Family Mag How to plan your next writing project! Encouraging your children to write
10 Top Tips for starting your own Blog
L
Writing as Therapy
et’s Talk about your writing: confidence and believe in yourself.
Interview with the Blogger: QUIZ What type of writer are you?
What a
difference a
year makes!
Contents page Page 3. Page 4.
Editor’s note
Encouraging your children to write
Page 5. 10 Top-tips for starting your own Blog Page 6. Interview with the Blogger Page 8. Writing as Therapy
Page 9. Quiz: What type of writer are you?
Page 11. Let’s talk about your Writing: Confidence & believing in yourself
Page 12. How to plan your next writing project. Page 13. Creative Writing Exercise/prompt Page 14. Competition time.
Page 15. Family creative writing activity Page 16. Genre discussion: Flash Fiction
Page 17. Confessions of a Mother/Writer/Student/ - Column Page 18. Top Ten Books to Read in 2016
Page 20. Author Talk—Working for Free Debate Page 22. 5 Ways to be more Creative
Page 25. TV/Film versus the Book—The Exorcist: The Book vs The Movie
Page 27. Teaching others to Write Creatively— The Protagonist Page 28. Protagonist Profile Sheet
Page 30. Top 5 Quick Healthy Snacks when you’re a busy Writer Page 31. Next Issue News
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Note from the Editor Welcome, to the very first edition of RRW Magazine. I must admit, launching a magazine has been nerve-wracking and I really hope that there are people out there who enjoy reading. My main idea stemmed from my own passion for writing. I just feel that there are so many benefits of writing and I want to inspire others of all ages to write and build up a positive community and supportive network. I think it’s important that people of all ages experience the enjoyment of writing.
Rambles, Rants, & Writings stemmed from my personal blog and with the help of many contributors I have been able to put enough worthwhile content together to produce this magazine. We are always on the look-out for contributions and submissions, and this is a great way to showcase your work as Rambles, Rants, & Writings will be heavily promoted through my contacts. I would like to thank the people who contributed to this magazine for their patience. You are the people who made this all possible so thanks again for your support. I hope you enjoy reading the first edition and if you are interested in advertising with us or contributing, please email your article ideas, or fiction and poetry submissions to admin@ramblesrantswritings.com and don’t forget to check out our website www.ramblesrantswritings.com Janet x Editor
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Encouraging your children to Write Writing well can have so many benefits. Writing down what we feel, our imagination and ideas, even a report from someone else or helpful tips of our own, and instructions for instance are all useful tools we use regularly. Sometimes writing is used as a teaching and learning tool, and it’s certainly an important form of communication too. OK, so we know all that! But what about our children and their writing?
Both reading and writing can help our children and how they perform in school.
The child goes from learning words from a young age and gradually, as they start to show that they understand the words, the words they learn gradually become more difficult. Learning writing skills from a young age and using persuasive language (obviously when they start to grow into young adults) can help in the future when they start applying for College, University, or a job. Writing is such a basic skill, but it’s also very important to get through life. Five simple ways of getting your children writing: 1. Memory scrap book: Get your child to keep a scrap book detailing holidays, family events, and achievements. They can use pictures in the book and then write a small paragraph about how they felt or a short story of anything funny that happened. This can be fun for young children! 2. Diary: A diary can be therapeutic and it’s a great way to get your child to start logging their feelings. Especially when the teenage years begin as they have so many feelings and don’t always feel like talking about them. 3. Storytelling: If you read a story at bedtime, a great way to get your child’s imagination flowing is to read them a story and ask them what happens next. They can mull on the story overnight, and write this down for the next night’s story. It becomes a turn-taking activity rather than you reading to them every night. If they are older and read independently, get them to write a short review of their book: what they liked? What they didn’t? And why? Are all very good places to start. 4. Card for occasions: When there is a birthday, christening or at Christmas—any occasion really, you can get your child to write a poem for the card. There are card designing shops online like Moonpig and Funky pigeon, or your child could even design their own! 5. Pictures/object descriptions: This technique is also a technique used in classes for adults but this is a way to develop description techniques. Show the child a picture or an object and ask them to describe it using their senses: feel, touch, taste, smell and sight.
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Top ten tips for starting your own 1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Give yourself time to get used to the platform you’re using. Don’t jump in and publish your first article straight away without thinking. Consider your layout and explore the blog-site first. Save your first post and your about page to draft until you are ready. Choose a site that’s best for you. Wordpress is a popular site however, Blogger is much less complicated for beginners. There is a way to transfer your blog over in the future so if you have no experience, start with something you will find easy and then move when you’re ready. Plan your posts. Think about how often you are going to blog and what you’re going to blog about. Everyone has sudden ideas but it’s best to schedule your posts and decide how often you will post. You can write your posts in advance and then schedule them to post too, so maybe you will only spend one day per week on your blog and schedule your posts for every other day. Don’t overcomplicate things in the beginning. Start simple with what you can do. Get used to HTML—your ability to use the codes will impacts on what you can or can’t do on your site. There are code generators to help you with certain things so just make sure you get used to this fairly quickly. It actually sounds more complicated than it is! Do your research: There are lots of articles out there if you want to create a blog badge, or start hosting linkys etc… so ensure you read up about them first. With the linky it’s better to join other people’s in the beginning to help you get used to the process. Interact with the blogging community. Ask for tips and advice—they are great and it’s possible to make a network of friends. They are your best resource. Social Media promotions: There are so many social media pages that will help you get traffic to your site if that’s what you want. For twitter, use tweet deck and schedule a series of posts over a few days. Remember each post must be different as tweet deck will not post duplicate tweets. Ask more experienced bloggers to write a guest post for you or ask if you can write a guest post for them—pitch your ideas, don’t be shy. Getting involved with other bloggers is a great way to kick-start your following. Only buy your own website address if you are sure that it’s what you want. Of course, sites always look more professional if they don’t detail your hosts name, but only do what you can afford. you can buy a vanity url pretty cheaply if you want your site to look pro without a lot of expense/hassle. Research into self hosting first and don’t jump into any decisions—ask other Bloggers why they did it.
