The definition of blank page syndrome is the inability to begin a new project due to one or more barriers. These barriers can be anything real or imagined. It could all be in your head, or it could be having too many other things to do stressing you out. Literally anything. These barriers then manifest themselves in an irrational fear of a blank page. Continue reading
TV shows all have multiple main characters, but there’s always that one main main character, you know? For The Vampire Diaries that character has always been Elena Gilbert. She and the Salvatore brothers have always been the main characters, but she’s the one that everything revolves around. But the actress who plays Elena, Nina Dobrev, decided from the very beginning that Elena’s story would only last for six seasons. And though the main character will no longer be around, the show was renewed for a seventh season. A seventh season without the main character. So here is what I think will realistically happen to a seventh season without the lovely Nina Dobrev playing the lovely Elena. Continue reading
Flash fiction writing is short and to the point. You tell the story that you are trying to tell in fewer words than you would even in a short story. Short stories are often pages long, while a flash fiction would really only be one or two pages. At my school I have been participating in flash fiction and flash poetry contests since I was a freshman.
How we do it here is each student is given a list of a few possible prompts, and then you are given about a half hour to write whatever you want as long as it has to do with the prompt given. Continue reading
I’ve mentioned many times before that reading is a very large part of my life. It is a kind of escape from my own mind into those of others. Throughout college I have read many books for pleasure as well as for literature classes, and I keep a running list of every novel I read. Though it extends to before college, today I’m going to prove that I read a lot by giving you a list of every book I have read during my college career for both class and pleasure (including ones that I’ve read over summers). Continue reading
Writer’s block. It feels like a trap, doesn’t it? You’re used to writing, to being creative, but you just can’t do it anymore. How long does it last? Why is it still here? These are some of the things you enjoy most, why can’t you do them anymore?
I’ve had experiences where I’ve had to read too much for classes and write too much for classes, and in both situations I was not able to read or write for the longest time (to be quite honest, I’m still reeling from last semester and feel like I don’t have a creative drop left in me. I’ve written one poem, ONE). It isn’t like I can’t do writing that I have to do for my classes or my internship, I can and it’s not much of a struggle, but creative writing is a different story. Even when I try to write and just start doing it, I backtrack and erase everything that I get down. When I’m journaling my own thoughts, even though it’s just for my eyes, I erase it because I don’t feel like it’s coming out good enough. Continue reading
Since last week in this post I talked about book to movie adaptations, this week I decided to talk about the new movie Insurgent based off of the novel by Veronica Roth.
The movie was done well, and I really enjoyed it, but there were definitely some important differences between the two, some of which I didn’t notice until I read this article.
Also, there will be spoilers here, so if you haven’t read the book or seen the movie yet, be warned.
But first a little background:
In the world of the Divergent Series, people are divided into five different factions based on five different ideals. Amity are the peaceful, Dauntless are the brave, Erudite are the intelligent, Candor are the honest, and Abnegation are the selfless. If you fit into more than one faction you are Divergent and it is believed that the Divergent are threats. Continue reading
You always hear people say not to judge a book by its cover, but you never hear “don’t judge a book by its movie.” I’m here to say that the book is mostly always better. Maybe I’m biased because I’m an avid reader, but I also watch a lot of movies, many of which are based off of books. Continue reading
I understand that not everybody enjoys reading, when I was younger I didn’t either. I know this sounds cliché, but I never enjoyed it until I found one series that pulled me in, Harry Potter. I faked book reports (really this shows how creative I am, I made up the stories of books I didn’t want to read!) so that my mom literally started reading the same books as me just to make sure I was actually reading them. But once I started getting into books, I never stopped, and now I can’t imagine going back to a time where I was not a book worm. Here are five reasons why I believe reading is important. Continue reading
I have always had a fear of public performances. It is something that I do not believe I am very good at, especially when it entails sharing something that I wrote out loud. I have put myself in many situations where it has been necessary for me to perform. The other day a professor of mine even told me that he thinks “I kick ass” at presentations, and while I may not agree, it was a confidence booster. Here are a few tips that help me to feel more comfortable presenting in front of a crowd. Continue reading
As someone who must always have a favorite character in every TV show she watches and every book or book series she reads, I have noticed a pattern between many of the favorites that I have accumulated over the years. There are three specific types of characters that I am very drawn to, and my favorite character in any given TV show, book, or book series nearly always falls into one of these three categories.
The quirky, naïve genius. I love characters who have quirks or who don’t get references made by other characters surrounding them. I have noticed that many (not all) of the characters who fall into this category also tend to be geniuses. They are really smart people who can do the tough equation or spew facts and answer rhetorical questions like there is no tomorrow, but they have to knock on your door three times and say your name or they do not understand that reference to an insanely popular movie seemingly every person has seen. I find that these characters are often misunderstood and thought of as just weird, but they are some of my favorites. Some examples of my favorite characters of this type are:
The one who is seemingly perfect, but in reality they’re sad. These characters hit home for me. One of my friends once said when she thought I couldn’t hear her that one of these characters and I would be perfect for each other if he were real because we are so similar to one another. These characters are loved by all other characters around them, but they are still sad. They feel like they are not good enough even though everyone else seems to think that they are. You can be the nicest person ever, be the protective best friend, be the class president, or be the best violin player, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you believe you are good enough. Some examples of my favorite characters of this type are:
The sassy jerk who in reality has a heart of gold. These would have to be categorized as my absolute favorites of the bunch. I fall for them really hard and never let go, because generally they have a sad back story that you have to wait to find out. Their father never respected them and the girl they loved chose their younger brother over them, or maybe a demon told them that they were cursed so that every person they have ever loved will die. They have their reasons for not getting close to anyone in their lives, but really, they love stronger than anybody else. Some examples of my favorite characters of this type are:
One thing that I have noticed in regards to the sassy yet loving characters is that they generally have a best friend or partner who is their opposite and a member of the perfect yet sad group. Not all of them follow that particular pattern, but even if it is not their opposite, they each do have a friend who shows off their softer side.
These are the types of characters and patterns of characters that stand out to me when I am watching TV or reading a book/series. I have also written many characters with personality traits from these three types because they stand out for me so much. What kinds of characters stand out for other people?
kristabresnahan 