YA Myths Debunked! 3 Massive Young Adult Fiction Misconceptions That Need Clarification

Hi readers and writerly friends!

I’m back again this week with 3 YA Misconceptions that just need some clarification. So grab your magnifying glasses and sleuthing caps because we’re going debunking!

These are just a few widely-believed, yet completely false views on young adult fiction.

1. YA Fiction Is Free of Cursing/Swearing and Sex.

Totally False. 😂

According to the Chicago Tribune, “The most recent Gallup Youth Survey addressing the issue of swearing was published in 2001 and found that 46 percent of surveyed teens ages 13 to 17 used profanity at least several times a week or daily, while 28 percent said they heard their parents cursing a few times a week or on a daily basis.”

You can read more from the Chicago Tribune’s article “Youth Swearing: A Curse On the Rise” by Melanie B. Glover here. 

Since most kids/teens come into their own way of speaking during their teens, it’s not completely out of the question that YA Fiction contains swearing. Most American teens swear so it makes sense that literature would mirror reality if not for the authenticity of depicting the real-life teenage experience, than to at least lend a hand to the relatability of a story and it’s characters.

However, this myth might have gotten its start from a subcategory of YA Fiction called “Clean Reads” which is named after and created by Clean Reads Press (Formerly Astraea Press). As per the Clean Reads Website, the press is proud to offer wholesome reading without compromise. They “don’t believe a story has to have profanity, sex, or graphic violence to catch a reader’s attention. Our stories – rich and vibrant with life – leap from the page, welcoming readers to a world they’ll remember long after the last words are read.” -Stephanie Taylor of Clean Reads Press.

Read more about Clean Reads Here.

While there are many wonderful written books out there that are free of profanity or mature content, sometimes readers prefer a little more sauce in their reading experience. This goes for YA Fiction as well. Similar to the presence of swearing in YA Literature, sex and graphic violence are also present there. Just because YA stands for Young Adult, doesn’t mean that it’s always intended for older kids and teens. Many adults read Young Adult fiction because of the key characteristics of the genre that are just not as prevalent in more notably adult genres.

However, writers expecting younger audiences to read their work should take care to not overuse F-bombs or involve too many details in sexually suggestive or graphically violent scenes in order to avoid limiting themselves. It is easier to market a more suggestive novel to upper YA and adult readers and more G-rated literature to lower YA and children readers. Much like the TV Content Rating system, the key difference in YA and Adult literature is the severity in explicit detail of sex/sexually suggestive scenes, violence, and amount of swearing. It all boils down to how the scenes are written.

2. YA Fiction Doesn’t Contain Heavy/Dark Subject Matter

Piggybacking on the first YA Misconception, many readers believe that young adult fiction is clear of any mention of heavy topics or dark subject matter. For whatever reason, many believe that because the seemingly angelic moniker might suggest the YA fiction genre is geared towards younger audiences that it can’t possibly be graphic, or violent, or involve discussion of taboo, difficult to breach, or problematic topics and this is simply just not true.

One prime example of this is Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games, a dystopic YA novel in which children are forced to slaughter each other on the battleground in an annual event watched by millions for sport. Only, that’s not how its marketed, nor is it how it’s written. The thing is, the story breaches many hard-to-reckon with subjects and dark topics, but its all in the way these things are presented. It’s not like teens are reading explicit descriptions of children hacking and slashing at each other and imagining the overly-detailed images of the bloodshed they’re reading about—no, the story is presented as that of survival. Collins wastes no time on lengthy, bloodcurdling descriptions of child-violence. Instead, she gives the bare bones descriptions and spends more time on the pacing, emotions, character-building, and other story-telling elements that made Hunger Games one of, if not the most successful dystopian YA fictions of this decade.

Much like the use of sex/profanity/violence in YA literature, books geared for younger audiences can also contain dark/heavy subject matter. It’s all in the way it is written. Many of my favorite YA reads are pretty dark, but they key difference is that they are not graphic or overly-explicit.

3. YA Is Simple/Juvenile

Many non-YA-readers seem to think that—once again, due to the name YA—since young  adult fiction is directed primarily at younger audiences, the writing must have to be “dumbed down” or simple for older kids and teens to absorb and understand. However, once again this is just another ridiculous misconception for the young adult genre. As a writer, one of the very first rules I learned was to “never write down to your audience” and instead, writers should write their stories exactly as they feel they should be told, and expect readers to rise to the occasion.

Many adult readers believe that YA fiction is juvenile and thus, “not quite as literary,” or not as deserving of the same merit as adult fiction. However, this view is more indicative of the readers than the literature itself. Readers who say this, must not be well-read in the YA genre and therefore are not as familiar with the higher level of writing common to most YA novels. Unfortunately, there are a decent amount of flashy, big-name novels that ruin it for the genre as a whole, and this may be where this misconception stems from. That being said, I can’t ignore the fact that this view is a broad-sweeping generalization that would likely have people believing it if more people read more YA fiction.

Additionally, some of the most beautifully woven prose comes from the YA fiction genre and many stubborn, ignorant adult readers are doing themselves a great disservice by avoiding the genre altogether because they’re worried the writing won’t be of a high enough caliber for their enlightened minds to consume. (That sounded petty, but it’s not, I promise.) The interesting thing is, nearly 55% of YA titles are purchased by adults, according to a 2012 article by Publisher’s Weekly:

“More than half the consumers of books classified for young adults aren’t all that young. According to a new study, fully 55% of buyers of works that publishers designate for kids aged 12 to 17 -- known as YA books -- are 18 or older, with the largest segment aged 30 to 44, a group that alone accounted for 28% of YA sales. And adults aren’t just purchasing for others -- when asked about the intended recipient, they report that 78% of the time they are purchasing books for their own reading. The insights are courtesy of Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age, an ongoing biannual study from Bowker Market Research that explores the changing nature of publishing for kids.” -Publisher’s Weekly.

Read more from the article here.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, that this misconception is completely unfounded, I should add that it really gets my goat when people use this as an excuse to avoid YA fiction. People who look down on the YA genre because its “lesser” or “juvenile” because it is geared for younger audiences are just uninformed and spreading a misrepresentation of the genre as a whole. Additionally, many adult readers seem to think that YA fiction is somehow easier to write and thus, sell due to this misconception, but I digress. YA is not dumbed down, and nor is it simple. There is plenty of beautiful, elegant, and complex prose within this genre.

And that’s it for my top 3 biggest misconceptions about the YA genre. Have you ever heard any of these misinformed views before? Did you think any of these were true? Did I change your mind? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Element5 Digital.

—Payton

Do We Really Need to Read the Classics?

Hi fellow readers and writerly friends!

This week in Bookish Things, we’re discussing something very near and dear to my heart and likely many other readers/writers’ hearts as well—do we really need to read the classics? I made the mistake of asking this to another editor early on in my freelance career and she hit me with “do you have to eat to stay alive?” Okay, got it, thanks. She was one of those nit-picky editors that new writers always fear at first. (You know the one—with the red pen, the beady eyes, and the too-tight turtleneck.) But she did have a point. And her comment reminded me of one of my favorite quotes.

“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

And what do you know? Emerson is regarded as a classic writer. (Albeit romantic, but yes, a classic)

And he had a point too. Writing and reading at it’s core is capturing the human existence and weaving it into the written word for all future generations to read. Reading is an integral part of the humanities and is one of the things that sets us apart from other mammals. Of course, we all know that reading is important, should be valued over many other mundane activities—and above all else—reading immortalizes our words.

Classics teach us to appreciate the evolution of modern literature

So, what does this have to do with the classics? To better understand and appreciate contemporary writing, we must read older writing as well.

Stack of classic books on my shelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Italo Calvino tackles this question in his collection of literary Criticism, Why Read The Classics, and Ginni Chen touches on this subject in a similar blog post on Barnes and Nobel Reads. I don’t claim to provide a more comprehensive answer than these two, but I thought I’d write my own blog post as well, because not only did I question the classics, but I think there is still a vast amount of people who don’t know why they should read them or don’t have any interest to do so. However, these few reasons to read the classics will make you want to rethink tossing your copy of Pride and Prejudice in the attic, and instead crack it open, dust off the pages, and see what you can learn from it.

Ginni explains that writing is a living, breathing entity that is immortalized in the way we tell stories and pass those techniques down from each generation:

“When you read the classics, you’re reading books that have had a pivotal role in shaping the way we read and write today. Books aren’t written or read in a vacuum. They’re woven by writers and consumed by readers with the influence of centuries of writing behind us. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, reading a book is never an isolated incident but part of a tradition.” -Ginni Chen, Para 2.

I agree with Ginni in that to better understand and appreciate writing, we must also read classic writing so that we understand fully what contemporary writing and reading began as and where it came from to become what we practice today.

Basket of classic books on my shelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Likewise, classic writing captures the essence of humanity from the time in which it was written. They act as literary milestones of our own literary traditions. Sometimes, classics reflect values, movements (realism or romanticism) or prominent genres (such as the rise in popularity of science-fiction and fantasy in contemporary writing). The classic writers sparked literary trends because they either a) did it first or b) did it best. Additionally, classics are often hailed for their challenging of societal constructs and values of the time. Take Kate Chopin’s writing, for example. Her works were lousy with feminist values and now she is known as one of the greatest American Feminist writers of all time.

How does this make you love reading more?

When we familiarize ourselves with the classics, we gain a better understanding of where other books fit in. You’ll start recognizing common themes, influences, references, structures, and many more elements in your reading that perhaps you hadn’t noticed before.

Ginni compares it to developing a sudden appreciation of wine:

“It’s like developing a sudden appreciation of wine—different notes open up to your palate, you detect hidden floral, fruity, or oaky elements, and you’re better able to articulate your tastes.” -Ginni Chen, Para 4.

Vintage typewriter and basket of classic books on my shelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

When you learn to love the classics, you also learn to love your favorite stories even more. When you go back to your favorites, you begin to pick up on these elements you found in the classics and unearth depths you had never known existed prior. Elements of these books that may have initially seemed arbitrary or like attempts at attention-seeking, but now they seem intentional, calculated and clever. These elements help you to unpack the bigger picture parts of the story and allow you to begin to understand where other things come from such as the meaning in a character’s name, the use of certain words, or the presence of certain themes and their importance with regard to both the story and society at the time.

Another way the classics aid in your growth as both a reader and writer is that they also help you better identify your favorite writer’s literary influences. Often, writers borrow style, subject, and themes from the classics and as you become more familiar with classic literature, you begin to see your favorite writers as one writer paying homage to another by reinventing their storytelling elements in a new, refreshing, and exciting way. You’ll begin to understand how we’ve been telling the same handful of stories over and over again throughout the years, and how the use of the same few techniques, in combination with unique writer voice, has birthed millions of books that can all be traced back to the classics.

Ginni also compares reading the classics to travelling:

“Here’s another way of looking at it:  Think about reading as traveling the world. In your travels, the classics are those must-see historical sites that you hear about and see in dozens of reproductions—the Great Wall, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the pyramids. Like these historical sites, the classics have withstood the test of time, are part of an incredible heritage, and can change your worldview entirely.” -Ginni Chen, Para 7.

Basket of classic books on my shelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

I love that comparison because its exactly right. We always hear that being “well-read” is a good thing and in the bookish world it’s a title we strive for, so that should include the classics, right? Of course! I could go on and on about worldview and how we have such a limited perception of things, but I’ll spare you that rant for another time. The biggest takeaway from this blog post is that to gain a better understanding of humanity, our own existence and experiences, and how they relate to the existence and experiences of others, we absolutely must read. And moreover, we must read the classics just as we must read extensively from any genre we wish to write in. I keep bringing up writing and reading, but in the creative world, the two are inextricably linked. And that link is part of an even bigger packaged deal—understanding

ourselves and others. At it’s core, reading is in essence, humanity.

What do you think about reading the classics? Which classics have you read? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to check out Ginni’s blog post because I would have never thought to speak out on this topic without first stumbling upon her words.

• Click here to read Ginni Chens post, “Why Read The Classics?” On Barnes and Nobel Reads

• Click here to read Italo Calvino’s Book, “Why Read The Classics?”Pride and Prejudice

—Payton

25 Strangely Useful Websites To Use For Research and Novel Ideas

Here’s a screenie of what it would be like if a nuclear blast went off in my area. Pretty crazy right?

Time Lapse

Time travel, virtually and geologically. Watch the world change over the course of nearly three decades of satellite photography.

And here’s a screenie of the Time Lapse website panned in to the Oil Sands. I peeked through the years to see how much the Sahara Desert changed over time. It’s pretty wild.

Exit Mundi

Exit Mundi is a fantastic collection of end-of-the-world scenarios. Spoiler Alert: For example, remember in Marvels Infinity War, after the snap, when people just started to crumble into thin air? Yeah, that was great. 😢 Exit Mundi goes in-depth into what the big crumble would really be like for people on Earth. Yikes. For us writers, it can be incredible useful! But R.I.P. Subway guy. 

History and humanity

Ancient History Encyclopedia

From mind-blowing ancient architecture, to prehistoric artwork, this website is a goldmine of historical information. This website even has historical event timeline!

On This Day In History

At the time of writing this blog post, the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes is driven from Tenochtitlan and retreats to Tlaxcala, The statue of King George III is pulled down in New York City, Wyoming becomes the 44th state, Germany begins the bombing of England, and Kenyan runner Yobes Ondieki becomes the first man to run 10,000 meters in less than 27 minutes—I had no clue all of these events happened on the same day, over different years. It’s so fascinating and can be really useful for writing books spiced with a little history.

Historical Pics

Historical Pics is stashed in a little corner of the internet, called Facebook. But I like to call it time-waster-extraordinaire, because I always get caught scrolling through this page for hours on end. There’s so many incredible photos from Dovima posing with elephants in a Paris circus, 1955 to a giant human chess game played 100 years ago in Leningrad, Soviet Union.

Inspiration

Looking for inspiration to get the creative juices flowing? Have no fear! These two websites are known for their ability to light a spark in even the driest of writers.

Pintrest

Infact, Pintrest users coined the term/hashtag #inspo due to the ability to inspire almost anything in anyone who happens to find themselves down the rabbit hole of aesthetic pins and boards.

The Moth

The Moth is an incredible website that will surely inspire you to hone your craft of storytelling and deep dive into humanity’s stories. The Moth is dedicated to sharing engaging, well-crafted stories that honor the diversity and commonality of human experience. (And their stories come in text and audio formats!)

Location and worldbuilding

Google Earth

“The Sieka of Sahn’Jatar” is set in my fictional world of Aviiyen, but the desert is inspired by the Sahara over in the middle east and Google Earth was so useful in bringing that story to life. I’ve never been to the Sahara Desert but I would love to go there in person someday. For now, I’ll just visit from my computer screen.

Zillow

If you’ve done some house hunting lately, then you know how useful Zillow can be for finding the next perfect place to live. But you might not know how great it is for house inspiration for your novel characters! Much like Google Earth, Zillow is great for visualizing locations and helping to bring your story’s fictional setting to life.

Here’s a screenie from Zillow! While one day, I hope to move to Seattle, for now I can happily write about my dream city from the comfort of my Oklahoma home.

100,000 Stars

Earlier in this list, I mentioned people wanting to yeet themselves into space by hitching a ride on SpaceX’s rideshare cargo but now you don’t have to do that! Just check out 100,000 Stars for a stellar interactive visualization experience with the stars! As per their website: “From their website: “100,000 Stars hows the location of 119,617 nearby stars derived from multiple sources, including the 1989 Hipparcos mission. Zooming in reveals 87 individually identified stars and our solar system. The galaxy view is an artist's rendition based on NGC 1232, a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way.”

Here’s a screenie of the 100,000 Stars website. Pretty amazing right?

Geoguessr

So, you think you’re a worldbuilding pro? Let’s find out just how well you know your setting with Geoguessr—a website that transports you into a place with one goal in mind: to determine where you are on the map. You can play across the global map or try and identify famous locations from spectacular natural wonders to astonishing man-made structures.

And here’s a screenie from Geoguessr. Any ideas where this satellite image is from?