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Interview with the Blogger is a regular slot in the Rambles, Rants, and Writings Magazine. If you are a blogger and would be interested in featuring here, please email admin@ramblesrantswritings.com
Our first interview is with Anneliese from Grown Up Glamour. She is a very talented lady and her blog is definitely worth your attention, so check it out!
First, I asked Annie to introduce herself : My name is Annie. I'm a mid 20's wife and soon-to-be first time momma. My blog, Grown Up Glamour, features pieces from me (and other resilient women) as I attempt to find balance in my grown up life. When I'm not working at my desk job, I can be found lounging on a cottage dock, scrambling my feelings across a page, or dragging my husband, dog and now baby-belly on a spontaneous adventure. It is my hope in my writing to inspire, empower and help other women find joy and peace within themselves and their lives. When women support one another, incredible things can happen. 1. Give three reasons that first attracted you to the world of blogging? To get things “off my chest”, to inspire other women, and to make a career out of something I love. 2. How long have you been blogging? Two years
3. If you could use three words to show how you feel about your overall blogging experience, what would they be? Enthusiastic, Surprised, Positive
4. Name three things you like about blogging. i) The opportunity to inspire others with my writing and experiences; often sparks conversation. ii) The opportunity to encourage positive change around certain conversations. iii) Freeing my feelings.
5. Name three things you dislike about blogging. i) Routine – sometimes there’s just nothing inspiring to write about. ii) It’s a second full-time job. To blog and to blog well takes time and dedication. On top of my full-time job, it ends up being a lot of work and sometimes falls by the way-side. iii) The amount of bloggers out there. Don’t get me wrong – I love it! But sometimes it’s hard to stand out in such a great group.
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‘Grown Up Glamour, features pieces from me (and other resilient women)’ Annie from Grown Up Glamour 6. What is your favourite blog post you have written? “Why We Need to Stop Referring to Babies as Normal”
7. If you could write a blog post for anyone in the world, individual or company, who would it be? It was the Huffington Post and that dream was achieved earlier this year. I’d like to now transition into being published in hard-copy. Such as a major parenting magazine. 8. What is the best comment you have ever received in relation your blog or a blog post you have written? That my post really hit home with them – it was something they had been wanting to say for years but didn’t have the words to do it.
9. What is your biggest blogging achievement (this can be a personal achievement or if you have received praise, or a blogging award)? Being published in the Huffington Post and Parents Canada Magazine. Also – when people reach out to me with personal stories when my blog has struck a chord with them.
10. What’s next (do you have any future plans for your blog or blogging in general – maybe you have been asked to write for another blog or company)? I’m going to be on maternity leave starting this summer and I’d really like to pay more attention to my blogging – if that’s possible with a little one on the hip! My content will probably change a bit, and I’d love to get into more baby-product review. You can catch up with Grown Up Glamour here… Twitter: grownupglamour_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grownupglamour Instagram: annelieselawton Website: www.grownupglamour.net
A huge thanks to Anneliese, for agreeing to feature in Rambles, Rants and Writings...
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Writing is an excellent therapeutic tool and it has so many advantages. Writing can be used to express your feelings and emotions, and sometimes it can really help you to put things into perspective. If we consider something as simple as a diary for instance. They are useful to create a timeline of events but they are also useful for recording feelings. Getting a burden off your chest by writing it down can mean a weight is lifted off your shoulders. This can mean that you are able to work through the issue on a long-term basis. It also allows you to be objective. You can look at the story and separate yourself from the issue. Sometimes it’s easy to read a story that you feel separated from and come up with
suitable solution. Another method that can be very therapeutic is if you are angry with someone, you can write them a letter. Tell them what you want to say— let rip! You don’t ever have to send it but you might choose to keep it to reflect back on how angry you were. As rationale kicks in we can deal with the situation better and writing it down helps us to blow off some steam. This helps us be less stressed and it helps us to put our anger into perspective. You can do the same with a letter to a lost loved one too and tell them what you wished you had said to them and how you feel without them. Strong emotion arises from our feelings so it’s OK to experience different feelings and log them. It can really help you connect with a
anonymous said ‘I am often quite an anxious person, and writing really helps me. I take a notebook wherever I go and when something happens or I become anxious, I start scrawling on the page and it helps me to calm down. I’m sucked into my own little world and it makes me feel safe. My notebook is like a friend to me!’ A lot of writing guidebooks actually suggest that it’s best to write what you know. Your experiences in life can become your greatest asset; whether it be your fears, your loves, your anxieties, your heartbreak. Any experience you have is often worth sharing. It could even be something humorous that happens that you didn’t dare tell anyone of due to the embarrassment. Writing really is an excellent source of therapy and it can really help to develop character in a story your writing quality and too! One of our technique. contributors who asked to remain 8
What kind of Writer are you?
Follow the statements most relatable to you below to find out...
I plan my writing in advance Yes
No
I have excellent editing skills
Yes
No
You are a very prepared writer. Turn to page 10 to see what this means.
