have a dark wound - something that happened in their past that damaged them. Figuring out your character's journey for breaking free of a dark wound can do amazing things for their development. Jill Williamson does a wonderful job of this with Captives. There's a collective dark wound for the brothers - a friend who died in an accidental shooting - plus each brother enters the story with his own dark wound. Omar and Mason have been run down by their father for years because they're not hunters. And Levi has been haunted by a mistake he made with a girl from another tribe. Recovering from the dark wound is a process, and often the dark wound is wrapped in a lie, so your character first has to dig through the lie to find the dark wound before they can start their recovery. These are not mandatory elements of a story, just a few tools you can use to help determine the growth of your characters over the course of the story. Without giving away endings, what are some of your favorite character arcs?
(Submitted by navass & anonym) I bet you sang the song in your head while reading this, ha!
TweetPin2EmailShare Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult. There’s a lot that goes into it, and to make matters worse, you only have one chance to give... Read more »
People ask me all the time, when I tell them that I make a living working as a blogger, that they don't have what it takes to be a blogger. I've heard this so many times lately that I feel compelled to write a post explaining what it takes to be a good blogger. I think just about everybody has it in them to be a great blogger, but they don't know where to start. Hopefully this will give you the confidence you need to take the plunge to start your own blog! SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Starting now, I have a
Dance your heart out, guys. (This post is best viewed with your favorite tune playing in the background.)
If you’ve ever wondered whether age matters in a relationship, I’ve got either very good news for you, or very bad news, depending on your outlook: According to a study from Emory University researchers Andrew M. Francis and Hugo M. Mialon, it does.…
It is important to balance and cleanse energy in your home as well as your personal energy from time to time. In this article we will see how to do a spiritual home cleansing, using household ingredients and simple tricks. If you think you need a cleansing, I can help you. Visit my Cleansing Spell, there you can place the order and reach me out. Cleansing spirit of Home How can I know if my house is spiritually cleansed? There are some tests that you can do before starting with a ritual of spiritual cleansing in your home. I recommend you that walk through all the rooms of your house with the intention of detect and feel the energy present. Do you feel the energy light and bright? Do you feel heavy and dark? There are certain areas of the house that will feel thicker than others? Do you feel chaos or confusion in any room? How to make a spiritual cleansing If after you use your perception, you feel that it is necessary to make a spiritual cleansing, there are several types of spiritual home cleansing you can use. I have used all these methods successfully. In a nutshell: If the energy fields in the home are stagnant, these exercises will help you to cleanse them. You should know that visitors who come and go, as well as discussions and other disruptive energies, can stay in your home and disturb harmony. That is why it is important to make at least a spiritual cleansing ritual once a month. Remember, if you want me to cast a cleansing spell for you, you can place an order, JUST CLICK HERE Spiritual cleansing: 5 homemade and easy tricks 1. cleansing with Sage My favorite way to balance and cleanse energy at home is the traditional native American: burning Sage. Light it on and leave it burning a moment and then blow it by holding the sage about an ashtray, steps from a room to another singing this mantra: "Sacred Sage cleanses my house". I also use Sage to clear my own field of energy. The scent wakes powerful ancestral memories. 2 frankincense and myrrh This is another very effective way of making a spiritual house cleansing. When I need to do a cleansing really very powerful, buy incense and myrrh, and coal to be burned. It places the frankincense and myrrh, then ignites the coal and wait for the smoke to manifest itself. In a State of Holy intention, steps from a room to another while smoke cleanses spiritual energy of House. This will balance and cleanse your personal energy field too. Be sure to pour cold water on the coal once it has burned completely. Never throw a coal burning in the trash. 