Murder and Horror

Okay so these websites might not be for the faint of heart, but I promise, we have some more happier/positive items to come later in this list! But these potentially disturbing websites can prove super useful for writers working on murder mystery novels and horror/thriller.

Homicide Monitor

A worldwide homicide map where you can see how many people were killed where. This might be useful if you’re writing a novel and need homicide statistics or in need of a story idea. However, you might want to avoid looking up you town… 😬

Goodbye Warden

This website has a chilling list of last words from 565 Texas death row inmates.

Murderpedia

Murderpedia is a free online encyclopedic dictionary of murderers and the largest database about serial killers and mass murderers around the world.

Names

Baby Names

Pretty self-explanatory, but if you’re trying to find the perfect name for your main protagonist, Baby Names is the site for you!

Behind The Name

Maybe you already have your names picked out but you want to do a little more research on their origins or meanings? Check out Behind the Name for in-depth etymology on almost any name you can imagine.

(A great honorable mention (because it’s not a website, but a book rather, is Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names. There are thousands of names in this book and it was a life-saver for me when trying to come up with names for my WIP fantasy series.)

Strange, but useful facts

Uber Facts

Once again, we have another time-suck of a webpage, but truthfully I love this one as much as the Historical Pics Page. This is a Facebook page that puts out some of the most interesting facts I’ve ever seen. Save facts for story ideas or go down the rabbit hole of interesting information.

Today I Found Out

Want to know why kids learn languages fast than adults? Or maybe you want to read more about why the human heart doesn’t get tired like other muscles? The Today I Found Out website is a great place for random, interesting information that might inspire your writing.

How Stuff Works

Who came up with aglets? How (and why) is the U.S. Experiencing a coin shortage? Is French press really the best coffee? How Stuff Works has all the answers you could ever want and more.

Cool Interesting Stuff

From chilling true-crime mysteries to alien autopsies and urban legends, Cool Interesting Stuff has tons of random, weird, and borderline creepy facts to inspire your next thriller. Pro Tip: Don’t read this website before bed.

Oddee

Oddee is a website that entertains million of visitors every month with stories about parrots teaching each other to swear (and then laugh about it) and brain-eating amoebas found in Texas water supplies—Yikes!

Space Facts

Did you know there’s a couple of dwarf planets named Eris and Makemake, or that Eris was once considered for the position of tenth planet? I didn’t! And that’s exactly why we need this site. I love space and talking about all things celestial, but I need more of it in my life. Since my books are sort of sci-fi and fantasy genre bending, this site is great for all kinds of stellar facts.

And that’s it for my list of 25 strangely useful websites for writers! What did you think of this list? Have you ever used any of these sites for your own writing? Do you have any ideas that are missing from this list? Let me know in the comments below!

—Payton

Everything YA Gets Wrong About College

Hi readers, students, and writerly friends!

Payton here, back again with another installment of my college series. This week in Freelancing we’re covering a topic that overlaps between the bookish world and the college world—everything that young adult fiction gets wrong about college. This is going to cover every one of my biggest YA/college pet peeves from privilege, to unrealistic expectations, to overdone tropes and more so stay tuned!

Messy, unrealistic timelines

Okay, this might be the single most important issue I have with YA fiction that involves the college experience, so that’s why I made sure to cover it first. Students listen up! One thing YA gets very, VERY wrong is the college application/admission timeline and what happens when. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read about a student getting accepted into Harvard in like February. It just doesn’t happen and it makes no sense. Writers who have characters in their novels that are in their senior year should do as much research as possible about the school(s) their fictional students are applying to so they can get a very clear and accurate picture of what that process looks like. Regardless of if all the details actually make it into the story, writers should make a timeline to keep everything organized and make sure their fictional events surrounding college take place within an accurate time frame. This is critical for fiction to stop perpetuating inaccurate stereotypes and setting unrealistic expectations for students.

Typically, early decision and early action happen in October and November and of course, those deadlines vary from school to school, which is why research is key. Not to mention, early decision and early action are two different things. Early decision is binding and basically means the student applying agrees to attend that school, should they get in and that’s why students are only allowed to apply early decision to one school. Early decision is also pretty much limited to very wealthy, upper class families, as it is a big gamble for applying students and be messy to navigate exiting these agreements when the school’s perception of your financial situation does not line up with your reality. Early action on the other had, is a far more accessible option because it is not legally binding. This is a great avenue for students who are interested in applying and receiving their application results early who might also want to apply to a few other colleges as regular decision.

 Students who apply early decision/early action will receive admissions decisions typically in December, but some will hear back in January at the latest. Students who are passed up for the early decision/early action pools, may be deferred or moved to the regular decision pools which means their applications will be looked at along with all of the other non-early applying students. Regular decision students who apply to private universities will hear application results between December and Mid-January, though again, writers should double check these guidelines against the school about which they are writing.

Likewise, students who want/need merit-aid, many schools that offer this will send rejection/acceptance letters in November-Early December, but once again, writers should fact check deadlines for the school they are writing about to avoid perpetuating these harmful stereotypes in their writing.

Piggybank with coins. Photo by Skitterphoto.

Unrealistic expectations for scholarships, financial aid, and acceptance rates

Building on my first issue with college depictions in YA fiction, most young adult writers include inaccurate/unrealistic financial situations in their stories. Here’s an example: the poor, lower-class, yet brilliant student applies on a whim to Harvard and gets a full-ride. For one, Harvard hardly ever gives out full-ride scholarships. For two, if they did somehow get a generous scholarship, the remaining funds the student and their family are expected to pay are typically way out of the question for most lower/middle class families. And this goes for any ivy league or competitive private institution out there. For three, due to the competitive, elite nature of these types of schools, it is highly unlikely students can just apply and get in, no matter how brilliant they may be. And this unrealistic expectation is harmful because it pops up ALL. THE. TIME. And thus gives students the idea that they have a shot in hell at getting into one of these schools. It’s just a big set up for failure, crushed dreams, and a waste in application fees.

Additionally, most YA writers (due to the age bracket most YA writers fall into) don’t have a very good grasp on how much college really costs nowadays. I would argue that most YA writers are in their 30’s or older (with exceptions of course) and it’s been a little while since they last attended college for themselves. It’s amazing how much things can change in ten years.

In a 2019 CNBC article, Abigail Hess explains how the cost of college has increased by more than 25% in the last 10 years:

During the 1978 - 1979 school year, it cost the modern equivalent of $17,680 per year to attend a private college and $8,250 per year to attend a public college. By the 2008 - 2009 school year those costs had grown to $38,720 at private colleges and $16,460 at public colleges.

Today, those costs are closer to $48,510 and $21,370, respectively. That means costs increased by roughly 25.3% at private colleges and about 29.8% at public colleges. -Abigail Hess

Read more from Abigail’s article “The cost of college increased by more than 25% in the last 10 years—here’s why” here.

That’s an insane jump and truthfully, most writers don’t take these facts into account when writing YA fiction that involves the college experience. There’s a bigger issue here and it’s that YA fiction rarely takes into account the intersection of financial aid and class privilege and that’s because most YA writers are upper-middle class and never had to struggle to pay for college as a lower or middle class student. Class privilege is a huge reason why the college experience is not accurately portrayed in YA fiction and honestly, financial aid/scholarships are irresponsibly depicted as well.

What would be really great, is to see more portrayals of students applying and getting into state universities and community colleges. As a graduate from a local community college myself, it feels severely understated in YA fiction, especially since this is close to the reality most college students face. The acceptance rates at state universities and community colleges are much higher (mine had a 100% acceptance rate and a 90% completion rate) due to the dramatic difference in tuition, boarding an other costs per student, as opposed to the kinds of private schools we see more often portrayed in young adult fiction. Even though many state universities are still quite competitive, it would be really refreshing and great to see more YA fiction depict students attending state universities and community colleges, especially when the acceptance rate is far more realistic than the ludicrous 1% some of the ivy league schools are infamous for.

Student feeling stressed. Photo by Energepic.com.

Touching on the unrealistic timelines point, I’d like to include that many YA novels include depictions of students who apply to and get into a school and then start applying for scholarships. Unfortunately, by the time students should be hearing back from their desire schools, applying for scholarships is simply too late. Again, it’s important that writers do their research on their schools and make sure the realistically portray them in their writing. And on a similar note, many universities do not offer financial aid to out of state students so writers should keep this in mind when writing about college students crossing state lines for schooling.

Another financial discrepancy often found in YA fiction is the image of students going to any of the top 50 schools in the US and magically getting awarded merit-based scholarships. These schools are based on academic ability and therefore merit-based scholarships simply do not exist for students attending these schools. Instead, need-based scholarships are a possibility instead because the financial aid awards are divided out to applicants on a as-needed basis. Again, research is required here, because for the need-based awards, the school is the authority that determines the applicants’ need and every school has their own formula for determining what constitutes need. Likewise there is need-aware and need-blind schools where the former takes financial background into account while the later does not.

Student signing up for student loan debt to make college possible. Photo by Andrea Picquadio.

Loans and parent dependency

Since students aren’t technically considered (academically) adults until age 24, students are dependent on their parents and their finances will certainly play a roll in what kinds of awards, scholarships, waivers, and loans students can make use of during their college career. Due to this, unfortunately many students from middle-class families are unable to attend school simply because 1) the student’s parents make too much money for them to qualify for financial aid and 2) without the financial aid, the student’s parents simply do not make enough to pay for college while supporting the household. Likewise, this is an issue for students who have divorced, separated, or estranged parents, or parents who are unwilling to pay for college.  

Unfortunately, because students are considered dependents of their parents until 24 years old, obtaining substantial loans may prove difficult or impossible due to the students need for a cosigner. Students are able to independently sign for a federal loan that is roughly $4500 max as a freshman and roughly $7500 max as a senior, which isn’t nearly enough to cover even one year for almost any college in the United States. Another federal loan option is the parent plus loan which has a much higher cap, but is contingent upon the parent’s credit and their willingness to take out such a loan.

The trend with all of these issues is that it all comes down to a lack of research, unrealistic expectations, and a failure on the writer’s part do their due diligence in preparing the background information needed to accurately depict the college experience. Writers who are covering the college experience in even the slightest degree, should do as much research as possible to prepare their writing. Writers can reach out to academic professionals to get more information as well. YA writers covering college in their novels should do their research so they can figure out which schools, under which conditions are actually attainable for their fictional characters.

And that’s it for my post on everything that YA gets wrong about college. What did you think of this post? Do you think YA could benefit from more research beforehand? Is there anything I left out? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Pixabay.

—Payton

5 MORE Ways to Stay Organized as a Writer or Freelancer

It’s hard enough keeping organized as a person in general, but add being a freelancer and/or business owner into the mix—of course we’re going to feel a little in over our heads sometimes. Not to worry, though—I’ve put together a list of five ways to stay organized as a freelancer! Not a freelancer just yet? You can still use all of these tips to your advantage and hopefully they will help you move closer to your goal of being your own boss!

If you haven’t read the first blog post I wrote on this topic, click here!

Get organized digitally

You may have heard the words “spring cleaning” at some point in your life, but as an online content creator and freelance editor, I am here to tell you that this phrase doesn’t just refer to de-cluttering objects in your real life—it also means keeping organized virtually. As a Virgo (I think Jenna Marbles can relate!) there is nothing worse than a chaotic, cluttered room when I sit down to work. This is no different in my digital spaces. I try to keep everything just as organized on my computer as I do in my home.

Folders are labeled and sometimes colored, projects are divided up into parts, and everything has a place. I even have a method for planning and preparing my blog posts that go out every Friday. Monday mornings, I will start brainstorming, outlining, and designing my blog posts. I typically get them completed way ahead of time, but it’s nice to know that if I get stumped, I have until Friday at 12 PM CST to finish everything up.

I like to color-code my folders according to the four following categories: not ready, some parts completed, time-sensitive, and ready to post. I typically schedule three blog posts to go out at a time, but this system allows me to write posts ahead of time (or when I am feeling particularly inspired) and save them for later. I do this by using the free windows app, Folder Colorizer. To further organize, I break each project down into three parts: photos, thumbnail image/cover image, and the blog post text. It takes time to complete each of these tasks so by breaking them down, I can effectively time-batch similar tasks. (Keep reading!)

Calendar blocking

Calendar block like there’s no tomorrow.

This may look different for each person—Amy Landino practically blocks out every waking (and sleeping) second on her calendar. I personally, prefer to only block out things that aren’t part of my current routine or items that have changed in the routine, and once they become part of my everyday life, they get taken off the calendar. No matter how intense you go with your own calendar blocking, make sure that it is sustainable for you. You don’t want to just start throwing events and appointments up on the calendar without rhyme or reason! You might consider only blocking a few things to start with so you don’t get overwhelmed.

I prefer to use Google calendar. I have never enjoyed physically writing events out on a paper calendar or planner—maybe that’s just my inner perfectionist talking, but I truly do live for flexibility a digital calendar offers me. In addition to that, I can pretty much connect anything to my Google calendar—yoga classes, dentist appointments, and even bills! Also, Google calendar works seamlessly among your other Google accounts and can be connected to Trello if you use that, but it’s definitely not the only calendar to go with! You can even try out a few different calendars to see which works best for you. Like I said before, Google calendar is my go-to and that’s what you’ll see in the pictures below!

As you can see above, this is what my calendar looks like on a month-by-month basis. Of course some events change, I end up with different editing clients, and the occasional dentist appointment will arise. I like to block out only the items that are not routine/temporary routines such as an event that may be a week or month long. However, it doesn’t hurt to get into the details. You can always include your morning routine, nightly pre-sleep rituals, and gym days as well.

Of course, the next two pictures show you what my weekly and daily views for my calendar look like. You can see the different calendars I am subscribed to on Google calendar (with exception to a few for my own privacy/editing client’s privacy.) I like to include Out of Office appointments, so when several of them pop up in the same day/week I can save time by time-batching similar tasks! (I promise, it’s the next item in this list!) I further filter my tasks into calendars such as bills, writing/prep for this blog, designing merchandise and preparing for my next two poetry books, and work for my freelance editing business, to name a few.

Pro tip: Ditch the to-do list! Yes, they can help you get an idea of what you need to do in a day, week, month, or even a year. However, to-do lists are more of a brain-dump instead of color-coded, sorted tasks. When you start looking at a calendar more like a timed to-do list, it helps you prioritized the events in your life. Instead of just looking at an arbitrary list of wants and needs, filter tasks out into events and appointments in your calendar. If you have a hard time separating tasks that you need to get done versus tasks you would like to get done, then consider using a prioritization matrix.

Time-batch similar tasks

Time-batching is the art of grouping similar activities together to save time. For instance, if you are a YouTuber and you need to film a talking-head video, use the opportunity to film several in one day! (Just make sure to change your clothes and accessories so your subscribers don’t catch on!) If you know you have an interview or business meeting, why not take this opportunity (when you have made yourself presentable) to schedule a coffee date with an old friend to catch up? This not only makes great use of your time (and finely styled hair and makeup) but it allows you to build connections with the people in your life—whether they’re your lifelong friends or just a newly made acquaintance.

In addition to time-batching out of office appointments, you can time-batch project tasks as well! Like I mentioned above, I like to break down my projects into three smaller parts: photos, thumbnails, and text. However, instead of trying to crank out all three parts of the project in one sitting, I know I can more effectively complete projects by time-batching their similar tasks. If I am editing photos for one project, and I know I will need to edit photos for another, it just makes sense that I get all of my editing out of the way in one session. When I get on a role with writing, it is much easier to start working out the details of the next blog post after I’ve been typing for a bit and already have my writer-brain warmed up. If you’re a creative, you know how hard it is to break away from what you’re doing and is much easier to simply push on until the project is complete. I pair this almost unhealthy ability to stubbornly get things done with time-batching so that I can both achieve the highest level of productivity whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Only check your email once a day

I’ll be honest, I don’t always follow this tip, but when I do, I notice that I am so much more productive and less distracted. Sometimes, it just makes sense to answer all your emails at a set time instead of compulsively checking your inboxes to ensure they’re at 0. Set an alarm just after lunch or whenever you feel is best for answering email and only respond at that set time. This way, you can be in touch without having others think you have nothing better to do with you time.