Yes
No
I usually have something listed in my notebook Yes
I have lots of ideas in my head to aid my writing
It takes me a long time to perfect my writing Yes
No
You are definitely a dedicated writer. Turn to page 10 to see what this means.
No
I spend a lot of time researching to gain ideas and ensure accuracy
Yes
You are an accurate writer. Turn to page 10 to see what this means.
No
You are a nonserious writer. Turn to page 10 to see what this means.
So‌ read about the kind of writer you are! Turn the page and read your results... 9
Quiz Results Read about the type of writer you are below;
1. Prepared Writer
You are very organised, serious, and confident about your writing but be careful, every writer knows that a piece of writing is always a work-in-progress as there is often room for improvement. Being flexible in your writing can be fun. Why not try writing something outside of your writing schedule that’s not in your notebook. Something you feel passionately about, something unplanned and see what happens? Go on, live dangerously!
2. Dedicated Writer
You are very dedicated to your writing and this is a credit to you. Dedication is certainly a skill required of a successful writer. If you don’t know something, you’re not afraid to do the research, in fact, you quite enjoy it. Accuracy is important but it doesn’t always come natural to you so you spend a lot of time stressed about whether your work is perfect or not. Why not expand your skills by researching how to improve your editing/accuracy in the first draft? Leave it a few days and then go back and highlight everything you change to get an idea of what you actually need to work on. Being accurate from the beginning can mean you spend less time editing.
3. Accurate Writer
You are naturally accurate so you don’t need to spend a lot of time editing and perfecting your work, however, you do research topics and ensure you write the correct thing. You are a creative at heart and you often like to write about whatever springs to mind. You sometimes plan your writing but you are not an avid planner. If you struggle with ideas it might help for you to carry a notebook. Remember to use your senses when describing something as this can help to bring your ideas to life and help the reader engage.
4. Non-Serious Writer
You are not a serious writer because you write what you want when you want. You have a natural flair as a topic just comes to you and you write without thinking. If you want to become more serious about your writing, try scheduling some writing and reading in everyday. Write down your ideas and try to write subconsciously – maybe first thing on a morning for 30 minutes when you just wake up. You could even blog on a regular basis too! If you don’t have much time, try once per week. 10
Let’s taLk about your writing:
Having Confidence and Believing in Yourself
Welcome to the first Let’s Talk About Your
Writing, as this will be a feature in every issue of RRW Magazine. Today I want to talk about having confidence and believing in yourself. I remember when writing was only a dream to me, and when I first started out. I never felt that my writing was good enough and I certainly didn’t refer to myself as a writer. I never felt worthy of the title. It’s important to have confidence and belief in yourself and your writing. If your writing isn’t strong, or if you adopt the wrong tone and style, it can hold you back. Everyone has their writing strengths and weaknesses in writing. I remember being told that all writing is a working process and it can always be improved and I must agree with this. If I look at something I wrote even a year ago, I now cringe because I can see obvious improvements. This doesn’t mean that I’m going to lose confidence, in fact, I celebrate the growth and improvement. It’s part of life and it’s how we grow! When I first started at University, I’ll admit, I struggled with criticism but one thing I learned rather quickly is that being a writer in the eye of others means that you will be criticised and if you can’t deal with that, maybe a writing career isn’t for you. The fact is we all make mistakes but we learn from them. By making mistakes it shows 11
that we are only human and if another person chooses to criticise that it says more about them than you. I sometimes hear trash-talk about Creative Writing courses but I must admit that it was my modules on my degree course that actually gave me the skills I needed to become a successful writer, editor, proof reader, and typesetter. It wasn’t until my third year of University that I actually stopped taking offence of any comments or criticism of my writing work and started paying attention. When you begin a rapport with people in your group you start trusting them and what they say. You also get to read their work too and this makes you appreciate the criticism on your own work too because everyone is helping one-another. Creative writing groups as a whole can be really great. They can be really professional as long as the person who is running them knows what they are doing and how best to encourage others. Having confidence in your writing and believing in yourself can really make a difference to how your writings sounds so do whatever it takes to gain that confidence sooner, rather than later! Janet Cooper
How to plan your next writing project It’s difficult to plan your next writing project especially if you have so much to do. You may be tempted to just wing-it but you should definitely try planning it and setting yourself goals and deadlines. You need to think about what you will actually be writing. This could be an article, a novel, a short story, or even a guest blog post. Some people have several writing projects on the go at once and they need to prioritise their tasks by order of importance and there are always deadlines to consider too. If you need to write a short story for a competition but it’s not due for a few months, but then you have an article due next week obviously, you’re going to complete the article first. If you do have several projects you need to make sure you don’t take too much on at once. Obviously if you blog everyday that’s fine, but only concentrate on
one big project at once. This helps you focus on the task at hand. You need to think about approximately how many words you are writing and set yourself goals over a realistic timescale,. I say realistic because it would be no good saying you’re going to write a novel within a week. If you are working to a deadline it’s always good to finish ahead of that deadline, just in case you are delayed. You may commit to writing 1000 words per day but obviously words can be cut when editing. If you’re writing for a big project, like a novel, you might find it beneficial to write a chapter plan so you can pace your novel and ensure it doesn’t progress too quickly. If you are writing an academic article, remember that you will need lots of time to research too.
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Competition Time!
Welcome
to the Rambles, Rants, and Writings competition. We
are looking for submissions of flash fiction to be published in the next issue of our magazine, released on July 31st, 2016. Check out page 16 of our magazine for an introduction to Flash Fiction.