3. Pink blessed water Simple, sweet and very effectively ritual to make home spiritual cleansing, is through the use of the Holy rose water. Buy the best brand of essential oil of rose you can get, more expensive oils tend to be purer, and this will be better. Roses are associated with the Holy Mother, and divine feminine energy so a sweet energy will be which bring calm to your home. Put a few drops of oil in a bottle of spray with water purified. Say a prayer over the water and bless it. Walk from a room to another spraying water and cleansing your home as well. Use this water to spray around your own. This is very refreshing and easy to make. 4. the power of the angels All the archangels and their personal angels are at your service and ready to be helping you. The Archangels Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel are under your command. Request the power of these angelic energies to go walk with you through all the rooms of your home. It displays how the divine light balances and cleanses every square inch of the House. Imagine these angelic beings in a circle to your around and bathing you with light. 5. the power of Jesus You don't need to be of the Christian faith to make use of this power. It works for any faith. I always use what I work best, and this works. If you've detected the presence of really dark energies in your home or around you, is time to use a power stronger than all healer: the power of Jesus Christ. When Jesus walked the Earth in physical form, the dark energies moved away from it. The same power is available to us today. It doesn't matter what religion you are or what you believe about Jesus, is no power on the sacred name. Here is a simple sentence that can be used in the spiritual cleansing of the home: "I appeal to the power of Jesus Christ to cleanse and liberate the dark energies of my energy field and my house. I ask the angels that they escort to these energies toward the light. Amen." Caution: it is important not to curse or hate the dark energies. If they are negative energies, this will only give them more power - which will also put you in a State of fear, which is the opposite of love. Just to pronounce the sentence and leave in the hands of Jesus and the angels so that they sent all the dark energies out of your energy field. Signs of a Curse Let’s face it. Bad things happen to good people sometimes for no logical reason. Sometimes we don’t understand why illness or misfortune befalls us, and we want to know the signs of a curse. In this article, we teach you how to tell if you’re truly cursed plus teach you how to BREAK curses and reclaim the power over your life. These are the most common signs of a curse. 1. Inexplicable Illness and/or Injury 2. String of Bad Luck 3. Strange Animal Occurrences 4. Broken Glass 5. Random Negative Thoughts 6. Broken Relationships 7. Missing Personal Items 8. Bad Omens 9. Nightmares and Recurring Dreams Remove a curse This not is really a method of cleansing spiritual of houses, but if you feel you have been cursed in any form, you can use this exercise. The most powerful way to remove a curse is through the power of forgiveness and love. Feel frustration or resentment is not the best way to get out of this, only the love you away from the curse. Keep in mind that a "curse" may be simply the energetic manifestation of thoughts of envy or hatred that someone has directed towards you. This may create a pattern of chaotic energy. To do this we will use TAT energy therapy. Put your hands in the TAT position (see photo) and say: "I am cursed." Let the feelings coming to the surface and continues with the treatment. "I ask the divine light that helps me in the complete forgiveness of this person, or people, known or unknown. I release any need to get sympathy or attention due to these conditions. I ask and beg the divine light and love to cleanse and balance my energy field, my physical body, mental body, and spiritual body. I release any effect of this curse to light completely. I ask the divine light to fill my being with the power of continuous forgiveness. I am very grateful. Amen". Finally, if you need me to cast a removal spell for you, just CLICK HERE Here concludes this article on how to make a spiritual cleansing in the home. I hope that it will be useful. Continue navigating the blog to discover home remedies of white magic, black magic, love spells , and much more. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive updates from this blog and share it with your friends. Related Post Cleansing Spell If you want me to cast a spell for you, you can place an order HERE. If you want to contact me, you can do it through my email address [email protected]. Or you can find me on Facebook and Instagram Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google Plus About Me Hi, I'm Amira Asmdodea. I was born in Brazil so many years ago. There I made my first steps in religion and witchcraft. I have learned Wicca in Ireland, Voodoo in Haiti, Gypsy Tarot in Bulgaria, and I have lived for a time in New York, where I had the opportunity to meet the greatest witches of these times. if you want to know more about me, click here to read my full biography. Welcome to my website and Blessings. RELATED POSTS
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