Turn off your notifications

On a very similar note to the one mentioned above, turning off your notifications can be a huge boost to your productivity. Even if you’re not looking to increase your productivity, perhaps you want to be more focused or more mindful in the moment—and turning off your notifications will help you do just that! I personally only have notifications on for text and Snapchat and even then, my phone is typically on do-not-disturb. There is nothing groundbreaking that I absolutely must see the moment a piece of content goes live. I don’t NEED to be notified every time this influencer tweets that or a YouTuber posts a new video. It’s just another distraction that I don’t need while I am working. Additionally, if someone really needs to get my attention—my loved ones specifically—can break through my do-not-disturb.

As you can see, I don’t have many notifications turned on. Also, don’t be worried for me—that’s the most screen time I’ve had all week and I was editing photos today. 😉

So what do you think about these tips for staying organized as a freelancer? Do you think they’ll help you stay organized? Did I forget any tips that you love? Sound off in the comments below!

Thumbnail photos by Karolina Grabowska.

—Payton

Book Review: Good Morning Good Life by Amy Schmittauer Landino

Amy Landino Author Photo

Good Morning, Good Life, readers and writerly friends!

This is a spoiler-free review!

When life gives you lemons, you write a book review, right? No? Just me?

In any case, I hope you all are doing well and being safe during this COVID-19 mess and I hope things will start to brighten before long. If you’re new to this site, I encourage you to stick around and check out some of my other blog posts! (You’ll find out pretty quickly that I am part of the Amy-llion club too!) No need to be sour about this book—let’s get into the review! 🍋🍋🍋

If you’ve followed me for any considerable amount of time, then you know I RAVE about Amy Landino. Honestly, I can’t get enough of her and all of the wonderful, actionable advice she puts out into the world. And not to mention—she has SUCH an aesthetic. Like, wow, I’m living for the berry pink and lemon vibes.

Amy Landino is known for her incredibly useful lifestyle-type videos on YouTube—one of which, titled “*ACTUALLY* WAKE UP EARLY | my 7 tips” has garnered her a lot of attention from viewers and aspiring entrepreneurs around the world. She’s an award-winning YouTuber, bestselling author, lifestyle coach, entrepreneur and fabulous podcast host. She claims she’s obsessed with helping people go after the life they want and is also the founder of her own company dedicated to doing so—GATLUW House. She’s helped thousands of people (including myself) redesign their lives their way.

Click here to watch Amy’s video, *ACTUALLY* WAKE UP EARLY | my 7 tips

So, after reading her first book, Vlog Like A Boss, and becoming a lifelong fan/follower of hers, it’s safe to say I was definitely picking up her next book. Good Morning, Good Life released in December of 2019 and now that we’ve all had a few months (and not to mention extra time thanks to COVID-19) to pick up this book and sink our teeth into it, let’s get into the tea—or lemon water if you’re a true fan. 🍋💦

Click here to view Vlog Like A Boss on Amazon!

Click here to view Good Morning Good Life on Amazon!

Good Morning Good Life by Amy Landino

Good Morning Good Life by Amy Landino

I am absolutely obsessed with everything to do with habits, habit-change, productivity, and routines, so when Amy said she was writing a book focused on helping people go after their perfect mornings, I was stoked! I pre-ordered my copy of GMGL, and when it arrived in the mail, I was ready to crack open the cover and get reading. Not only did I get the paperback version, but I also purchased the audiobook as well, so I could read them in tandem. (I have a whole blog post about immersion reading with audiobooks and you can check it out here!)

The book starts off with a behind-the-curtains look at what life was like for Amy before she became the thriving businesswoman, we all know from her YouTube channel. She talks about her experience working a 9-to-5 job, trying out for a marathon race, and the pivotal, aha-moments in her life that pushed her in the direction of her success. Layered on top of this insightful narrative, is Amy’s actionable advice for crafting a truly magical morning.

 The book is broken up into five sections—Decide, Defy, Rise, Shine, and Thrive. Throughout these sections, she offers action steps that ask probing questions to get the reader thinking, “What’s a moment that you remember being truly excited about something?” or “On a scale of 1-to-10, how well do you sleep?”. She includes writing exercises to get readers truly motivated and ready to make a difference in their mornings and ultimately, their quality of life. Additionally, she includes “Good morning” stories from her colleagues, and fellow YouTubers to offer up extra insight into the mornings of successful people she’s come to know over the years.

3 Stars —⭐⭐⭐

The novel has been dubbed an Amazon bestseller and has garnered rave reviews from readers across the globe, both on Amazon and Goodreads. However, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows in the comments. Many readers have come out saying that the book isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Readers with children argue that Amy’s advice is not really applicable or useful for them since she doesn’t have children herself and doesn’t know what it is really like to try and design a morning around them. In the book, she acknowledges this fact and urges readers to hear her out and set aside any excuses they may have in order to give her advice an honest try.

I personally enjoyed the book on a surface level—knowing it was content that Amy created and by reading it, I was getting to know her better and I was able to support her. However, despite my love of Amy’s style and content, I found the book did not live up to the hype. But before you all come for me, I just want to clarify—if you’ve never seen any of Amy’s work and have never heard her advice, this book is EVERYTHING.

It really does give you a great look into how to design a morning that works best for you, that gives you time for yourself, and ultimately allows you to practice self-love in whatever form it comes. And as a woman in her twenties without children, I found this book to be extremely insightful and useful. But in reading this book, I quickly realized, it had no NEW information to lend readers. With that being said, aside from the actual advise, Amy gives us a little narrative and peek into her life before YouTube and being a business owner which I enjoyed.

My Goodreads review of Good Morning Good Life

You can find me on Goodreads here!

So, what did you think of Good Morning Good Life? Was it helpful to you? What did you think of this review? Do you agree or disagree with anything I said? Let me know in the comments below!

—Payton

10 Rules For Writing Your Book In The Woods (COVID-19 Social-Distancing Safe Summer Vacation Ideas!)

I had planned to write this blog post as a summer vacation trip idea for writers. However, with COVID-19 flipping everyone’s plans on their heads, it’s hard to say whether or not summer vacation will even be possible this summer. If you still want to get out of the house and write in the wilderness, keep reading for some social-distancing-safe tips for writing in the woods! If you’ve read my blog post on writing at the beach, you might see some overlap with a few of the tips, but what can I say? Some of these were just too good to leave out! If you haven’t yet read the post, click here to check it out!

Of course, we’re all trying very hard to keep a safe distance from each other, and with regular travel out of the question, we’re quite limited as far as summer fun in the sun goes. If you’re an introvert and/or a writer, this might not be the worst time in the world for you, and in fact, I have been enjoying the extra time at home! However, I too am starting to go a little stir crazy after being cooped up in my house for months on end (and not of my own volition).

Secure a stellar view

First things first: you’ve got to find a forest nearby. Obviously, you want to be safe, both for pandemic and general forest safety reasons. But check around to see if there are any camping sites you can visit safely during this time. Some parks may still offer campsites to visitors as long as they keep a safe distance from other park patrons. If you live near a more rural area, then this may not even be an issue for you. Just be mindful of park pests, bugs, and bears!

You want to find a nice, secluded area if possible. The serene sounds of the forest will help you stay focused while you work on bringing your next fantasy novel to life.

Brilliant campfire. Photo by Ringku Singha.

Set up goals for the trip

Of course, a writing vacation must entail some amount of writing, but it’s likely you will want to plan other things to do when you’re not writing, as well. Consider planning hikes, stargazing, and fishing trips if there’s water nearby. Additionally, you should outline your goals for writing. Consider your project and decide how much you actually want to get done on your trip. Then, cut that amount in half. If you end up completing more of the manuscript than you initially thought, awesome!

Get down and dirty with nature

Go hiking, fishing, swimming in the river. Cut up your own firewood and build a campfire. Test your survival skills and try to build your own shelter. Put all of the techniques you learned, from watching Naked and Afraid, to good use while you’re in the woods. If you’re writing a fiction based in the wilderness, having first-hand experience will increase the believability of your story and worldbuilding within. Additionally, pretending fend for yourself in the wild will immerse you in the moment and enrich your experience.

Illuminated tents at night. Photo by Cameron Vaughan.

Soak in the stars and solitude

There’s something so serene and calming about being out in the woods. Use this opportunity not only to stay focused and productive but also to employ some mindfulness. For most writers, it’s not everyday that they get to just sit out under the stars and write the night away. Be present during you trip so you can make the most of it.

Make sure to pack all the essentials

There’s nothing worse than getting to your destination and realizing you’ve forgotten something you knew you needed to pack. I’ve made a little mini list for writers to ensure they’ve got all the right tools in their toolkit for writing in the woods.

• A comfy set of clothes for hiking in (don’t forget the boots!)

• The Novel Planner for Authors by Kristen Kieffer

• On Being Stuck by Laraine Herring

• your Story Binder and a pencil!  (if you’d prefer using a laptop in the woods, bring a solar charger so you never run out of power!)

• a notebook to jot down random ideas and inspiration

• a novel in another genre for leisure reading

• Bug spray. Don’t forget the bug spray.

• You might bring the anti-itch cream too, just in case…

Family walking through campsite at golden hour. Photo by Jon Cartagena.

Bring a friend or family member

If you’re quarantined with others, it can be hard to keep from biting off each other’s heads after being stuck in the house for months on end. Instead of being irritable, allow everyone to get some fresh air in the forest. Even just a change of scenery can work wonders for your relationships—both with loved ones and with your writing. On the flip side, if you’re quarantined alone, consider taking a solo trip into the woods! Just be sure to leave the horror books/movies at home if you’re travelling solo!

Limit your exposure

If you do end up bringing your electronics with you into the wilderness, make sure to set them down. It’s nice to capture the beauty of nature in the occasional Instagram photo, but don’t let notifications and DM’s keep you from achieving what you initially set out to do—get closer to finishing your novel, and experiencing the beauty of nature through your own eyes instead of a camera lens.

Write, rest, repeat.

Like I mentioned earlier, you will want to have plenty of activities planned, including writing and not writing. If you want to make the most of this trip, then take everything in moderation. Make time for writing and make time for resting. Then repeat. To have a meaningful AND productive writerly vacation, all it takes is a little discipline.

Make time for cold ones and fireside chats

Sitting by the fire is a fantastic time to get introspective. Chat with others if you’ve taken a family trip or write some poetry beneath the stars. Don’t forget to pack an extra cooler with your favorite booze for those late-night, fire-side chats. Consider sharing your favorite creepy stories or having a heart-to-heart with loved ones whom you might have taken for granted during this chaotic time.

Don’t get stuck rewriting.

It’s probably the hardest piece of advice in this entire blog post, but seriously, don’t get stuck rewriting. Work on writing only while you’re travelling and save the editing for later, once you’re home and once you’ve completed the first draft. I know it can be so hard to quiet our editor brains, but we have to if we want to write effectively. Remember, the edits can wait, but the writing can’t. Stay focused and happy writing.

That’s it for my 10 rules for writing in the woods. If you want to check out my blog post on 10 rules for writing on the beach, click here! Leave a comment telling me what you thought and if you’ve ever done any of these, or if you have any tips of your own be sure to let us know below!

Thumbnail photo by Gabriel Sanchez.

—Payton

Rose State College: Attending Art School In The Midwest

I went to Art School.

In Oklahoma.

And it was nothing like going to RISD, Parsons, or The Art Institute of Chicago, or any of the other top art schools in America.

I finished high school with a very picturesque idea in mind of what art school would be like when I finally headed off to college. I had watched videos from YouTubers like Tiffany Weng, CatCreature, May Gao, and Cup of Jasmien which not only excited me about art school, but it intimidated me as well. I wondered if I had what it took to make it in to any one of the top art schools in the country. I never really found out. I went to art school in Oklahoma. Specifically, I studied Fine Studio Art from Midwest City’s own, Rose State College, and it was nothing like I’d imagined.

I had imagined bustling hallways lined with student art, a student art gallery, rigorous classes, brutal critiques, and an almost palpable competitiveness that just wasn’t there. The art classes at Rose State College weren’t particularly hard, but the school, teachers, and students have a commitment to excellence that you would find just as well, at the larger art schools in the country. Just because I attended an art program at a smaller, community college doesn’t mean I haven’t gained a greater understanding of the arts, a substantial appreciation for the artistic process, and wider knowledge of mediums, principles, elements, and techniques. Community college is just as great as the prestigious art schools, and here’s why:

First Still Life of Painting I with Suzanne Thomas (SP 2020) in the Painting Room of the Communications Center at Rose State College

The Classes

Student Art Gallery Hall at OCU

Rose State College prides itself on having the golden 20-to-1 ratio, meaning unlike the larger schools in the state, there are fewer students to each teacher. This allows for more meaningful connections, wider possibility for discussion, and provides a space where students can really work one-on-one with their professors to achieve the education they are seeking. However, what the school is lacking is the vastness of a larger school, and perhaps this is a good thing. Rose State College has visibly been making strides to grow the campus and the student body from the new and improved Learning Resources Center and student housing built in 2016 and the new student center which began construction in 2018 and is set to be completed in late 2020.

Empty Student Art Gallery Hall at OCU

Unlike the well-known art schools in the country, Rose State College is not strictly an art school, and in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Rose State College, is similar to OSU, OCU, and OU in that they are schools that offer a wide variety of majors. RISD and the Art Institute of Chicago focus primarily on majors within the field of art from digital art, to fine studio art, to textiles and more. The closest art design degree that Rose State College offers is in Fine Studio Arts which includes several survey art courses, several painting and drawing classes, a ceramics class and more. Alternatively, students can study animation and digital art under the Multimedia Digital Design degree. While these are exciting and essential classes for any art major, they are somewhat baseline when compared to schools like RISD. With that being said, Rose State is a 2-year school and not yet a 4-year school, so aspiring art majors, keep that in mind.

The Atmosphere

Painting I with Suzanne Thomas (SP 2020) Student paintings leaned against the wall in the painting room in the Communications Center at Rose State College. Photo by Payton Hayes.

As mentioned, the school is relatively small, compared to the other, much larger schools in the state and the other art schools in the country. However, the atmosphere was much more laid back and provided a space for connection and open discussion. The classrooms were not particularly outstanding, but they served their purpose well. The painting room, for example could seat up to 20 at most, but since there typically aren’t many art majors attending RSC the classrooms never felt cramped. In several art classes, the work is primarily student-driven and advised by the professors. Professors would often outline a general idea and basic requirements for each assignment, but the students had a lot of freedom to execute their visions. Music was often put on in the background and the laid-back vibe of the classroom encouraged students to converse and walk around the room to observe the techniques of other artists in real-time. Some classes had semi-formal critiques, where students would hang their work on a wall, and one-by-one observe and critique each other on the strengths and weaknesses of the work.

Key Differences

Of course, there are always trade-offs when comparing the bigger art schools to the smaller, non-art schools—the latter offers smaller, more connected classes, provides a space for greater, more meaningful discussion, and allows students to form more tight-knit bonds with each other, while the former offers greater diversity and challenges students to rise to higher standards. Which school is best for you will depend on what you want to get out of your art degree.

Second Still Life of Painting I with Suzanne Thomas (SP 2020) in the Painting Room of the Communications Center at Rose State College. Photo by Payton Hayes.

What did an art degree at RSC do for me?

Studying art at Rose State College taught me all the basics—everything I needed to know about different art mediums and techniques, all the different elements and principles of art, and of course, how to identify artist, style, and time period when looking at a piece. However, I also learned some valuable skills in addition to the basics. I learned skills in time management, craftsmanship, and presentation. I also learned how to be expressive and let go of expectations in art—this mindset shift has greatly improved my own craft as well as increased the joy and love I have for observing and creating art. It’s very much like Bob Ross says—happy accidents.

Paint used on the Humanities mural in the upstairs back hallway of the RSC Humanities building. Photo by Payton Hayes.

By attending Rose State, I was also able to participate in a few unique and incredible opportunities, such as getting to paint two different murals in their Humanities building, helping organize and put on a student-led art exhibition, and getting a closer look into how public art is created in the greater OKC area. I have made valuable connections with other art opportunities and mentors across the state, such as Pablo Barrera from Oklahoma Contemporary, Randy Marks from the OKC Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. I feel confident that I could hold a candle to the students graduating from the top art schools in the country because of what I’ve learned and where studying art in Oklahoma has taken me. 