Entries are free and you can submit as many pieces as you like. The genre for your Flash Fiction piece must be Horror. Your fictional piece must not be any more than 400 words. Your fictional piece must never have been published previously and must be your own work. You can submit your entries by emailing ramblesrantswritings@gmail.com quoting ‘Competition Time’ in the subject heading. The winning story will win £10 Amazon gift card, and The Fireman, by horror novelist, Joe Hill.
The deadline for submitting your piece: 1st July, 2016
By Joe Hill
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Competition
Welcome to our quarterly family creative writing activity, today’s topic is story telling. Everyone has an imagination and the opinion, thoughts or ideas of another person can really get your creative juices flowing. If you simply want some family-fun, or if you are at a sticking point with your writing, you might want to use this activity below. You may wish to record or take notes. Decide a topic for your story telling with your family. If you are working on something in particular you might choose to go with that. It could be anything! You then need to start the story, now this could be something simple like once upon a time there was a young girl, called…… or Once upon a time…. Then, it’s the next person’s turn to say a sentence in the story, then the next, then the next and keep going round until the story comes to an end. With young children, sometimes it’s down to the adult to come to a stopping point. You then need to start the story, now this could be something simple like once upon a time there was a young girl, called…… or Once upon a time…. Then, it’s the next person’s turn to say a sentence in the story, then the next, then the next and keep this up until the story is complete. This can be really fun! 15
Stories can be funny, or spooky, but either way, you will get the perspectives of others. This might be the opinion of your Mum, your Dad, your spouse/partner, or your child, maybe even a sibling. The exercise itself can get you thinking about things you’ve never even thought about or considered, and sometimes our ideas grow best from the ideas of others. It’s also good for your children too – maybe they will go off and write their own short story based on this – who knows. You can set boundaries – say there are four of you involved. Everyone says a sentence in the beginning, then you can move on to the next round being a sentence in relation to the middle of a story, and then finally everyone says a sentence relating to the ending of the story. The good thing about this activity is that it’s fun, anyone can join in, and it’s a good laugh. Feeling relaxed and having fun can really help pull you out of writer’s block abyss and help you regain control. You can experiment and make your own rules too!
Genre Discussion:
Flash fiction is a powerful and popular short-story genre. It’s such a simple way to creatively produce a fictional piece and it’s fun!
Typically flash fiction is under 400 words but some competitions accept flash fiction up to around 750 words. I’ve known some guidelines to suggest that flash fiction can actually be anything under 2000 words, whereas others will ask for as little as a couple of sentences. Word count is certainly up for debate in the world of flash fiction. It’s not always easy to cut your words down when you have a lot to say though, so it’s a good training technique. So, what are the rules? Really it’s just to keep your story to the minimum but it must be a story with a moral, or a plot twist. I suppose there must be a point to it as nobody really wants to read about nothing.
Task—best done when you first wake up! Grab your pen and paper, and set an alarm or stop watch for ten minutes. Write as much as you can—it’s best if you have a genre in mind or even a possible twist. Once your ten minutes is over leave your writing and then go back to it in the evening or even the next day. See if you could turn this into a short story of less than 400 words—the shorter the better. An example of flash fiction: An eerie light shone and she headed towards it. It swirled yellow, and gold. She could hear voices calling her name so she took a step close. The light got brighter. She couldn’t turn away from its beauty. She could see the face of her father in front of her. She floated towards him, glimpsing back at her own lifeless body laid on the floor with the needle still in her arm. ‘You’re with us now, your safe. No more pain!’ said her father and mother as they greeted her. She took a last glimpse to see her boyfriend Carl, touch her cold head, and then flee in panic, but only after he stole the last of her stash from her jeans pocket. By Janet Cooper 16
Confessions of a Mother/ Student/ Writer I address you today to
confess, I am by no means perfect. To those of you who actually know me in the outside world, this might come as a shock. Maybe not the fact that I’m not actually perfect but the fact that I admit this so openly. I’m a mother, a student, and as I say that I’m a writer, I cringe. Why do I cringe? I think by recognising you are a writer, you are saying you’re good at writing, but what if others don’t think you are? Nobody wants to claim that status and be told they are a bad writer, there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like your writing or has some negative opinion.
family but writing is important to me!
This year we are going to Centerparcs and this can be quite expensive but I’m not really into travelling abroad and this way we can take my Mum, her husband, and our dog. I’m really looking forward to it and last year, we went for five days but this year, it’s a week. Writers retreats are costly and I found a way to make our holiday beneficial to me and my writing. It might sound a little selfish but this holiday has to cater for everyone in the family, including me!
Does this make me a bad mother? I can’t help feeling
get so much fresh air, walking and activities, the children (and adults) are pretty tired so I make sure I get up before everyone, and go to bed after everyone. As the first one awake I can have some quiet time.
* I also ensure I book in some Spa visits too, so that I can just lay back and relax, mulling over my writing.
* We eat out most nights and have something simple in for lunch so I don’t have to worry about cooking.
* I also keep myself active by guilty because it’s in my making time for walks and nature but I do ensure family swimming fun as their pools are time too! both relaxing and fun as there is something for everyone. I make Centreparcs is remote, it’s in sure I’m alert and use my senses the forest and it’s a relaxing to help enhance my creativity in space. You can’t get internet my writing. connection in your lodge (only executive lodges) but *Last year I even took this actually works well. So… advantage of a babysitting you’re probably thinking how service too and had an evening do I do this, and it’s simple out with my hubby. I don’t really: know if that aided my writing exactly but I had a break and I ensure I have some free time lots of fun. I love my kids but by ensuring that my children it’s my holiday too! are all booked on supervised activities at the same time and *I’ll ensure that there is lots of don’t need parental family times too and make sure supervision. If there is I have my camera and a note supervision required I make book at all times to help me sure my husband is free. capture the memories.