I think, if you are dead set on attending RISD or Parsons, you should totally do that. But they aren’t the only schools to study art from in the country. Likewise, they are incredibly competitive and often hard to get into in the first place. If your heart is not set on attending one of these elite schools, consider attending a community college or art program in the Midwest because there is so much, they can offer that the bigger schools just cannot. Additionally, by attending the smaller art schools/programs, you’re supporting a growing art community—be it in Oklahoma or elsewhere.  

Student artwork hung in the glass case in the Rose State College Communication Center, Spring 2020. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Thanks for reading my reflection on attending a smaller (non-)art school in Midwest City, OK, as opposed to going to RISD or one of the bigger, better-known art schools in the country. I just wanted to shed some light on what it was like for me. Of course, I am sure my fellow students may have had slightly (or even vastly) different experiences at Rose State, but these were just my observations. If you liked this article or found it helpful in some way, please consider “liking” it or leaving a comment below!

Thumbnail photo created with Picsart by Payton Hayes.

—Payton

Know The Rules So You Can Break The Rules

“Know the rules well, so you can break them, effectively.” -Dalai Lama XIV

“Know the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist” -Pablo Picasso

These are just two quotes that touch on the subject and since they’re from world renowned individuals, I think they must hold some weight. I think this notion of knowing the rules so you can break them holds especially true for the art of writing. Good writers who break the rules well are like the little blades of grass that peek up through the cracks in concrete—they shouldn’t be able to grow, they shouldn’t have the strength on their own to push through concrete—but they do, and sometimes, those weeds become flowers.

Whenever one of my writer friends says “You shouldn’t use adjectives” or “You shouldn’t waste too much time on mundane activities” what always comes to mind are two of the greatest fantasy writers of all time—J.R.R Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. They constantly break these two rules and many more in their work and not only do they get away with it, the are celebrated for it, which makes most writing advice out there, somewhat invalid. If they can do it and become world-class writers despite these common writing mistakes, why can’t I?

This is where knowing the rules comes in. If you know the rule, why it’s a rule, and why so many people tell you to steer clear of it, you then know how to use it to your advantage. The reason is, by knowing the rule inside and out, and knowing your writing is good, simultaneously, you know that you’re breaking the rule effectively.

Tweet from @PageTurner on Twitter.

If you break the rule in a bad way, like opening a scene with someone waking up and the following scene being predictable, then knowing the rule is pointless. But if you know the way you’re breaking it is interesting, unique, effective, and enhances or enriches the story, then not only are you breaking it well, you doing it in a way that will make other writers wonder how you got away with such a writing crime.

James Patterson opened up his bestselling novel, Maximum Ride with the main protagonist waking up, but he jumped right into the action in a fast-paced, and tense scene immediately after that kept readers engaged, enthralled, and made other writers wonder how he managed it.

Likewise, Tolkien went on for several chapters in the Lord of the Rings before the adventure ever began. One whole chapter even describe the dealings between the Bag-End Baggins hobbits and the Sackville Baggins hobbits, and spent another chapter describing a wordy, convoluted scene where Frodo and his friends enjoyed tea from and spent time with Farmer Maggot. Many writing coaches would say to avoid these lengthy scenes and cut them out since they didn’t drive the story or add to the plot in any way.

 However, they’ve remained in every edition since publication and the novels are still celebrated today. It just goes to show if you know the rule like the back of your hand, you know you can break the rule and not only get away with it but be recognized for your writing when it’s done effectively.

For further reading on this topic, check out Steven Jame’s “Story Trumps Structure: “How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking The Rules” to:

• Ditch your outline and learn to write organically.

• Set up promises for readers—and deliver on them.

• Discover how to craft a satisfying climax.

• Master the subtleties of characterization.

• Add mind-blowing twists to your fiction.

And that’s it for my hot take on how you can break the writerly rules by knowing them inside and out! What do you think about breaking the best-known rules in the writing world? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Payton Hayes.

—Payton

Censorship in 2020: Should Writers Censor Their Books?

When I published my book of poetry and prose from the soul, I considered that some of the passages would be offensive or questionable, especially to my Southern, Christian family members. However, I realized, I had to publish those parts because my story, wouldn’t be true, and it wouldn’t be MY story without them. It got me thinking about censorship in writing, not only because of the reaction family will have to it, but also the public. Should writers still be censoring their books in 2020?

Books are often challenged by concerned parents and family members who desire to protect their children from the themes or content within books. Books can be banned for more than one reason as well. As of the ten years preceding 2016, the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom were:

1. The material was considered to be “sexually explicit”.

2. The material contained “offensive language”.

3. The material was “unsuited to any age group”.

 "About Banned & Challenged Books | Banned & Challenged Books". www.ala.org. (Originally found on Wikipedia.org in the article, “Book Censorship in the United States”)

Family Offense

There are often two reasons a writer may chose to censor their work and the first is to avoid offending their loved ones. This might be because their writing touches on or completely exposes a subject the family member is involved in, someone they know, or because the writing paints them in a bad light. Writers should never defame others in their work, but the truth is important to many personal stories. Another reason it may be offensive to family members is if it explores topics or contains subject matter that goes against family values such as sexuality, profanity, and more. While these themes can be controversial in a family setting, they’re most often called out in the public sphere.

Public Offense

Another reason a writer might chose to censor his or her writing is to avoid offending the public. They might do so to avoid public outcry regarding their book and its content and to avoid being banned. Books are still being banned today and even books that have been banned multiple times, in multiple places, are still challenged even in 2019, such as Harper Lee’s to Kill A Mockingbird, or George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

While book banning is a heated and controversial topic among publishers, consumers, and parents, it is important as writer, to consider what is most important: telling your story in the most honest way or preserving someone’s feelings. Should writers censor their work? What will friends and family think of the writing?

Repercussions of Censorship

There are many reasons we censor books, but I think the repercussions far outweigh our reasoning for the censorship to begin with. For one, we are stifling the creativity of writers. A writer should not live in fear that their novel could be taken off shelves because of its subject matter, but they should know that they can’t please everyone and some subject matter does warrant delicacy and grace when addressing it. Another reason we shouldn’t censor out  books is because it forces current and future societies to have an inaccurate portrayal of society, issues, politics, trends, and controversies. Imagine if we didn’t have Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird or the Awakening. These are just a few of the most often challenged books of all time and they offer important recounts of what life was like when they were written. Without them, we’d be left without not only some of the greatest American writing, but some important truths and telling portrayals of time during these writings. We must uphold honesty over preservation of feelings if we want to accurately represent society.

When I published my book, I feared I get some criticism for certain poems and passages of prose, but to my surprise the most commentary I got was, “there are so many mushy love poems in here” or something to that effect from my friend Bryan. As a journalist, it was important me to accurately and respectfully recount all the facts. As a writer, it means the world to me that my story is told the way I experience it and that is with all of the pieces to the puzzle. Of course, sensitive topics should be handled with grace and care, but I don’t think hard conversations should be omitted entirely. I think writers should reckon with whether or not honesty is important to their story. 

But won’t the truth hurt your loved ones? What if you changed the names—would it be difficult for family members to read?

Of course, but you must tell the truth despite this. Yes, you should use discretion here. Disrespecting someone, even people you aren’t in contact with, in your writing can hurt people. I’m not telling you to hurt your family or friends in your memoir for the sake of truth. But I think the honesty is important, especially in personal recounts. I’m not telling you to forget about what others think, entirely. We should be completely aware of the potential repercussions of our words. I think we should be equally aware of the repercussions of stifling the creativity of writers. Censorship is living in the dark. It’s time to write without fear—to write honestly, boldly.

Honest Writing Versus Censorship

So, how can you be an honest writer? I believe the following method can help you to pour out your soul whilst attempting (whether successfully or not) to prevent any family disagreements

1. First, rite the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Bleed onto the page, pour out your soul, and write with gleeful abandon. This is your story and you should tell it the way it was meant to be told, so don’t hold back.

2. Next, let your writing be alone with itself for a while. Give it a break and reflect in the meantime.

3. Finally, when you return to your manuscript with new eyes, gently edit it. I’m not saying to cut out offensive parts or chop it up. When you’ve revisited the manuscript after a break, you might see the value of the truth and you can better judge whether or not some parts warrant editing when you’ve had some time away from the piece and the pain. Editing sensitive sections shouldn’t be an emotional process; it should be delicate but surgical—what is absolutely necessary and is there any way to reword it so that it doesn’t ruin someone’s life? But when editing, make sure to consider this: If I delete or reword this, am I still telling the truth? Does it hold the same meaning once edited?

Censorship in writing is still a controversial topic, but I think the more we talk about the repercussions of it—stifling creativity, hiding the truth, and living in the dark—we realize how important it is to be truthful in our writing. As the years have passed, I’ve noticed a lax in censorship in movies, TV shows, and music, so I feel books are not far behind. Of course children’s books will be closely scrutinized, but I think middle grade, young adult, and adult novels will slowly but surely decrease in censorship.

“There’s just some magic in truth and honesty and openness.” —Frank Ocean

Take from the blog post what you will but know that you can either bottle up the truth forever, or you can outpour your soul on the page and heal and grow from the honesty. It’s your story, so tell it how it is meant to be told. Telling an incomplete, halfhearted, or dishonest story is almost like not telling it at all.

 "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." —Maya Angelou

I asked—then you asked, and I answered

What are your thoughts on censorship in novels?

You mean like starring out curse/crude words? My opinion is that it's not the best idea. If the word is extremely offensive (N****r or c**t, especially if used in a derogatory manner, for example) then it might be better to substitute for something that's still offensive but not as inflammatory for readers. Otherwise, if it's for an adult audience, use the word. They're adults and can handle it. If it's for a younger audience, then censorship isn't going to make it better, and/or will probably break immersion in the story. Take it out or use something that's not as offensive, like coming up with a unique curse word/phrase that fits the setting. —Lydia Deyes from the Developmental Editors Facebook Group

My response: I am referring to omitting swear words, controversial topics or subjects that might upset friends and family. I agree with what you said about leaving out swear words but what do you think about the other two.

Controversial topics/subjects I think would depend since they're on a spectrum. If it wouldn't offend the *average* person then I wouldn't worry at all. There's plenty of books out there that contain content that *would* offend the average person. If you're going for traditional publishing, you should look into the places you'll be applying to because they may have standards that would prevent your book from being accepted. There's restrictions on what's appropriate for younger audiences up through new adult, but if it's for adult and you're self-publishing, I don't think I can make a blanket statement that would say yes or no. It's important to get messages out about things like rape and mental health, for example. Kite Runner is a classic I had to read in high school that included both rape and suicide. —Lydia Deyes from the Developmental Editors Facebook Group

My thoughts are don't do it. Write the book the way you mean for it to be written. If you hold back, your readers can tell. On the other end, don't add sex, violence or crude words simply because you think your readers expect it. -Gina Salamon from the Developmental Editors Facebook Group

And that’s it for my hot take on censorship in novels in 2020! What do you think about censoring novels? Let me know in the comments below!

—Payton

5 Healthy Habits For Every Writer

It goes without saying that performance in any creative arena can benefit from healthy habits like getting plenty of sleep, regular exercise, and eating healthy, but what many people don’t know is that there are healthy habits for the mind as well! It’s important to practice self-care but it’s kind of hard to tell what information is useful and what isn’t with the rise of Twitter Self-Care posts. It seems like a buzzword that’s flippantly tossed around along with hustle, grind, and burnout. I wonder why. (Not really.) Below are some healthy habits that are known to increase productivity positivity by helping you to establish boundaries and build a healthy relationship with your creative self. These tips and tricks will help you be more productive both in your writing and other aspects of life.

1. Establish boundaries. Really. Set certain times for working creatively. This not only helps with consistency, but it helps you know you don’t have to procrastinate working on passion projects until creativity strikes. Likewise, make a space for yourself to create, freely. Don’t just work on the bed, and if you already work from home, use a different space. If you have a laptop, go to a local coffee shop or library to change the space, mood, and environment so that creativity can flow. Click here to read more about the Pomodoro Technique and how you can use it to improve your daily writing habits.

2. Get involved with the writing community. Follow other writers who inspire you. Follow writing prompt pages on Instagram. Join Facebook groups for writers, readers, and editors. Join or put together a local critique group for writers in your area. Being involved in the writing community is incredibly useful since it grants you access to a wider array of resources, feedback, and people who will act as sounding boards. You will find there are tons of people from all different walks of life in the writing community, and there is something to learn from each of them.

3. Set up creative free time such as leisure reading or journaling. These two are almost passive activities that benefit you immensely as a writer. To specialize in one genre, you must read extensively in that genre to be come familiar with what is out there. To ease the fear of writing and the misguided need for perfection, set special time aside for journaling. Just a few minutes will do—but give yourself permission to write absolute garbage and be okay with it. Click here to read more about how writing everyday helps cure writer’s block!

   “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” -Stephen King

4. Participate in monthly writing challenges. Writing challenges are fun, engaging, and inspiring.  Instagram has plenty of daily creative writing prompts for each day of the month and NaNoWriMo is a great kickstart program for writing novels. There are tons of other writing challenges out there so see what you can find and challenge yourself to write in ways you never thought of before!

5. Set up a rewards system that doesn’t get you in trouble in other areas of your life. When we hear the words “reward system” we often think, oh great, now the writing blogger is contradicting my dietician by saying I should have brownies as a reward for writing… no? Then it’s just me, I guess. But it’s always the same—rewards that are counterproductive for our other goals. Two things can coexist, people! I suggest you set up a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly reward system so that each time you meet your goal you get points which you can put towards something such as spending time watching your favorite series or playing games. See how these three items are all leisure activities. However, if you take time from your Netflix binge, you’re not losing out in other areas of your life. My dad always tells me “What do writers do? They write,” and he’s totally right about that. If you’re a serious writer, you absolutely must make time for it, even if that means sacrificing other leisure activities., because if it’s your passion, it’s worth it. Save the bigger rewards such as the occasional sweet or a night out on the town or even that new handbag, for the bigger milestones in your writing, like the first 50,000 words, your completed rough draft, and the revised, final draft, et cetera.

And there you go! Those are my 5 Healthy Habits for Every Writer. Of course, these tips can be applies to any creative outlet such as film-making or drawing, but the important takeaways are that you’ve got to set boundaries and commit to them, challenge yourself, get involved, make time for leisure activities, and set up a sustainable rewards system.

Comment below if you’ve heard of any of these before and which ones were new to you! Also, if you try this guide out, comment below! I’d love to know how it helped you and what creative outlet you used it for!

Thumbnail photo by Pineapple Supply Co.

—Payton

Making Space With Oklahoma Contemporary: Interview With Pablo Barrera

In light of the COVID-19 public health crisis, Oklahoma Contemporary has postponed the opening of our new arts center.

You can read more about their plans for a delayed opening celebration here.

Hi artsy and writerly friends! Today, I have a very special blog post/ article for you! I got the amazing opportunity to sit down and interview Pablo Barrera, Oklahoma Contemporary’s inaugural curatorial fellow. You can find out more about him here. This is just the interview I conducted with him—if you’d like to read the 6420 article, stay tuned until the end for further reading. In this interview, we discuss their first and second mural series—Making Space, what Oklahoma Contemporary is doing to pair mentoring artists with emerging artists, and how they are helping to shape public art in OKC by showcasing artist’s work along their construction fence line. 

Pablo Barrera, Oklahoma Contemporary’s curatorial fellow.

What is Oklahoma Contemporary’s purpose behind the murals decorating the construction area?  

Oklahoma Contemporary’s temporary showroom fashioned from four repurposed shipping containers. Photo taken by Payton Hayes.

Oklahoma Contemporary’s temporary showroom fashioned from four repurposed shipping containers. Photo taken by Payton Hayes.