Okay so enough about me and my anxieties around branding myself as an actual writer as this could get tedious and lets face it, I have a counsellor who is paid to deal with those issues. As this is a writers magazine, I’ve bitten the bullet—today, I’m a writer and my confession today is about how I use my holiday to develop my writing. Maybe the notion seems selfish when * As Centerparcs means we it’s supposed to be for 17
Hearing them happy is better than any writing retreat!
Do you want to read more in 2016? Are you looking for some inspiration on which books to try next? Here I share 10 books I would happily recommend anyone to try. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them and I think you will too! They are a mixture of genres and story lines so there really is something for every-
Enjoy!
Divergent by Veronica Roth This book is the first in a trilogy and you will be hooked by the end of the first chapter. Set in a Dystopian future where society is divided up into five factions based on a simulation, what happens when you don’t fit into any one category? How do you choose? And how do you ensure you keep the secret when being Divergent means death? Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey I found this book to be both fascinating and heart breaking in equal measures. Written from the point of view of Maud, a lady in the early stages of dementia, I think it paints an excellent picture of how frustrating dementia must be for the person living with it. It is often discussed how hard and upsetting it is for people’s families and often the person with the dementia is overlooked. Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan This book is written from the perspective of Magnus Chase (cousin to Annabeth Chase who you will remember if you’ve read the Percy Jackson series) who basically dies and finds himself in Valhalla. He discovers he is the son of a Norse God who must return to Earth to complete the quest to find the Sword of Summer. It’s a fantastic re-imagining of the Norse God legends, written with humour and lots of twists and turns. Book two is due out in October too! Perfect People by Peter James After losing their child to a rare genetic disorder, John and Naomi are grief stricken and terrified of history repeating itself. That’s when they hear of Dr Dettore. A doctor who has perfected the art of genetically modifying foetuses. He is the answer to their prayers as he can ensure the defective gene isn’t passed on. He can ensure a lot more than that too – how far will John and Naomi go to get their designer baby? And will it be worth it? 18
Truth or Dare by Tania Carver Darren killed a woman and a child due to reckless driving and drugs. His lawyer got the case thrown out, but someone isn’t happy about it. Darren finds himself captured and tied up, his girlfriend and baby beside him. He is told by his mystery captor someone has to pay. A life for a life. Who will Darren choose? Himself or his girlfriend and child? And what repercussions will his decision have? I Knew You Were Trouble by Paige Toon Jessie is an average 16-year-old who has recently reconnected with her father who just happens to be an international rock god. Torn between the LA celebrity lifestyle and her normal home life, Jessie finds herself stalked by paps and betrayed by friends. Oh and she must choose between two love interests – a sweet guy who likes her for her, or a bad boy rocker! Perfect if you want some light entertainment for a few hours. In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware Reconnecting with old friends is meant to be fun! When Nora receives a surprise invite to Clare’s hen party, she is surprised. They haven’t spoken in ten years, but reluctantly, she agrees to go. After all, Clare was her best friend. She gets a lot more than she bargained for in this dark story of past secrets and lies. Throw in a couple of Clare’s weird new friends and a little cabin fever from the cottage in the middle of nowhere that the party is set in and you have a very entertaining story with a very sinister twist. Room by Emma Donohue Room is one of those books that will stay with you a long time after you’ve finished reading it! It is the story of a woman and her son and how they come to be kept prisoner in one single room. The woman convinces her child that the room is all there is to the world, and the people he sees on TV etc aren’t real. It’s a truly heart breaking story of how deep a mother’s love goes, and how far she will go to protect the boy from the horrible truth. Non-Fiction: Beautiful by Katie Piper This is the story of a truly inspirational young woman. When Katie met a new boyfriend on Facebook, she had no idea how her life was about to change. Held captive and brutally raped, Katie was then the victim of an acid attack. This is the story of how Katie rebuilt her life and went on to become one of the most inspirational women of today.
One to Watch Out for: End of Watch by Stephen King I am a huge fan of Stephen King and I am very much looking forward to this one. Due for release on June 7th 2016, it follows the story of Detective Bill Hodges. The final part in the trilogy of Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers.