Barrera: Making Space: Summer Mural Series was designed to support emerging artists through mentorship in order to expand the number of artists contributing to Oklahoma City’s visual culture. Making Space reflects a new version of Guerrilla Art Park, an annual exhibition of outdoor public art by Oklahoma artists, held in the summers of 2016, 2017 and 2018. The mural series shares Guerrilla Art Park's goals: to showcase local talent, give artists an opportunity to grow and develop their skills, and offer free public art to enrich downtown Oklahoma City. The mural series had two rotations of three murals in June and September 2019.

What inspired the project?

Barrera: This summer and fall, Oklahoma Contemporary’s former space at the State Fairgrounds was closed in preparation for the move into our new building site in winter. This meant that we would not be able to offer exhibitions or programming during those months. We saw an opportunity to continue our mission to provide the public with free access to art, as well as to support the local art scene, by exhibiting a series of murals along the construction fence of our new location. In this way, our new home was able to provide art experiences for OKC before its doors even open.

What was the artist selection process like? How did you find prospective artists?

Barrera: Each rotation of murals features work from established Oklahoma artists collaborating with up-and-coming artists. Preference was given to those from backgrounds/communities not widely represented in Oklahoma City public art. These murals serve as a mentorship project to introduce new artists to public mural creation. Artists were found through a combination of research, networks, and artist submissions, in which artists themselves introduced us to their portfolio.

How did you know which artists to put together for the project?

Barrera: Artists were selected based on their style: we wanted a range of mediums and techniques, but we also wanted to show styles side-by-side that complemented each other. We researched each artist’s color palette, preferred subject matter, and aesthetic, then we created a short-list of artists that could work well within the scale of the painting surface and share powerful messages. In choosing the mentors, we looked for artists that demonstrated or expressed enthusiasm about helping a new generation of mural artists to gain experience. Finally, we approached these selected artists to see who was available and felt strongly about participating in this project.

How long did each piece take to complete? 

Barrera: It depends on the experience of the artist, the medium, and the design. In the first rotation of murals this past June, Tank Ramirez and his mentee, Iliana Barrientos, finished their mural in a matter of hours during our Second Saturday Live Painting event. Tank is an experienced graffiti artist, so he could have probably finished it much faster, but as a mentor, he was making sure to give his mentee, Iliana, many tips and opportunities to develop her skills. Some murals took about a week or two because of family and work obligations. We try to accommodate the various life contexts that artists come from: supporting emerging artists means maintaining enough flexibility to work alongside their lived realities.

Were the artists required to sign VARA waivers? Did they know the artwork would be temporary?

Barrera: Yes, currently, Oklahoma City regulations for mural projects require a VARA waiver in order to obtain the necessary permits. All artists were made aware of this fact before formally agreeing to participate. One of the goals of the Mural Series is to help guide artists on how to better navigate the lengthy proposal process for murals in OKC. Our aim is to demystify the application for getting a mural design approved by the city. We worked with artists to generate drawings and proposal diagrams in accordance with the Arts Commission Mural handbook. We also presented to the Arts Commission on behalf of artists, and revised all materials for the Downtown Design Committee review and permit process. We also let artists know that the lengths we would display artwork are similar to the run-time for a gallery exhibition, which ensures that the contemporary art on display is fresh and more accurately reflecting the art world today. However, since the life of a mural usually doesn’t exist beyond the display period, we provide an online platform where the works can remain visible, and we take professional, high-resolution photographs that artists may use to sell prints. We defend the artists’ rights to owning their artistic ideas, and we do not use the images for commercial purposes. Our goal as an institution is to support artists and address challenges so that they can continue to make work and be recognized for their artistic contributions.

What is the title of each project and the thought process behind them? Please be specific. I know when we met with you, you told us all about the artwork, the meanings behind them, and elements present throughout each piece, so feel free to expand as much as you’d like. 

Barrera: The first rotation of murals were on display from June 8 – September 3rd. These murals were painted live during our Second Saturday event on June 8th:

Making Space #1

Rosa, 2019, by Checo "Tank" Ramirez and Iliana Barrientos, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins.

Rosa, 2019

Mentoring Artists: Checo “Tank” Ramirez 

Mentee: Iliana Barrientos

Rosa, 2019, by Checo "Tank" Ramirez and Iliana Barrientos, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins.

Rosa depicts a woman wearing vaguely traditional clothing, gazing over her shoulder, and surrounded by Monarch butterflies. Tank and Barrientos combine two art styles: the Graffiti “Piece” and the “National” style of Diego Rivera, to create a more “Chicanx” style of painting to celebrate Latinx communities’ contributions toward contemporary visual culture.

Checo “Tank” Ramirez has been painting for over 15 years until finally being discovered by local artist, Dusty Gilpin, who recognized Tank’s contributions to Oklahoma City’s burgeoning mural scene. Some of Tank’s public works can be found in 23rd and N. MacArthur Blvd or in Capitol Hill. You can also find his murals at The Mayan in Paseo, and you may have seen his murals commissioned by the Oklahoma City Thunder during the playoffs throughout April. Tank will also have an upcoming mural at Diamond Dawgs in Norman, OK. Tank thinks that the most meaningful aspect of Oklahoma Contemporary’s Summer Mural Series is the opportunity to mentor the next generation of artists. 

You can find Ramirez here. 

Iliana Barrientos is a mixed-media artist, whose paintings tend to use a mix of acrylics, inks, and colored pencils. Making Space: Summer Mural Series was her first big project with the city; previous work has been exhibited for Latino Heritage Month at the University of Oklahoma in 2018. Barrientos plans to continue learning about murals and taking on any projects that will require her acquired skills. As a young artist she feels like there's so much to learn, and is excited to take what she learns from artists more experienced than her so that one day she could do the same for any upcoming artist. 

You can find Barrientos here. 

Same Source, 2019 (detail) by Jaiye Farrell, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins

 Same Source, 2019

By Jaiye Farrell 

Same Source, 2019 (detail) by Jaiye Farrell, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins

Same Source uses white lines on a black background to create a rhythm and circulation of marks. The black “void” immerses the viewer, and the white patterns act as moments where light touches this “void” to reveal forms. Same Source explores how in previous works, people from diverse backgrounds have mentioned seeing fragments of patterns that resemble motifs from their particular cultural heritage.

Jaiye Farrell is an Oklahoma-based artist that has cultivated his style of painting from abstract patterns that transcend societal and cultural divides and remember the communal roots of humanity. From his infatuation with archeology emerged a creative and ambitious talent: to craft signature designs that inspire self-reflection. Farrell has exhibited work at Art Hall under Inclusion in Art, as well as various live-painting events. He continues to develop and express his signature style throughout the city.

You can find Farrell here.

Resilience, 2019 (detail) by Amanda Zoey Weathers and William Walker Larason, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins

 Resilience, 2019

Mentoring Artist: Amanda Zoey Weathers

Mentee: William Walker Larason

Resilience, 2019 (detail) by Amanda Zoey Weathers and William Walker Larason, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins

For Resilience, Weathers and Larason painted flowers surrounding a face arranged in Weathers’ geometric, paint-by-numbers style. The larger composition is composed of separate fields of color that never intersect, carefully arranged to form features that feel harmonious and uplifting. Native foliage represents the locality of Oklahoma City.

Amanda Zoey Weathers has been cultivating her art form over the years in a variety of expressions. From painting to jewelry design to her recent works with paper and metal, she incorporates these interests into pieces that depict her personal experience and life philosophies. With a background in art and graphic design, in 2007 she began her full time artist career and launched an artist-made retail store and gallery in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District. For the past few years she has begun expanding her media to large-scale murals and public art projects in Downtown Oklahoma City.

You can find Weathers here.

William Walker Larason is an artist living in Oklahoma City, with an emphasis in working with the medium of gum wrapper foil. They also work in painting, printmaking, and photography. After completing a spotlight exhibition in Oklahoma Visual Art Coalition’s Momentum OKC in 2016, Larason began at Factory Obscura. Larason continues to work on their own personal art.

You can find Larason here.

Making Space #2

The second rotation of murals were painted live on Thursday, Sept. 5th, and will be coming down soon as we remove the construction fence:

Voodoo Fairy, 2019 by Kris "GERM" Ermey and Jonathan De Luna, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins

Voodoo Fairy, 2019

Mentoring artist: Kris “GERM” Ermey 

Mentee: Jonathan De Luna

Voodoo Fairy, 2019 by Kris "GERM" Ermey and Jonathan De Luna, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins

GERM and De Luna’s collaborative mural celebrates women of color entrepreneurs. GERM renders a Zimbabwe model/designer, Manaka Voodoo Fairy, in his gray monochrome portrait style. De Luna completely transforms a quote from renowned artist, Banksy, into a bold, colorful calligraphic pattern.

Kris “GERM” Ermey has been writing graffiti for over 20 years. Known for his clean, crisp lines and detailed illustrations, GERM’s skill and importance in the Oklahoma graffiti scene was recognized in fall of 2017 when he was one of ten featured artists in Oklahoma Contemporary’s exhibition, Not for Sale. His work has been featured in many events/showcases, from the outdoor graffiti exhibition, Made You Look, to the Oklahoma State Fair Mural Demo. He curated the showcase When Letters Collide (2018) and creates private and public commissions, with clients including the Linked Church. He is very involved in educating youth, partnering with both Youth Services of OKC and Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation, most recently helping to teach a 10-week hip-hop workshop for students at John Rex Elementary. 

You can find Ermey here.

Jonathan DeLuna has been developing his style for the past 12 years inspired by west coast artists. He works on large-scale murals and small panels, and has become known for his unique calligraphic style. DeLuna’s work has been featured in the Inclusion in Art exhibition at Art Hall (December 2018 to March 2019) and in Oklahoma Contemporary’s Dia de los Muertos exhibition during their Celebration of Latino Culture (2018). His work is part of several private collections. In addition to his artwork, Jonathan is inspired by his role as a father. His 3-year-old daughter is already painting, and carrying the family skills on to the next generation.

You can find DeLuna here.

Invisible No More, 2019 (detail) by J. NiCole Hatfield, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins

Invisible No More, 2019

J. NiCole Hatfield (Nahmi-A-Piah; Comanche/Kiowa)

Invisible No More, 2019 (detail) by J. NiCole Hatfield, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins

Hatfield’s mural raises awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (#MMIW), a movement to bring an end to violence against Indigenous women. Dancer, Kayla Marie (Kiowa/Comanche/Omaha), is painted in Hatfield’s signature colorful, expressionistic style. Four figures standing in a sun represent the four directions. A red handprint over the mouth has become a symbol of #MMIW, and handprints on the dresses are from an interactive painting session with the Oklahoma Contemporary Teen Council.

J. NiCole Hatfield (Nahmi-A-Piah) draws inspiration from archival images of her proud tribal women, painting them to acknowledge and honor their voice within a contemporary world. Her art frequently incorporates Indigenous language to teach it as well as keep it alive. J.NiCole uses her preferred medium of acrylic to translate bold colors to canvas; after attending the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, J. NiCole explored other mediums and was launched into a successful art market career, winning numerous awards and becoming part of many exhibitions, private collections, live-painting events, lectures, and workshops throughout the region. Born and raised in the Southern Plains of Oklahoma, J. NiCole, of the Penetukah band of Comanche’s and the Kiowa Nation, has a profound understanding of the unique paradox in which Native American artists find themselves, challenged with Art’s demand to “make new” while still honoring and appreciating the unchanging spirit in all things, as well as traditional tribal values.

You can find Hatfield here.

Blooming, 2019 (detail) by Brooke Rowlands and Shakurah Maynard, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins.

Blooming, 2019

Mentoring artist: Brooke Rowlands

Mentee: Shakurah Maynard

Blooming, 2019 (detail) by Brooke Rowlands and Shakurah Maynard, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins.

Rowlands and Maynard's collaborative mural uses blocks of intense color and delicate line drawings to create a whimsical painting. Rowlands is known for her flowers within fields of paint, but experiments with Maynard to contribute a different style for the jellyfish and vivid color combinations.

Brooke Rowlands comes from central New Jersey, and has been a proud resident of Oklahoma since 2002. Brooke is inspired by artist Franz Kline and illustrator Clare Leighton, experimenting with ideas/methods to develop a homogenous blend of both contemporary art and still life, often incorporating flowers, birds, trees and fish into abstract backgrounds. Color is a driving force behind Brooke’s art, whether it be acrylic painting or paper collage, and her strong contrast and sense of complimentary hues and patterns command attention toward their simple beauty. Her work has been featured nationally from Texas to Times Square including features in national television series like The Vampire Diaries and Houzz project with Actress Olivia Munn. 

You can find Rowlands here.

Shakurah Maynard is a fine artist and graphic designer. Born in the historic West End neighborhood in Atlanta, Shakurah is currently a student at Oklahoma City University School of Visual Arts. Her work is whimsical, colorful, and dynamic, interested in the ever-changing way we express identity on the internet. In 2017, she was selected to participate in Symbiotic, a collaborative show between working and student artists on the importance of art in communities, organized by the OVAC. Recently, she worked with local muralists to paint and distribute homes for the feral cat population in OKC. 

You can find Maynard here.

Support for Making Space: Summer Mural Series provided by Downtown Oklahoma City Initiatives.

Is this a project you will continue with a spring series? Would OKC Contemporary be interested in continuing this project after construction has completed and the new location is official open in March? 

Barrera: In light of the success of the mural project and excitement from the artistic community, we have decided to continue the mentor/mentee pairing for a new rotation of murals throughout the year. We are in the process of setting up a mural wall near our new art studio buildings hopefully before the closing of the inaugural exhibitions, Bright Golden Haze and Shadow on the Glare. Oklahoma has a growing and thriving mural art scene, and we hope to support this exciting part of our city’s artistic landscape.

How likely is it that OKC Contemporary would collaborate with other construction projects to integrate more artwork throughout the OKC area?

Barrera: We will always help Oklahoma City celebrate and support art in all its forms, and we are happy to lend our experience and expertise in realizing such projects across our communities. Our Curatorial and Exhibitions Director, Jennifer Scanlan, is involved in the Oklahoma Public Art Network (OPAN), which helps both artists and organizations work through the public art process. (You can find more information on the OPAN website and Facebook page). Additionally, stay tuned for exciting information about projects connected to Oklahoma Contemporary that will bring art to many different spaces across the city!

What have you learned from this project? 

Barrera: I have seen that Oklahoma City and our neighboring towns have a wealth of artists waiting for an opportunity to showcase their artistic abilities. I have also come to admire Oklahoma City’s spirit of collaboration, and I have learned that we are ready for the types of conversations these underrepresented voices carry. We are giving artists a chance to share incredible perspectives, but we are also giving the city a chance to appreciate the complex, wonderful diversity that makes Oklahoma City’s visual culture so special. These artists are making OKC beautiful, both literally and as a community.

How can artists benefit from collaborating with each other?

Barrera: Every rotation of murals saw artists trading tips and networking for future collaborations. Emerging artists were able to witness the power of mentoring, and experienced artists were able to see their art as part of an inter-generational process. I imagine that if artists continue to harness this spirit of collaboration, the projects will become more ambitious and far-reaching. Also, on a practical level, mural arts becomes sustainable as more artists share their experiences. 

Do you have any closing comments for the article?

Barrera: In March, 2020, Oklahoma Contemporary will open its new downtown on 11th and Broadway. This is a rare moment in the history of the city, and we want everyone to be a part of this major achievement. You may find more information on our website here. As our mission statement says: “Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center encourages artistic expression in all its forms through education, exhibitions, and performance.” Our 30 year history of activates and exhibitions are too numerous to list, but you can read more about what we do here.

Further Reading:

• Part 1 Exploring Oklahoma Murals Where Public Art Is More Than Paint

• Part 2 Breathing New Life Into Humanities At Rose State College

• 6420 Magazine 

• Find Brandon Seekins Photography

• When did construction begin? 

• Is there an official opening date? Will there be a special opening ceremony or event for the public? 

• COVID-19 Delays Oklahoma Contemporary’s New Location Opening Ceremony

• What is the building’s purpose? 

• Artist VARA Waiver 

Thank you so much to Pablo Barrera for sitting down and chatting with me about Making Space and thank you to Oklahoma Contemporary for making Oklahoma City beautiful. 