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Author Talk: Writing for Free: The Big Debate Debbie, writes about whether writers should work for free or not. She assesses a lot of factors here and gives useful tips to help you decide for yourself! Should we, as writers, ever write for someone else for free? I really don’t think there’s one simple answer to this question. There are so many elements to consider. I think saying we “should” or “shouldn’t” do something is making it a hard and fast rule, and the beauty of writing for a living is that to a certain extent, you make your own rules. I can understand the instant knee jerk, shock-horror reaction. No, why would we work for free, no one would work in a regular job for free so why should we? In some ways, I even agree with the statement, but like with most things there are exceptions and things to consider. Firstly, I would like to point out that I don’t agree with the statement many writers make – “No one should work for free because it makes it harder for other writers to get paid work”. No one can tell you whether or not you should work for free, it’s your decision and you have to do what’s right for you. Ultimately, you are not responsible for someone else negotiating fees. It is every writer’s own responsibility to secure paid work if that’s what they want to do, and blaming others for not being able to do so is, in my opinion, a bit of a cop out. We should be supporting each other, not judging each other. So now that’s out of the way, here are my thoughts on writing for free. I am basing these thoughts on the assumption that you enjoy writing, so although it may be your job, it’s not a chore, it’s something you love to do. I honestly believe that writing for free can be beneficial to you as a writer, especially when you are an amateur. Let’s be real here, it’s extremely unlikely that anyone is going to pay you to write when no one knows who you are. Writing for free is a good way to put your work out there where people can see it. If your work is good enough, you will start to build up a good reputation, and that’s when you can realistically expect to be paid to write. So, let’s assume you have built up a reputation as a good writer and are now in a position where you are being paid to write. Here are a few examples where I believe it is still beneficial to write for free: 1# To help someone get started. Remember when you were just starting out and you desperately needed a platform to get your voice out there? Someone, somewhere, took a chance on you. Now it’s time to pay it forward. If someone just starting out reaches out to you, maybe asks you to write something for their blog or a short story for their website, do it. Obviously you can’t do it for everyone that ever asks, but don’t be that person who forgets where they started. It won’t do your reputation any good if you are that person that never helps anyone. 20
2# To help a friend. Imagine you are a lawyer, and a friend asks for legal advice. Would you really charge them £400 an hour to help them? Of course you wouldn’t, so if a friend asks you to write something for them, how is that different? I’m not talking writing a novel for them here, I’m talking an article or short story, a couple of hours of work. 3# To reach a larger audience. If you are approached to write something as a freebie, don’t write it off before you have even looked into the facts. This could be something huge for you. Maybe it’s a free publication that reaches millions of people, maybe it’s a website that gets hundreds of thousands of views a day. Sometimes exposure to a wider audience is payment enough. Not all payment has to be monetary. 4# To build relationships. If a PR or brand asks you to write a free article about some thing, think seriously about it as a one off if the brand is something you genuinely love. If you decide to do it, make it clear in a polite fashion that the free work is a one off but you would love to work with them in the future. If the love your writing, chances are they will want to use you again, this time for a fee. 5# To showcase something new. Let’s say as an example, you have decided to write a series of books. If you are confident these books are good enough to make you money, and that after reading the first one people will be hooked, then why not offer the first book for free. It’s a good way of getting people interested in starting your series, and chances are, if the books are gripping, people will then buy the rest. People are often wary of investing money in a new writer they haven’t heard of and this is a good way to show them you are worth them spending their money on. Ultimately, I stand by my original statement. Whether or not you are willing to write for free is a personal choice. If you choose to do it, don’t let the judgmental people put you off. Similarly, if you choose to never do it, don’t let anyone guilt-trip you into doing it. I believe this is a debate that will never really be solved. While there are writers, there will be writers who work for free and writers who don’t. I think the debate is an interesting one that can raise many points on both sides that you may have not considered, and for that reason I think the debate is a good thing. As long as it doesn’t get personal where someone is left feeling their choices aren’t valid, then I say let’s keep it going. Let’s disagree on certain aspects of writing, but still stand together as one community that supports each other, and helps each other when we can. us randomm y m . w w w
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Rambles, Rants and Writings would like to thank Debbie for all her contributions to issue 1, and are proud to announce that she will be a regular contributor.
I love being creative, but it doesn't always come easy - there are times I get stuck, feel uninspired or lose motivation. For a long time I didn't think I was very creative at all, but that's a different story. So here are five ways to boost personal creativity, overcome obstacles and stay motivated. Maybe you can apply them to your own creative endeavours, whatever shape they take? 1. Collaborate In the words of U2 "Sometimes you can't make it on your own", and in my experience this can be especially true in the area of personal creativity. It's easy to get self-absorbed, so collaborating with others can be a healthy way to get a different perspective to our own - let alone it can be really fun! We're not always strong in every area, so finding others to create with can bring strength in different areas and help us produce something better as a result. Instead of seeing others as competitors how about seeing a tribe who share our passions? At the same time, we can move away from a "scarcity" mind-set, feeling like there's only a limited amount of creativity to go around, and instead focus on an "abundance" mind-set. Collaboration multiplies creativity rather than diminishing it! So go on, find some other collaborators in your tribe and see what you can make together! 2. Play Let's face it, we can all get far too serious about our creative endeavours. Of course we want our creations to be brilliant and world changing, but sometimes we end up piling pressure on ourselves and producing nothing as a result. Getting writer's block or wallowing in creative meltdown. There's much to be said for taking a more playful approach. Instead of creativity becoming a chore why not treat it like a game? Just fail faster! I've done this with song writing - after years of struggling to write that perfect song I changed approach. Inspired by The Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook, I dedicated a day as an "immersion" song writing day. The challenge was to write and record 20 songs in 12 hours. 22
Not 20 perfect songs, just 20 songs. On my first immersion song writing day I 'only' got up to 16 songs but the amazing thing was that some of them were pretty good! I've done this a few times now and have written more great songs in 2 years than previous decade before. As a way of unblocking creative constipation, taking a more playful approach works wonders. So how could you be more playful with your art? 3. Go for a walk There's plenty of evidence out there that physical activity boosts brain function. And taking a walk or going for a run is a healthy thing to do for any reason. Even in general terms staying fit and healthy is good for our creativity. For instance I know that the fitter I am the better my lung capacity and tone tend to be when I'm singing. Walking or running with no fixed purpose allows our minds to wander and can bring deep insight or inspiration to the front of our minds. I can testify to this - when I've been mulling over what to blog about, or how to overcome an obstacle, more often than not the answer will come to me when I'm running. For instance the title for my book Life Space came to me in a flash of inspiration during a morning plod. So take a break, put on your trainers, and build some regular walking or running time into your routine! 4. Be Yourself
Be true, be yo urself!
I'd hazard a guess that comparison has stifled more dreams than almost anything else. There's always likely to be someone better than you at what you do, and the difficultly is taking inspiration from that rather than becoming disheartened! With social media, the temptation of artistic and creative comparison can be compounded when we see other people's perfect creations, workspaces, families and lives! Too often we compare our messy process with other people's neat outcomes, when the truth is that their process is probably at least as messy, they've just chosen to frame the best bits. We all have a unique blend of skills, experiences and hopes, and there's room for all of us to combine that in a unique way. What we may see as our biggest flaw might instead be our biggest selling point! 23
Becoming the best expression of who we're made to be is the biggest gift we can give to those around us. Creatively that might mean our style is unique, but that's ok. As Oscar Wilde said: Be yourself, everyone else is taken! 5. Start small Confession - I am quite competitive. This means that I don't always like being a beginner at things. For instance I like the idea of playing golf, but I'm not sure I have the patience to learn! Likewise when it comes to creativity the gap between what I aspire to produce and what I'm actually able to produce can sometimes feel huge. For instance, I aspire to be a fantastic luthier and make beautiful stringed instruments, however my woodworking skills fall a little short of this ideal. Now it's important to aim high, but sometimes I've been so disappointed that I'm not an expert straight away that I've been put off from even trying. A lesson I've been learning over the last few years is to allow myself to be a bit rubbish. It's ok to start small. Our skills and talents grow over time through repeated use. It's ok that I'm not as good at making things in my workshop as my dad is, because he's had quite a head start over me! And though I never saw it, even he was a beginner once. So embrace small starts and baby steps - "Do not despise the day of small things". Even Usain Bolt had to learn to walk before he could run. --------------Collaborate. Play. Go for a walk. Be yourself. Start Small. So there are five ways to be more creative - which of these could you put in to practice first? What are your top creativity boosters? --------------Luke Strickland is a writer, speaker and award winning podcaster. www.lukestrickland.co.uk @lukestrickland His books Life Space and Sight Lines are about following your dreams and are available to download from Amazon. 24
The Exorcist – The Book Vs The Movie
The Exorcist, By William Peter Blatty was released in book form in 1971. The movie adaptation, directed by William Friedkin was released in 1973. Contrary to popular belief, the movie was never banned from being shown in the cinema. After being released on video (and available for around 7 years) the certification process changed, and subsequently it was deemed that the film was unsuitable for home viewing as it would be much harder to control the age of the audience.
After continual reports of vomiting, fainting and hysteria in the 70s, when the movie was relaunched in 1998 in cinemas across the UK to mark the 25th anniversary of the movie’s release, the certification board watched with interest. There were no signs of anything out of the ordinary, and the movie was allowed to be released on DVD with a certificate of 18. Perhaps cynically, I believe a lot of the original reports where falsified in order to generate interest. When the movie was relaunched, this was unnecessary. The fact it was banned for so long created enough hype without adding anything further. I personally find the book to be a lot more disturbing than the movie for two reasons. Firstly, it goes into a lot more detail. The exorcism scene (and scenes prior to that where Regan is possessed) are much extended, the cursing is much worse and there is a lot more violence. Secondly, I always find using your imagination can scare you a lot more than anything cinematic. Yet strangely, the book was never banned. Usually, I read a book first then watch the movie version. This wasn’t true of The Exorcist. When the movie was finally released on DVD in 1998, of course I had to buy it. I wanted to know what all the hype was about. A movie so disturbing people were fainting? As a horror fan, it was right up my street. After watching the movie, I have to confess I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. Maybe it was because by 1998 it wasn’t unusual to hear language like that from a young girl. Maybe the hype actually went against it – it would be hard for a movie to live up that kind of build-up. I did enjoy the movie. If you can get past the fact that it is an old movie, so the effects aren’t the same standard as we’re used to today, it’s an extremely watchable movie. I actually think the effects are extremely good for the time the movie was produced – there are no wobbly scenes, and the make-up Regan wears is fantastic. 25
It was years later I discovered that it was based on a book. I hunted it down and read it. When I read a book and then watch a movie, I always feel like so much is missing. This worked the other way around. It was like I knew the story but now I was getting all those missing details: a bit of background on the characters, and their motivations, what makes them tick, and a lot of their inner turmoil. Although I don’t think either the book or the movie are as shocking as they are implied to be, I think they are scary on a psychological level. Imagine how terrifying the experience would be for Regan and her mother. That is what makes the hairs stand up on your neck. The character of Chris MacNeil (Regan’s mother) was one of those characters I really felt the book did far more justice to than the movie. In the movie, she comes across (in my opinion) as someone who is pulled along with the momentum and is quite emotionally weak. In the book, she comes across as a strong lead. A mother, who while terrified of whatever her daughter has become, fights for her, protects her and refuses to have her institutionalised. She is someone who proactively seeks the help her daughter needs by seeking out Father Karras, a fact that I think is somewhat dulled in the movie. Kinderman, the homicide detective responsible for investigating the death of Burke Dennings is another character who is very different in the book and the movie, although I prefer the movie version of him. In the book, he comes across as somewhat bumbling, like he just stumbles across things and occasionally hits the right question. He seems awkward and rambles a lot. In the movie, he comes across as quite sarcastic and world weary, but he actually seems to know what he’s doing. In the book, he finally makes a realisation of what’s happening, and goes to Father Karras, who basically tells him to leave it alone, so he does. In the movie, he is present when Father Karras goes through the bedroom window. He sees with his own eyes what is happening, not just takes someone’s word for it, which I find more believable. I also prefer Father Karras’ ending in the book. He is maddened by the death of Father Marrin and takes the demon into himself, much in the same way as the movie. However, in the movie, I feel like the demon won. He taunted him into it, ultimately killing him. In the book, I think Father Karras re-finds the faith he has been struggling with and takes the demon into him by choice to save Regan and end the cycle. In the book, he wins. Overall, I really enjoyed both the book and the movie and both would make my top 20 in the respective fields. I do feel the book has the slight edge though in that it is more detailed and I much prefer the ending. I also like how much better I feel I know the characters in the book.