And thank you for reading my article on Making Space. If you enjoyed it or found it useful in some way, please consider sharing it or leaving a comment below. I would love to get a discussion going down in the comments on public art in the OKC area. 

—Payton

3 Bookish Things Tag

The Hush, Hush Saga, Black Ice, and Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick. Photo by Payton Hayes.

I didn’t come up with this and in fact, found it first on Instagram and then saw it on another bookish blog! It’s the perfect tag for those of use who love the perfect aesthetic of things that come in threes! (Or for those of us who can’t count very high, whichever applies, maybe both.) I’ve got books to read and review, manuscripts to edit, and stories to tell which means three items per category is perfect for me—the editorial do-it-all person that I am. Call me an editorial renaissance woman or jack of all (written word) trades, but all I’m getting at is that I’ve only got a little time to accomplish everything and if you’re the same way, then this tag is awesome for both of us! Let’s get on to the tag, already! Of course, I have some honorable mentions in this list because I just can’t pick favorites, apparently. What can I say? I love them all.

3 Favorite Authors

• Richard A. Knaak. Of course, I adore everything he’s done in the World of Warcraft book universe —the game has such a special place in my heart and his incredible, fantasy writing does as well.

• J.R.R. Tolkien. I don’t have to read a series more than once to know it will be a favorite. I’ve treasured the Peter Jackson films since I was a little girl and I always knew when I finally sat down and read the novels, I would love them just as much, if not more. 2019 was my first year reading the Lord of The Rings trilogy and while I am still working on it (yes, in 2020) it already is a favorite of mine and will be for years to come.

• Becca Fitzpatrick. I love every.single.book. she writes—especially the Hush, Hush saga. Black Ice and Dangerous Lies a VERY close second and third. I just wish she’d write more because I absolutely adore her paranormal romantic thrillers!

The Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Honorable mention: James Patterson. I knew this one would be swapped out for another author eventually, but before I discovered Fitzpatrick, Patterson was my all-time favorite author, with Maximum being my all-time favorite series. I’d read it several times, and while I do still enjoy the series, I don’t again see it being a forever favorite.

Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings. Photo by Payton Hayes.

3 Weirdest Things You’ve Used As a Bookmark

• Okay, seriously? An empty Kit-Kat wrapper. Or was it a Hershey’s? I don’t remember. All I know is that the book still smells of chocolate, even though I got zero candy in the pages.

• A faux tortoise shell bracelet. Okay, maybe this isn’t an uncommon household item, and well, neither is chocolate, but it’s still a pretty strange bookmark, if you ask me. It was just laying on my desk, and when I needed a bookmark, it seemed a likely contender. Of course, that was until I put the book back and lost the bracelet until I reopened the book and it fell out. Oops!

• Receipts. Yes I, like every other stylish, bookish girl out there, go shopping on occasion aaaand I may have a few receipts laying around at any given time. So, I just used one of those! It was likely a Taco Bell receipt though, let’s be real.

You think bookworms use actual bookmarks? Hahaha, you’re clearly joking. Right? I don’t even remember the last time I used a proper bookmark.

3 Series Binged

• Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. If you read the first part, then you already know what I am going to say. This is my absolute, indisputable, all-time favorite series and I devour it every. single. year. I love this series and it never gets old.

• Maximum Ride by James Patterson. Although it’s been a few years since I’ve reread the series, every time I do, I burn through all nine books in about two weeks’ time. The books are so action-packed, and the pacing is so good, I can’t not get stuck in them and neglect my adult responsibilities until I’ve finished the novels and have nothing else to do with my life. It’s the obvious reaction.

• Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan. I read this series around the same time I’d discovered Maximum Ride (in early high school) and I blew through them so fast, and somewhat out of order, oops! I hardly remember what happened and in what book. It’s about time to reread this series as well because everything is a sort of Percy-shaped blur.

3 Characters You Love

• Patch Cipriano from Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Duhhh. Tall, dark, brooding, and handsome? Angsty angel of my dreams? Helloooo. of course, he’s my all-time favorite novel character. Truth be told, I wish he was real.

• Ares Lavrenthea from Mooncallers by Leda C. Muir. I’m sensing a theme going on here, but I don’t even care. Ares is dragon daddy and honestly one of my favorite book characters. He’s such a dynamic fantasy character and when he’s not sipping tea or smoking roseleaf cigarettes, he’s out on an adventure with Luxea and I love both his personality and their relationship. Besides, his backstory is so good. If you haven’t read this book, you must.

• Tom Bombadil from Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. I absolutely adore this guy. He is such an enigma. Tom’s lighthearted, charismatic, and benign demeanor was so fun to read in the series. I love all of his little songs and dances and I just want to spend a day with him because he’s essentially the Bob Ross of Middle Earth. How can you have a bad day when you’ve got someone like that at your side?

Patch Cipriano from the cover of The Hush, Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick, Tom Bombadil by Hildebrant from J.R.R. Tolkein’s Lord of The Rings Trilogy, and Ares Lavrenthea from The Mooncallers series by Leda C. Muir.

3 Unpopular Bookish Opinions

• Divergent genuinely did want to like the Divergent series and can fully see why they’ve been so successful. I just wish it was done better. The first chapter seemed promisng, but it sort of went downhill from there and I just couldn’t get into the books.

• Bookish Subscription Boxes. I just don’t understand these. Why would I subscribe to a book box subscription when I can just buy books I know I’ll love. And if this blog post has taught you anything, it’s that I definitely don’t need the subscription for the bookmarks. I wouldn’t use them anyway.

• The Hunger Games. I had a hard time figuring out this once, primarily because I didn’t even have these books on my shelf anymore! I donated them to the local library last year, and while I am probably going to get some hate for saying this, I can’t say I miss them. I read the first novel, and it was alright, but I just didn’t think it warranted all the hype. I tried to get into the second book and didn’t. When I caved and watched the movies, I realized I probably wasn’t missing out on much. For the record, I am not really a fan of the dystopia genre anyways.

Click here to read more of my unpopular bookish opinions.

3 Popular Bookish Opinions

• Hyped books. I love hyped books, just like the rest of us, and I tend to jump on the hype train along with everyone else. Sometimes the books suck, and I’ll be the first to point it out, but most of the time, hyped books are popular for good reason.

• Hardcovers are better. In my 7 Unpopular Bookish Opinions blog post, I say I like both hardcovers and paperbacks, but I will concede that the hardbacks are the superior of the two. They’re durable and they stand on their own like strong, intelligent, independent, bookish creatures. The only problem is that they cost more. :/

• Spin-off Series. I actually really love spin-offs. They’re awesome! My favorite spin-off is Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus. Spin-offs are a delicate balancing act between overdoing a story and not doing enough to it, but the HoO series is an example of one that does this balancing act well. I think the Harry Potter series has had enough spin-offs though, just let it go, Rowling.

3 Favorite Book Covers

I won’t even pretend to behave here. These are all my favorites. It was so hard to even narrow them down to 14.

Fourteen of my favorite book covers. Collage by Payton Hayes. Cover art credits belong to their respective owners.

Do you see what I did there with the color scheme? Just because I don’t follow the tag rules doesn’t mean my graphic can’t still be pretty. Truthfully though, I do love all of these covers. Another truth? I haven’t read most of these—Gasp!

3 Bookish Goals for 2020

Okay, I already have an entire blog post about this, but I think I’ll put my top three here anyways.

• Read 30 books. I truly do want to read 30 books and I think that goal will be easily surpassable this year. I figured out a way to get myself out of reading slumps quickly and I even beat my goal for 2019—23/20 books! I think I am ready to kick it up a notch.

• Join an IRL Book club. I know there’s a psychology book club at my school but this might be the year I charter and star up the official book club there, or at least join a club if I can find one. I’ve always wanted to be part of a book club and be around like-minded individuals where we can just nerd out about books and reading.

• Review more books. If you’ve been around this blog for any period of time, you can tell my book review section on the book blog is severely lacking. In 2020 not only do I want to read more books, but I want to  review them as well. I think thinking critically about novels is important to understanding the bigger picture part of them and not getting completely wrapped up in the little parts of the story.

Click here to read my 20 Bookish Resolutions For 2020 blog post.

And those goals bring me to the end of the 3 Bookish Things Tag! I broke some of the rules, but can you really blame me? I think some of these are almost too hard to pair down to three and to those of you who can do it—I both applaud and envy you. I just have too much bookish love to give to all of my wordy babies. (Shhh, it can be a thing—like fur babies. It’ll catch on, right?)

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and I’d also love it if you did this tag to let me know so I can check out your 3 bookish things!

Thumbnail photo by Marta Dzedyshko.

—Payton

Spring Break For Writers: 10 Rules For Writing Your Book On The Beach

With Spring break right around the corner, I think it’s high time we start planning out our travel writing goals and getting together a list of things we’ll need to make the most of our writing vacation! Have you ever traveled to write? Or perhaps you’ve written while travelling? No matter the reason you’re on the road, you’ve got an incredible opportunity to get out of your usual writing environment—one of the leading cures to writer’s block, so make use of your time away from home write with your newfound inspiration and motivation!

I spent an entire month one summer (June-July 2016) in Port Aransas, Texas and it was amazing for my creativity. I wasn’t working on a book at the time, but I was writing multiple poems a day and designing my website, the latter of which required charismatic copywriting. Getting out of my usual writing space was monumental for my writing following that summer because it kickstarted my creativity in a way that prepared me for when I got back home and began writing the first draft of my fantasy novel.

Even though I was on vacation, it wasn’t all fun and games. I did have to do some writing to make sure I made the most of my time there. To keep you on track with writing while travelling, I’ve made a list of 10 rules for writing on the beach!

Beachy patio view. Photo by Sabel Blanco.

Secure a stellar view

I’m not kidding. If you don’t have a gorgeous view from your balcony, what’s the point of writing on the beach? Ocean-front lodging is a must if you’re a travelling writer. Not only is the view beautiful and awe-inspiring, but you’ll have plenty of photo opportunities. This is a must-have for any content creator, really.

Set up goals for the trip

Just like any other writing challenge, you should outline your goals. Establish a word count and a daily expected word count and outline your novel. It’s like preparing for NaNoWriMo—in order to make every moment of this creative trip count, you should do as much planning as possible, beforehand. That way, you can focus on writing and enjoying the sun while you’re there. Scrivener is a great tool for story outlining and even has a word count tracker that allows you to set a projected word count and keep track of your daily writing goals.

Soak up the sun and solitude

It’s not everyday you can wake -up feet from the sand and sun—that is unless you actually already live on the beach, which if that’s the case, I a) envy you and b) don’t know why you’re reading this blog post and not enjoying the sun!

Take writing breaks by walking in the sand, sunbathing, and swimming. Enjoy everything the beach has to offer and be sure to really absorb the experience. When you’re writing, enjoy the solitude away from home. No sound, no interruptions, and no distractions. It sounds like a writer’s haven to me!

Make sure to pack all the essentials

There’s nothing worse than getting to your destination and realizing you’ve forgotten something you knew you needed to pack. I’ve made a little mini list for writers to ensure they’ve got all the right tools in their toolkit for writing on the beach.

Don’t forget to bring these essential travel writing items with you on your trip to the beach:

• your favorite pair of sunglasses

• The Novel Planner for Authors by Kristen Kieffer

• On Being Stuck by Laraine Herring

• your Laptop—and the charger!

• your Story Binder with all your writing notes

• a notebook to jot down random ideas and inspiration

• a novel in another genre for leisure reading

• sunscreen. Don’t forget the sunscreen.

• you might bring aloe vera too, just in case…

 Limit your exposure

Vacation means “an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling” and not “checking my phone every two minutes when I should be writing.” Yes, I am talking to you, dear reader. Don’t waste your valuable vacation time reading emails, hanging out on social media platforms, or checking your text messages. Limit your phone use and spend your time writing, reading, and enjoying the beach.

Of course, you do want to make use of that photo opportunity I mentioned earlier. Photos of the beach for Instagram are permitted. Bonus points if you take a selfie of you writing on the beach!

Catalogue the coffee shops

When you arrive, find the best coffee shops for writing and befriend the baristas. You don’t have to do all of your writing in the beach house or in the sand. I’d like to think you’re researching in the coffee shop, reading on the beach, and writing at the beach house/condo. Keep your activities compartmentalized for optimum focus and consume copious amounts of coffee for maximum productivity. Okay, maybe maximum jitteriness is more accurate, but this is my excuse and I’m sticking with it.

Talk to strangers

Yes, I know—your parents told you not to talk to strangers and while in most cases that is decent advice, don’t heed it while travelling. New places + new people = new conversations and new experiences! Chat it up with the locals and try to research your novel. Maybe your YA contemporary has a surfer guy in it? See if you can find a surfing instructor or rando on the beach that can lend their experience to your craft.

Make time for margaritas!

This is especially true if you’re travelling to any of the beaches in Texas. Make time to let lose and enjoy the free time. If you’re on vacation with friends, spend a night out and see the sights your destination has to offer. Grab drinks go dancing with the locals! If it’s just you, pop open a bottle of wine and read under the stars. Even though this trip is an amazing opportunity for writing, don’t forget to do the vacation-y activities as well.

Write, rest, repeat.

In addition to budgeting fun time into your travel schedule, you should also include time off from writing. You don’t have to write the entire trip and you should include some downtime for self-care that doesn’t include partying. Hit the spa, meditate, or strangely appropriate, take a long, walk down the beach and collect seashells at sunset.

Don’t get stuck rewriting.

It’s probably the hardest piece of advice in this entire blog post, but seriously, don’t get stuck rewriting. Work on writing only while you’re travelling and safe the editing for later, once you’re home and once you’ve completed the first draft. I know it can be so hard to quiet our editor brains, but we have to if we want to write effectively. Remember, the edits can wait, but the writing can’t. Stay focused and happy writing.

That’s it for my 10 rules for writing on the beach. This was my spin on another post from Shayla Raquel, so check out her post here! Comment below what you thought and if you’ve ever done any of these or if you have any tips of your own!

Thumbnail photo by Rodnae Productions.

—Payton

How To Organize Your Digital Life: 5 Tips For Staying Organized as a Writer or Freelancer

When it comes to writing, something we don’t always keep in mind is how necessary it is to keep our materials/notes organized and our writing space clutter-free. If you’ve been around the blog for a moment, then you know I am a huge proponent of Gretchen Rubin’s Outer Order Inner Calm and I practically preach that book at any opportunity I get.

But it’s not just the “outer” organization that matters. In fact, as writers, we have several writing spaces that all need to be kept tidy in order for us to write stress-free. We have our digital space which encompasses the cloud, your PC or Mac’s hard drive, and your email inbox. Then, we have our physical space which encompasses our actual writing area such as our desks and the room in which we do the actual writing. Lastly, our most important writing space is our notebooks, binders, and folders that hold anything related to our books and their contents. By keeping all of these things organized, you set yourself up for success in your writing.

Keeping the Cloud Organized

This is probably one of the easiest elements of our writing space to keep organized. If you use Google Drive, One Drive, or Dropbox, then you know your content is safe and secure in the cloud so you can write freely without the worry of corrupted files or the loss of unsaved work. However, it can be quite easy to clutter up your cloud storage pretty quickly. One way to keep cloud storage organized is to routinely remove unnecessary documents and keep only the essentials in the cloud. The second way to keep your cloud storage organized is to create a file system that makes sense and is easy to navigate.

Pro Tip: While we’re on the subject of external storage, I have to take a moment to say how important it is to have a backup storage system in case of a power outage, file corruption, or anything else that can cause you to lose you work. The worst thing to happen to a writer is to lose all the progress you’ve made and have to start over due to poor storage practices. I keep a current back up of all my content both in the cloud and on an external hard drive.

Keeping Your Hard Drive Organized

Borrowing some advice from the first item in this list, you can keep your hard drive organized by creating a file system that makes sense and is easy to navigate. My favorite way to organize my folders for both writing, editing, and work on my website, is to colorize them with this handy little tool called Folder Colorizer. (Not affiliated with them, I just really love this application!)