Written by Debbie from www.myrandommusings.co.uk
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If you teach creative writing, you will be well aware of the fact that creativity itself is not always something that comes easy or that can be taught. There are many different factors that contribute to how creative a person is or isn't. As a teacher, it’s your job to get your student’s creative juices flowing and to inspire them to write, and write well. Especially if writing a fictional story. There are always aspects of the craft that need to be taught, including plot and genre, but today I want to work on developing a main character, the protagonist. If you students are writing from the point of view of a character, it’s important that they know that character almost as well as they know themselves, especially if they are writing a novel.
Icebreaker Exercise
Ask your students to write down three questions to ask their character if they got the chance. What do they really want to know? Once they have done this, put them into pairs to ask the question. They can then introduce the person to the rest of the group by giving their name and age, plus three unique facts. Describing the Protagonist The description of the protagonist is also important. A lot of people discuss hair and eye colour, if the person is slender, broad, fat or thin, but a lot of these facts are very basic facts it doesn’t show the audience that the author knows this character.
Task
You should then get your students should to describe someone in the room or someone they know well. Their job is to show that they know the person by discussing a unique fact—does the character chew her bottom lip when she’s lying? Does the character have a slight twitch his left eye that comes on when he’s nervous. It’s unnoticeable to most people, unless he knows you well enough to tell you, then you notice? Having a record of your character is always useful. If you have all of the information there in front of you, it stops you having to back-track through your story to see if you are contradicting your story or got your facts straight. A strong character makes a strong story!
Why not use the profile sheets on pages 28-9 to get to know your character?
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Protagonist Profile Although this is named this Protagonist profile, you can complete this for any character that would appear frequently in your story really, including the antagonist. Sometimes it’s good to get into the head of your antagonist too! If you write like George R. R. Martin, from the point of view of many characters, this might be really useful. PERSONAL DETAILS Full name, including any middle name: Address: What type of property is this (house, flat, apartment, or mansion)? Describe the area it’s in (expensive/cheap) and how it’s decorated or organised (nice, undecorated, messy, or organised)? Date of birth:
Age:
Male or female:
Does your character drive?
Favourite colour:
What vehicle?
WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER LOOK LIKE? Hair colour:
Eye colour:
Skin colour:
Tall or Short?
Fat, thin, broad, sturdy? Religion:
Any distinctive features: Career/job title:
IS YOUR CHARACTER IN A RELATIONSHIP? Partner’s name:
Age:
How did they meet?
How long ago?
BEST FRIEND Best friend’s name:
Age:
How did they meet?
How long ago? 28
OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION TO CONSIDER Describe your character in their favourite outfit:
Describe your character’s attitude:
What are your character’s hobbies?
What are your character’s favourite place to visit?
What makes your character tick?
LIST ANYONE IN YOUR CHARACTERS LIFE—FAMILY, FRIENDS & ASSOCIATES Name
Relationship to character
Why not send a summary of your character to be published in the next issue of RRW magazine? Email admin@ramblesrantswritings.com
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It’s difficult to think sometimes when you’re busy, never mind keep yourself nourished and hydrated. Here are some quick, healthy, snack ideas to keep you going and top-up your energy. 1# Hummus with carrot, peppers and cucumber batons. Hummus is really easy to make. A great recipe is to drain a small can of chick peas, blend with a tablespoon of low fat crème fraiche, and a shaking of paprika. 2# Small jacket potato, cooked in the microwave and then crisped up in the oven, chopped up into small pieces and topped with a small serving of pesto sauce and then a sprinkling of mozzarella. 3# Rice cakes, with a slice of ham and slices of tomato. 4# Slice fruit like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries. Top with a spoonful of natural yoghurt and then sweeten it up by adding a handful of some sweet, crunchy, granola. 5# This snack idea isn’t very imaginative but it’s simple. Poached egg on toast. Takes less than five minutes to make and it can be great for breakfast or lunch. If you have an y favourite, or quick recipes, or even writing themed recipes or snack ideas, why not put together an article and email it to us? admin@ramblesrantswritings.com 30
Next Issue News… All submissions should be sent to admin@ramblesrantswritings.com Read our winning flash fiction story from the competition on page 14
Issue 2: Due for publication 31dt July, 2016
Why not submit some of your creative works Initiated from this magazine? Like flash fiction, character profile summary or your story from the creative writing prompt—what about a story initiated from the family writing activity?
Luke Strickland will be interviewed as part of our Interview with the Blogger series!
If you would like to be interviewed, please email Janet!
Rambles, Rants, & Writings would be particularly interested in receiving article submissions for the themes below to feature in their next issue: 500 word piece on your favourite author. Tips for academic writing Your favourite childhood books—top 10 How to be an organised writer? (500 words) New Author Advice: How to pitch your writing Blogging advice articles Any rants or writer problems you have (anonymously if you wish)
Rambles, Rants, & Writings are always looking for submissions of fiction, poetry, and article ideas. We are particularly interested in receiving poetry for July’s edition that adopts the Summer theme. Any submissions should be sent to admin@ramblesrantswritings.com by 1st July, 2016 in order to be commissioned in time for the July edition. 31
Look out for Issue 2, out July 31, 2016 A huge thank-you to Anneliese Lawton, Debbie Stansil, and Luke Strickland
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