In the screenshots below you can see how I colorize my folders for my website. The color-coding helps me know at a glance which of my projects need to be started, have been started and have some progress, and which projects are completed and ready to be posted. For a traditional book writer, this might look a little different, such as red for “to-do’s” yellow for “works in progress” and green for “completed” elements of your novel. By picking the novel process apart, it makes the project seem a little less daunting.

Color-coding folders with Folder Colorizer.

You can color-code folders with Google Drive (for free) as well, but color options are limited.

Keeping Your Email Inbox Organized

Inbox 0 is one of the most satisfying things ever. Maybe that’s saying something about how boring my life is but seriously, if you’ve never cleaned your inbox out completely, then you’ve got to do it! Unsubscribe from email lists that aren’t helping you grow as a writer or freelancer, delete old conversations, and organize that inbox! I have a “delete later” folder that houses all of my important but not that important emails that I want to hang onto for a little while. After a few months, this folder gets emptied, but it saves my inbox from getting cluttered.

Other folder ideas for email organization include:

• 5-year folder or 7-year folder for all business documentation —Read this post from Nolo that explains what types of documentation you should keep on record for your business.

• Clients folder for emails between yourself and clients or your other site users and clients

• B2B folder for emails from your business to other businesses

• Legal folder for any important legal documents you may need to access easily

*Make sure to back up any super important documents in a secondary backup location.

Keeping Your Physical Space Organized

Rodrigo Cazanova’s Post-It Board keeps his writing organized. He says the purple notes are for the character’s travels, the pink notes are character interactions, the blue ones are info notes, and the green sticky notes are scenes.

This is probably one of the least fun of the organization methods I am suggesting but its completely necessary to creating a space that is conducive to writing. I won’t go on another rant about Gretchen Rubin, but I will show you a few ways to keep your physical writing space organized.

• Create a file system or caddy for all your notes, notebooks, binders, etc.

• Set up a clean and organized desk area to write (your bed doesn’t count!)

• Use a dry-erase board, bulletin board, or post-it  note system to stay on track

• Design a vision board or playlist that reminds you of your novel, the setting, and the characters to help you stay focused when you sit down to write

Keeping Your Notebooks and Binders Organized

I prefer to use a binder, but some writers prefer notebooks. It’s all about what works for you and what is easier to keep organized. Kristen Martin prefers to use several different notebooks for different aspects of her writing and projects. A friend of mine from a writer group on Facebook prefers to use a bulletin board system for keeping his work organized. Another writerly friend I know uses a planner for her books. She outlines the book and sets a deadline, then uses the planner to help her stay on track throughout the writing process.

Since I prefer the single binder method, I have included a special kit for you guys! This printable set of binder pages will help you keep your writing notes organized and neat all in one place!

Click here to get your Story Binder Printables!

If you’d like to read a continuation of these tips, check out my blog post, 5 More Tips for Staying organized as a Freelancer!

And that’s it for my 5 tips for staying organized as a writer! What organization methods do you use? Are there any that I haven’t listed here that you just love? Comment below!

Thumbnail photo by Markus Spiske.

—Payton

The Top 10 Mushy Romantic Songs for Writing

Hey writerly friends!

Welcome back to Wonderforest for an extra mushy blog post, this week, in current faves! Today I’m giving you guys a list of my top ten mushy romantic songs to write to! (Aka songs I would probably play on my wedding day, tbh) These are all light-hearted, happy, and feel-good romantic songs to listen to, to pop in your ear buds, press play on the playlist and prepare to write some happy, mushy love scenes!

In no particular order, here are my top ten favorite love songs to write romance to:

“I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” by England Dan and John Ford Cole

I'm not talking 'bout movin' in

And I don't want to change your life

But there's a warm wind blowin' the stars around

And I'd really love to see you tonight

“Mine” -The 1975

There comes a time in a young man's life

He should settle down and find himself a wife

But I'm just fine 'cause I know that you're mine

“Signed Sealed & Delivered” - Stevie Wonder (Sylow Remix)

Here I am baby

Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours

Here I am baby

Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours

“It’s Not Living if it’s not with you” - The 1975

And all I do is sit and think about you

If I knew what you'd do

Collapse my veins wearing beautiful shoes

It's not living if it's not with you

“All Night” – Beyoncé

All night long, sweet love all night long

Sweet love all night long

Sweet love all night long

All I wanna, ain't no other

We together, I remember

Sweet love all night long

“I couldn’t be more in love” -The 1975

So what about these feelings I've got?

We got it wrong

And you said you had enough

What about these feelings I've got?

I couldn't be more in love

“Lover” Taylor Swift 

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

“I Wanna Be With You” - Lady Gaga (2019 Revamped Version)

I won't be right without you

And I might break without you.

I'd rather be poor and happy than rich and alone.

I'll write hit songs about you,

No matter how, we'll get through.

I'll keep on singing for a living,

But I wanna be in love.

And I wanna be with you.

I wanna be with you.

“Just a Step Away” - Carly Rae Jepsen

I’ll never let you down

And I’ll never go away

And if your ever feeling down

I’m just a step away

“All That” - Carly Rae Jepsen

I'll be the magic you'll ever see (ever see)

You can always rely on me

To help you do what you want to do

I wanna be the best you've ever known (ever known)

Just let me in your arms

Just let me in your arms

Show me if you want me

If I'm all that

I will be that

I will be your friend

Here’s the condensed list:

• “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” by England Dan and John Ford Coley

• “Mine” -The 1975

•  “Signed Sealed & Delivered” - Stevie Wonder (Sylow Remix)

• “It’s Not Living if it’s not with you” - The 1975

• “All Night” – Beyoncé

• “I couldn’t be more in love” -The 1975

• “Lover” - Taylor Swift 

• “I Wanna Be With You” - Lady Gaga (2019 Revamped Version)

• “Just a Step Away” - Carly Rae Jepsen

• “All That” - Carly Rae Jepsen

Some honorable mentions were:

• Anything by Carly Rae Jepsen (What can I say, she is a romantic lyrical genius and her pop vibe is everything.)

• “Every time we touch” by Cascada (The male version + slowed)

• “Moonlight” by Ariana Grande

•  “Fly Me To The Moon” - Frank Sinatra Remastered

Have you ever heard of these songs? Which is your favorite? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

—Payton

The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

Hi readers and other bookish creatures!

This week wraps up our romantic February 2020 and with such a wonderfully romantic month, I’d like to throw a monkey wrench in everything by bringing the romance down just a notch (or two, or three). This week, in Bookish Things, we’re discussing the 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER! And you better buckle up because this is going to be a spicy take, I can assure you. We’re spending a little time with my reader brain today, so the opinions, sass, and spice are in full force and my kind, communicative, editor brain will have to take a backseat for today. (Also, I’m hoping the pretty heading text will soften the blow for some of these. (Good luck, readers.)

We’re going to cover, in my opinion, the top 10 worst romance tropes but for this rant (and for the sake of saving time,) I am going to avoid the most common tropes such as cringey insta-love, the overdone love-triangle, and alpha-douches because 1) you probably already know all about them since they’re so overplayed, and 2) they’re sort of implied and any reader worth their salt would likely dislike these tropes. (Of course, I am not speaking for EVERY book out there, and there are always exceptions to the rule.) These tropes came up in some of my recent reads from last year and I really wish they hadn’t. I won’t be naming names, but if you know, you know.

Trigger warning: This blog post discusses difficult topics such as sex slaves, abusive relationships, manipulation, graphic virgin sex, rape/non-consensual sex, age gaps, and other dark topics often present in mainstream adult romance. If you are offended by these topics, please understand I am in no way advocating for these topics or their presence in fiction. I am only highlighting their cringe-y nature and giving my own opinion as to why they should be removed from future works. Also, this post contains mature language. Typically, I air on the side of omitting swears from my writing, but since this work is satirical in nature and is not meant to be taken seriously, I figured I would keep the personal touch.

Lust that just needs to calm the F down

Of course, in any adult romance novel, you’re going to find lust, and some scenes can get really steamy, really quickly. However, some writers really just need to take a step back and calm down when it comes to lust in their writing. It’s not always the long, obnoxiously lusty descriptions either—sometimes it’s the little things that really take me out of the story. For instance, if a character has to physically restrain himself from mounting another character, maybe there’s more going on than physical attraction, and it’s definitely not self-control. Or another one is when character emit a sexual response to a non-sexual event, such as various body parts growing hard when one character gets close to another. What the heck is even going on?

Slave fics - Slaves falling in love with their masters. (Really?!)

Yeah, I had to write that line, and you had to read it and now we’re both in this ugly situation together. Hooray for mutual awkwardness.

Believe me when I say I REALLY don’t want to have to explain this. But here we go.

If Stockholm syndrome in fiction is romantic, then nails scraping a chalkboard, the act of licking spiders, and stepping barefoot on broken glass are romantic too. I’m sorry that this is an unpopular opinion, except that I not sorry—like not even a little bit.

I totally understand the appeal for BDSM fiction, but what I really don’t get is the prominence of romance stories where the main character starts the story out as a slave and ends up becoming the love interest of their master. This trop can often be observed in BDSM fiction, but miss the mark —by a landslide, I might add by forgetting one of the biggest elements of  good BDSM love stories, both in real life and in fiction, and that’s that the overall relationship must be built on a foundation of love and trust.

Stories where the slave falls in love with his/her master is just wrong on so many levels and it one of the reasons the BDSM community get such a bad rep. I find it so uncomfortable and pretty gross, honestly, when a character is treated as property and then falls in love with the character that treats them as said property. I seriously don’t think that’s the most obvious course of action in any given slave story.

Next time you find yourself reading or writing a story with this trope, ask yourself, “Should I be contributing to the complete inaccurate depiction of an entire community by writing/reading this?” If the answer is no (and it is) then just don’t do it.

Condescending pet names

I just love pet names—between family, friends, and especially romantic partners. One of my all time favorites (you guessed it) is when Patch calls Nora Angel in Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush Saga. It’s a name that has layers of meaning and initially incites annoyance in Nora before they’re an actual couple.

However, I just cannot stand it when the love interests gives the main character an annoying pet name, just to be a douche. (notice that I spelled out “cannot” and that’s how you know these are genuine, spicy emotions  I’m feeling, here.) Even though Patch calls Nora Angel, the name isn’t particularly, annoying or offensive to her or the reader and she eventually grows to love the name. I know writers tend to taunt readers with this trope because it instills intimidation and an unbalanced power dynamic in their MC’s romantic relationships, but it comes off as annoying, condescending, and downright rude. Well-adjusted people just don’t go around giving pet names to strangers just to piss them off.

Omitting the first kiss altogether

I really don’t understand why some writers chose to omit the first kiss from their romances when it’s a really important moment to any relationship, real or fictional. Whether or not I have to trudge through two whole books to get to the first kiss between the love interest and the MC, I want that kiss. I don’t care if you include 1, 10, or 100 kisses throughout the course of your novel, but you better include the first kiss, because if you don’t, I will find you, and it won’t be pretty. (Unlike your lovely romance novel that HAS the first kiss scene present.) 😊

Bloody, painful, virgin sex

Newsflash, uneducated, male writers, that’s not how female genitalia works. Just sayin’. Anyone with a vagina will tell you this trope is old, overplayed, and absolutely inaccurate. I’ll spare you the inaccurate, gory details, but when you’re writing virgin sex, remember that it doesn’t need to be a horror show. A hymen is not a sheet of flesh that needs to be broken through, like a damn fortress wall, so can we all agree to stop writing it that way. Let’s all just get a better understanding of basic human anatomy, shall we? What’s more is if the MC’s love interest has any human decency and regard for their partner’s pleasure, bloody, painful virgin sex should be negligible. It’s not romantic, it’s not accurate, and it’s not fun for either party involved, so just leave it out.

The naïve girl (stupid girl)

Just imagine me scrubbing my hands down my face as I write this one, because I am.

The trope that seems to be present in every single badly-written romance I’ve ever read is the one that takes place between a heterosexual paring of a man (that typically fits at least three of the tropes on this list) along with a woman who somehow is always described as Naïve. For whatever reason, many writers like to use the word, “Naïve” to excuse or explain away idiotic decision making in order to drive the plot forward. (Of course, they have to find something to move the plot forward and that’s obviously where the alpha douche comes in to save our MC from the shit-show she’s gotten herself into. God forbid, a woman thinks for herself.)

Why do we keep calling characters like this, Naïve? The word Naïve refers to someone who lacks experience or wisdom and is not synonymous with being a fucking idiot. It’s absolutely possible to write a romance story with a woman who has at least half a brain. Additionally, we’ve been using the word Naïve for so long, we’ve forgotten the proper context of it and truthfully, at this point it seems like it would be a refreshing take on the whole trope if writers were to start using correctly.

The word, my reader friends, is STUPID. She is stupid. If she has screwed up her life so badly and requires the aid of a bumbling brute of a man to save her from her own actions, she is stupid. I’m not sorry, I don’t take it back, and I don’t care what you have to say in response, it’s just stupid.*Mic drop* 🎤

Okay, I’m picking the mic back up, because this list isn’t over. Oh no, far from it, in fact. Oof. Let’s just keep it moving, shall we?

Please go get help if you do this one

Piggybacking on the trope of slave fics (*shudders*) so many writers like to include sexy assaults in their writing. I am only going to say this once, so please listen up:

blurring the line of consent IS NOT OKAY AND NEVER SHOULD IT BE CONSIDERED SEXY.

Like ever. Some people think it’s okay, and I seriously worry for them. All the time in romance, I see sayings like “He’s the kind of guy who takes what he wants” or “He doesn’t take no for an answer.” You know what? These sayings sound exactly like the kind of thing a rapist would say.

I’ve heard that some writers excuse themselves for writing characters like this, by saying that they feel ashamed of their desires and by funneling them into their characters, they rid themselves of the shame and fault. However, this type of writing only further perpetuates toxic stereotypes and extends the cycle of shame for future generations. Let’s put it out of our misery already, okay?

Also, (and I am going to blow some of y’all’s minds right now by saying this) what if I told you it is in fact, possible to write a steamy, believable romance scene with an assertive partner, without them being a predator. Huh? Huh? I know it sounds tricky—that’s because it is. But any good writing is tricky and what any good writer will tell you is that cutting corners is not the way to go. If you want your writing to be good, don’t write shitty love scenes between a helpless protagonist and a predator. Just take the time to do it right. And if you’re a proponent of this trope, please just do us all a favor and see therapy instead.

Redeeming the abuser

Proponents: “Okay, look, I know he raped/ abused/ assaulted /manipulated her, but trust me it all works out in the end and he really makes up for it.”

Me and literally everyone else: “What the hell?”

I don’t understand people like this. I mean, you do hear what you’re saying, right? Like, the words coming out of your mouth aren’t an accident. I know when it comes to fiction, we’re allowed to give way to fantasy, but I genuinely want to know who is fantasizing about this. (On second thought, keep them far, far away. Thanks.)

Of course, I am all for abusers bettering themselves and becoming good people, but can they please get the help they need, away from their victims? Calling back to the previous item on this list, therapy works wonders and I totally support you, but please just work on yourself in a different city, zip code, and especially a different book than your victim.

I’m just really tired of this cliché and it makes my stomach turn when I continue to see it in 2020. The reason this, and most of the other tropes on this list are just awful and should be done away with is because they are sending really unhealthy messages to impressionable, young readers.

Age gaps in supernatural romances

I totally get having age gaps in romance—heck, it’s a part of real-life romances as well. YouTubers Jenna Marbles and Julien Solomita are like seven years apart. My own mother and father have like six years between them. And some age gaps (although a bit unwieldy) can span 10-20 years, as long as everyone is of age, then it’s all above board.

 But what I don’t get and really don’t like are the age gaps that tend to happen in supernatural romances, where the love interest is hundreds of thousands of years older than the main character. Twilight much? I mean, I just don’t understand what an eighteen-year-old girl would have in common with a 60-thousand-year-old dude. Like, let him go, hon, you’re young, vibrant, and fresh, and he’s ancient.

I’m 23 and even I look at eighteen-year-olds like they’re babies. Eww. How does some old and crusty ancient dude look at a barely legal woman and think, “she gets me”? I think you mean, she get’s you hard. Besides, what would she want with the old dude anyways? What could the two possibly have in common together? Oh? None of that matters because he’s somehow super hot and super rich and common ground and personality have no meaning anyways? Well, why didn’t you say so? All good! 👍

No idea who the love interest actually is

Lightening things up for the end, here I’d like to talk about another bad romance trope and that’s when I have no clue who the love interest even is. If I am a hundred pages in and I don’t even know who the MC’s love interest is, and it’s a romance novel, we’re going to have some issues. Even harem romances give us some idea of who the MC’s got their eyes on. I just can’t get on board with a character who has been in love with this guy, and then has sudden, compelling sexual attraction to the next guy, and then realizes this girl is flirting with her, and then this other guy out of the blue, ends up proposing to her. Like, what???

Basically, what happens here is too many potential love interests are introduced and the lines become blurred. It’s okay to have love triangles (that’s a rant for another day so for now, let’s assume the love triangles are well-written) but we have to (going with the metaphor) clearly see the sides of the triangle. I want to be able to clearly and easily understand who is in love with who and what is happening, even when the characters don’t.

Additionally, if I don’t care who the love interest is, then you might as well just give up on writing romance. Readers care about ships because they pick up on chemistry between the characters, but if they’re not vibing then it means your characters are boring and one-dimensional, and not romantic (which if you asked me, sort of defeats the purpose!) 

How are writers supposed to write chemistry, we all failed that class, yeah? Please believe me when I say good chemistry can be done, and I don’t mean the science-y kind (although that’s is pretty fun too!) It takes time to hone your writing skill and gain enough experience to effectively write compelling romance. Your first book will never be your best, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn and grow throughout the writing process. All snark aside, I truly do think good writing is possible, and it can and should be done without these awful romance tropes.

Whew! *wipes forehead* Somehow, we made it through that list. Of course, this is all meant to poke fun at some of the cringiest romance tropes in all of fiction. (And highlight problematic ones too, obvi) and I mean no harm to anyone reading this. This is all meant to be light-hearted and funny and in jest. For most of these, if you do them, I don’t think you’re a bad person—just a bad writer! 😉 (Just kidding, calm down. Jeez.)

But all of these cringy romance tropes are the worst and are definitely overplayed. I think we should start ridding our writing of them in order to exterminate them forever. Trust me, we have enough to last us a lifetime (or two).

What did you think of this list? Do you agree with any of the items? What do you think is the absolute worst romance trope ever? Do you like any of these tropes—be careful admitting this because I’ll come for you in the comments! (Again kidding, maybe.) Let me know down below and as always, thanks for reading.

Further reading:

• How To Write The Perfect Meet Cute

• How To Write Best Friends to Lovers Romance - That Feels Realistic

• The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

• 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February 2020

—Payton

5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020

Hiya reader friends!

This week in bookish things, I am discussing my top five supernatural romance reads! If you’re tackling the Classic Romance Reading Challenge, then you might have to start this list after February has ended, but it’s definitely worth checking out!

Hush, Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush is a page-turner of a romantic thriller filled with fallen angels, Nephilim, and humans who are caught in the balance of forbidden love and the consequences angels face for falling for those humans. It’s fast-passed, action-packed, and well-balanced. Throw in compelling characters, villains you love to hate, and unfair universal rules, and you’ve got all of the elements of an amazing supernatural romance. It’s so perfect, I reread it ever single fall, and usually within a span of four days—one day for each book!

Nora finds forbidden love with her fallen angel, in the first installment of the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush Saga.

Nora Grey is responsible and smart and not inclined to be reckless. Her first mistake was falling for Patch.

Patch has made countless mistakes and has a past that could be called anything but harmless. The best thing he ever did was fall for Nora. .

After getting paired together in biology, all Nora wants to do is stay away from Patch, but he always seems to be two steps ahead of her. She can feel his eyes on her even when he is nowhere around. She feels him nearby even when she is alone in her bedroom. And when her attraction can be denied no longer, she learns the secret about who Patch is and what led him to her, as well as the dark path he is about to lead her down. Despite all the questions she has about his past, in the end, there may be only one question they can ask each other: How far are you willing to fall?.

The Hush, Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick.

The Immortal Series by Gillian Shields

This was one of the very first books I’d ever read, and my first supernatural romance at that! The story revolves around Evie who is shipped off to Wyldcliffe Abbey School after her grandmother dies. She makes friends with some of the other girls and enemies with others. One her first day of school, her taxi driver only takes her so close to the school and she must make the rest of the way on foot. On her way, she runs into a spectral horserider who is surprised she can even see him in the first place. He realizes she looks strikingly familiar and the familiarity draws him closer to her. I’ve always loved these books, not only because it got me into supernatural romance, but because of the enchanting story kept between their pages.

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, housed in a Gothic mansion on the bleak northern moors, is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn away from her home by the sea to become the newest scholarship student, she is more isolated than she could have dreamed. Strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave Evie drowning in loneliness.

Evie's only lifeline is Sebastian, a rebellious, mocking, dangerously attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie's feelings for Sebastian grow with each secret meeting, she starts to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie, she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. And as the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate.

Gillian Shields's electrifying tale will dazzle readers with suspense, mysticism, and romance.

The Immortals series by Gillian Sheilds.

Angel Trilogy by L.A. Weatherly

This series hooked me from the moment I’d read the synopsis—I mean hello!—angels gone rogue!—what’s not to love? (Especially for a Hush, Hush fan girl) The story throws you right into the action from the first page to the last and the action rarely stops. The story is definitely a page-turner and an action-packed romantic thriller.

When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, a half-angel with links to dark and dangerous forces, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in a red-hot paranormal romantic trilogy, L. A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip — and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

The Angel Trilogy by L.A. Weatherly.

House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Take Oklahoma, Vampyres, highschool students, and forbidden romance, throw them all in a pot and stir them up and your get the House of Night series. Though I am only four books into the series, I can tell you know its fast-paced, action-packed, and filled to the brim with drama—both good and bad. As a fantasy enthusiast and Mythology buff, it was really refreshing to see the goddess Nyx done differently. In this story, she’s very much an active part of new, fledgling vampire, Zoey’s life and I love what P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast have done their twist on elements, mythology, and vampyres.

Enter the dark, magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed.

One minute, 16-year-old Zoey Redbird is a normal teenager dealing with everyday high school stress: her cute boyfriend, Heath, the school's star quarterback who suddenly seems more interested in partying than playing ball; her nosy frenemy, Kayla, who's way too concerned with how things are going with Heath; her uber-tough geometry test tomorrow.

The next, she's Marked as a fledgling vampyre, forcing her to leave her ordinary life behind and join the House of Night, a boarding school where she will train to become an adult vampyre.

That is, if she makes it through the Change - and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.

Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint with Heath, who just doesn't know how to take no for an answer.

To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

The House of Night Series by Kristin and P.C. Cast.

The Darkest Powers Trilogy

One of the most gripping and thrilling supernatural reads from start to finish, The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong, centers around Chloe Saunders a 15-year old girl who’s life is about to change forever, from the first page of the novel. She likes the idea of being ordinary, only her life is far from it—she get shipped off to the Lyle group home after the label “schizophrenic” becomes synonymous with her own name and some unfortunate incidents. It’s up to her to unearth dark secrets and put together a past that will have readers running for the hills in terror.

"My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

"All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost - and the ghost saw me.

"Now there are ghosts everywhere, and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a 'special home' for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on?

"It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House...before its skeletons come back to haunt me."

The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong.

And that’s it for my top 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020! Have you ever read these stories? What do you think of this list? What is your favorite story mentioned here? Let me know your thoughts in the comments and as always, thanks for reading!

Further Reading:

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February 2020

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

Thumbnail photo by Jess Bailey.

—Payton

How To Write Love Triangles - The Right Way

Hi writerly friends!

This week, in Freelancing, we’re talking about the dreaded love triangle. I know, I know, some of you are moaning and groaning about this, but what if I could tell you there is away to write the love triangle trope in such a way that won’t get you crucified by your readers? What if I told you not all love triangles are bad?

Okay, now you’re rolling your eyes.

But hear me out—the reason bad love triangles are bad is because they’re shallow and have no substance. The characters have no real connection with each other, the reader feels no real connection to the characters, and ever move they make is founded in shallow, superficial misbelief. With these kind of love triangles (most love triangles, if I’m being honest) is that everything is so painfully surface level.

Not only do the characters have no real connection to themselves or the reader, but they lack connection to their internal conflict as well. Everything is stagnant and predictable, and chances are, you’ve got it all figured out by page two. Who wants to read a book where they’ve got the love triangle figured out by page two? I certainly don’t, and I’m sure neither you nor your readers want to do so either. So, is there a way to actually make this plot device interesting? Is there a way to revolutionize the love triangle and breath fresh life into it? Yes. That’s why I’m going to show you the secret to a good love triangle (yes, it does exist). It all begins with know what NOT to do.

Don’t make your love triangle simple

Three friends enjoying an afternoon drink together. Photo by Helena Lopes.

Of course, usually, I would advise the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Sweetie) but this time I’m advising against it. The reason so many love triangles fall flat is because they’re too simple and predictable and the reader can figure it out by the end of the first page. This is old and well overplayed since most of the time we already know who the main character will end up with anyways. The reason it’s a love triangle and not a love line is because it’s supposed to be confusing, complicated, and challenging to the main character (remember the three C’s and you’ll be fine). And perhaps we should do away with love triangles altogether —a love web would probably be the better descriptor for what we’re shooting for, since a web is less linear and therefore lest predictable. Weave together plots and characters’ unique storylines, use suspense, character, pacing, rising and falling tension, and amp up the drama in your love story.

Allow the triangle to bring out the internal conflict

This pretty much applies to any genre or method of storytelling, but if something doesn’t challenge your characters, force them to fight for their desires, confront their fears and upend their entire life as they know it, then the reader will lose interest. Now, I don’t mean they have to go on some crazy big adventure, but whatever internal and external conflicts they are dealing with need to be meaningful, they need to matter, and they need to be able to shape your characters in a non-superficial way. Put your characters out of their comfort zone instead of simple asking “which one will she chose,” especially if by the end of page one, we already know which one she will choose.

Not only is this overdone and sooo predictable, but it’s devoid of the electricity that lights up a story—the internal conflict—when the protagonist is forced to confront their greatest fear, crush their misbelief about the world, and ultimately achieve their greatest desire all while developing as a character and delivering a powerful message to the reader. When it comes to story writing, everything happens for a reason, and therefore, the reader needs to know why something matters to the characters. If the reader doesn’t see why it matters to the characters, then they won’t see why it should matter to them.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: you can use any literary device in your story, no matter how cliché or overdone it is, so long as it directly engages with the main characters inner conflicts, brings them to a fear versus desire decision and forces them to reckon with despair before reaching their aha moment that will bring their character development full circle. That’s right, any device. You’re welcome.

If the external conflicts are continuously forcing your character closer to their internal conflict, then you’re doing it right. Additionally, if the other characters are doing the same thing—being forced to confront their internal conflict—then using a love triangle would make so much more sense not only are the external forces at play here, but everyone’s messy emotions and tangled inner conflicts should be at play as well. Consider how your love triangle can cause all of your characters to either confront their fears or run from them?

Make the love triangle a catch 22 for the protagonist

For the most part love triangles should really only be used to force your characters to make a decision they otherwise would shy away from and force your readers to feel for the characters in said sticky situation. Anyone who reads and enjoys the trope will tell you they aren’t reading it because it’s realistic—in fact I’ve venture to guess most of us never have and never will find ourselves in such a predicament but it’s the ability to put ourselves in another’s shoes and feel for them and the tough decisions they have to make that makes the love triangle work.

However, their decision really has to mean something to the character. It needs to be an ultimatum for them, and it needs to really holds weight for it to resonate with your readers. It cannot simply be “which person will I chose”.

no.

No.

NO.

Three college students standing on campus. Photo by Alexis Brown.

The stakes just aren’t high enough and pressure for the reader to stay invested isn’t painful enough in this case. It goes way deeper than that—it goes all the way to your protagonist’s deepest fear and greatest desire.

Ask yourself these questions before using the love triangle

There are a few questions to ask yourself before writing the love triangle. It might take you a while to come up with the answers for these but trust me, it will make writing convincing, compelling, and challenging situations for your character much easier and you will better understand how the love triangle is directly linked to the characters internal conflicts. Additionally, your readers will be so engrossed in your story, they won’t even notice that you’ve just revolutionized one of the most hated tropes of all time. 

Here are the questions:

• What is my protagonist’s inner conflict and how did it lead them into this love triangle?

• If they’re being honest with themselves, the real reason they’re stuck in this love triangle is because_________?

• How does this love triangle cause all three characters to face their fears?

• What would it take for the protagonist to overcome their fear and make the right choice?

• How high are the stakes and how hot is the fire beneath the protagonist’s feet to make a decision?

Answer those questions and you’ll know how to link the internal conflict and the love triangle in a meaningful way. Trust me when I say, as long are you’re drawing on the internal conflict, you can’t go wrong and the reader certainly will be invested. It’s all in the way you play with the protagonist’s greatest desire and deepest fears.

And that’s it for my guide on how to do love triangles the right way. I know, unpopular opinion, but I think they can be done, and well, I might add. I think the reason we’ve seen so many badly written love triangles, is because it’s a plot device (something used to drive the plot) and instead writers are using it as a surface-level element. Over the years, we’ve forgotten how to really use this device effectively and that’s why it had gotten to exhausting and boring to read over and over again.

Anyways, that’s it for this week’s post in Freelancing. I hope you enjoyed reading this and if the guide helped you better your love triangle game, let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to like and sign up for my email newsletter to get awesome, actionable writing advice straight to your inbox each month! As always writerly friends, thanks for reading!

Further reading:

• How To Write The Perfect Meet Cute

• How To Write Best Friends to Lovers Romance - That Feels Realistic

• The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

• 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February 2020

—Payton

Romantic Spa Day for Writers - For Couples and Singles Alike!

Hi writerly friends!

One more week of romance posts for February and then we’re back to our regularly scheduled postings. This week in Reader Life, I’m giving you guys a guide to planning your perfect writerly spa get away! Couple it with your Romantic writing retreat for an amazing writer vacation! Next week, I’ll give you guys my list of the top 10 mushy romance songs so be sure to check that out!

Of course, you can make sue of these tips alone or have a partner participate!

Take a bubble bath

I mean it. Take a bath. While you may not be used to taking baths opposed to showers,  they have been proven to be stress-relieving and relaxing. Pop in a bath bomb or some flower petals, light some candles, and grab the bubbles because you’re getting ready to have you-time!

Get and give massages

Sitting at a desk, typing for hours on end leaves the back, shoulders, and neck feeling strained. Book yourself a professional massage, couple’s massages or get with your partner and trade massages. Listen to relaxing music and put on some candles to set the mood.

Wind down with wine

Make sure to drink responsibly of course, but once in a while, it’s nice to take a break from writing and sit down with your favorite glass of red or rosé. Grab your current read or pop in ear buds to enjoy an audiobook while you wind down with your wine.

Yoga for writers

Like I said about the massages, writing can be strenuous work when you’re doing it for hours on end. Hop up from your desk every couple of hours and do some yoga! Kaitlin from Ink and Quills has come up with an amazing, yet simple 30-minute yoga routine for writers and I am obsessed with it! Click here to check it out!

Aromatherapy

If you’ve paid attention to the previous items on this list, then you know what I am going to say. Using candles and diffusers are a great way to keep your writing space smelling fresh and aromatherapy has been said to improve focus and productivity. Plus, the smell of lavender is just the best, so why not?

And that’s it for my 5 romantic spa tips for writers! What did you think of this list? Have you treated yourself lately? If not, try out some of these ideas and let me know what you think! Comment below and as always, thanks for reading!

Further Reading:

• Writing Every Day: What Writing as A Journalist Taught Me

• When Writing Becomes Difficult

• 5 Reasons Most Writers Quit

• Yoga For Writers: A 30-Minute Routine To Do Between Writing Sessions

Thumbnail photo by Breakingpic.

—Payton