When in Doubt, Go Back to the Basics

An integral part of school is the essay. No matter what grade you are in or degree, you generally are going to have to write at least one. I know most people abhor essay writing and there are a very slim number of essay enthusiasts. So I'm going to tell you what you already know, but what you may forget when overwhelmed with the prospect of writing.

Go back to the basics.

Write an outline.
I know. It's simple and obvious, but even I sometimes forget this tool. Outlines will give you structure, especially when your professor is giving you none.

A basic outline looks like this:

Introductory paragraph -

• Hook
• (Draw the reader in. Tell them that they want more with this first sentence. A very similar quality that writers want in their novels.)
• Background/Summary
• (Help your reader out. Maybe they know everything about your topic, maybe they don't. Give them enough ground to stand on so that they're not lost later.)
• Thesis Statement
• (Make your argument. You're here to prove something and this is just a small preview of what is in store.)

Body Paragraph 1 -

• Lead-In/Mini Thesis Statement
• Argument 1
• (By the way, you can have multiple arguments in the body paragraphs, but the general rule of 3 is good to live by. Too many and the paragraph may become its own essay. Too few and you might struggle to get the point across.)
• Mini Conclusion/Set-Up for next paragraph
• (Potentially you don't need to set up. Just wrap it up on a good note so that they're satisfied with this argument and can move onto your next paragraph.)

Body Paragraph 2 -

• Lead-In/Mini Thesis Statement
• (It's a good idea to refer back to your original/intro thesis and tie it back around, but don't use repetitive phrasing or your reader will get annoyed.)
• Argument 1
• Mini Conclusion/Set-Up for next paragraph

Body Paragraph 3 -

• Lead-In/Mini Thesis Statement
• (Wash, rinse, repeat...an essay has a repetitive format which can get old, but can make it easier for you to write it.)
• Argument 1
• Mini Conclusion/Set-Up for next paragraph

Conclusion -

• Summary
• (At last, you're almost there. Draw your points together and get it done.)
• Ending Thought/Takeaway Point/Call to Action
• (This is your time to tell the reader, but that's not all. This is how this is applicable or "go forth and conquer" with these new strategies.)

Now there are many variations and different terms for outlines, so this is definitely not an end-all-be-all model. However, if you find yourself thrown for a loop and scrambling to finish that essay, start with an outline. It might just save your life.

Following Your Heart

A bit of a life update and a reflection on life at this point.

I'm currently in a graduate program and it's requiring so much of my time and energy. I did expect it, since this is what I want to do with the rest of my life, but, at the same time, I'm overwhelmed with the amount of work. Projects, assignments, essays and the like are all piling up and the end of the quarter is only a few weeks away. I also have a part-time job and I mention that to say I have more than just school concerns.

The past few weeks have not been kind. I wasn't sleeping well. I felt distracted and easily frustrated. In turn, I didn't eat as well as I should have, snacking on sugary foods and things that were less wholesome and more empty-calorie-focused. It felt like everything was spinning out of control.

And I guess that's where this post comes in.

We are every part of ourselves,
down to the shadows at our feet.

I was losing control of all the things going on in my life and it was causing me distress.

Last week, I just had enough. I was tired and completely depleted of energy. I didn't want to think about school or all of the obligations that I couldn't figure out how to fulfill. I just wanted to go to bed and sleep so that I could escape all of the pressures hounding me.

Except sleep still wasn't coming easy and I lay there stewing through my negative thoughts. One of my frustrations was that I hadn't been writing. I hadn't picked up a pen, looked through my ideas or typed out a sentence in weeks and I couldn't help feeling like a failure. I kept pushing writing away because of my other concerns and because I felt guilty to indulge in it when I had other things to worry about. Writing also felt like it would be stressful, because it would be adding something else onto my already fragile plate.

However, this night I was just so tired of not doing it that I gave in. I couldn't sleep anyway so why couldn't I distract myself with my own stories and characters?

To update on my writing life, I've been struggling with editing a manuscript and the changes felt monumental and insurmountable. Every time I even considered what I had to do, I'd feel frozen and helpless. I wanted to finish this project and clean it up so that I could send it to my publishers, but I kept feeling like I wasn't enough. So I put it off.

Book Review: November

A young heroine must endure trials of body, mind and spirit to save her family and herself. The first dream in Maia Tamarin's heart is to become a tailor and the best tailor in their world. However, tailors can only be men. She begins the story stuck in a small port town while her brothers go off to war. Her father used to be one of the best tailors around but after the death of his wife, the family fell on hard times. Maia becomes the thread that holds the family together, and at the war's end she's the only one keeping them from tearing apart.

I got this from work. Yes, I work at B&N now. I'm so
glad that I decided to pick this one up because it was a
pleasant diversion into another world and I admire Maia
so much. Plus, the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

However, a request from royalty might save her family and bring her what she most desires. The court wants Master Tamarin to show off his skill and become the court tailor. It's down to Maia to accept the challenge and save her family's name, because a court position is not to be refused.

She travels to the illustrious court and finds that it's not just any position, it's a competition. She must compete with the other Master Tailors and all under the guise of being a boy. Because if she's revealed, the price will be death and shame on her family forever. 

If that weren't enough, the competition is for the emperor's bride-to-be and she is very picky. With enemies all around, Maia is one step from failure at every turn.

What I loved most about this book is Maia. She is a strong female character, and she is not a warrior. So many female heroines are fighters these days, but Maia battles with art. She is determined to win the competition on her own merits. She's prideful and stubborn, but she's willing to do the work and do it fairly. This world is already ripe with injustice but the only lie she tells is of her identity. She may not be male, but she shows her worth.

My second favorite part about this book is the Master Enchanter. A powerful man at the court who is able to do magic and he is enigmatically dangerous and funny. You can't pull the wool over a hawk's eyes and he sees everything. His role in Maia's journey is vital and important in helping her discover herself and the true extent of her craft. 

This world is rich with details with history and stories that play crucial roles in the main plot. Not only is the cover beautiful, but this questing book is entertaining from the first page to the last. 

Literature Lessons: Rites of Passage (Growing Up)

Many cultures have a rite of passage. This is generally a notable event in a child's life that heralds their transition into adulthood. This event doesn't necessarily have a specific time, but it can be associated with an age and generally has some ceremony.

Some examples of rites of passage that you might be familiar with include a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah, the Quinceañera; in America, 18 years of age and your ability to vote, 21 years of age and being legally allowed to drink, and getting a driver's license. There are numerous others and many that I'm probably not aware of, but the big picture is that the transition into adulthood is universally celebrated. It just differs on the timing and event.

Rites of passage can be culturally important because they celebrate the individual and show support for their emerging identity. In Island Whispers, Monica is put through a rite of passage which is called: The Test of Strength. If a demon survives the test, they are considered an adult and given more privilege in their hierarchy. Some of this privilege means freedom of movement. After the test, Monica is allowed to leave the caves whenever she wishes and is given different responsibilities.

The Test of Strength is just as it's named, a test of endurance and ability, a mental and physical challenge. It is a maze of tunnels and caves which leads a young demon to use everything they've learned until that point. A capable demon is able to find their way to the end. The demons value strength because it forms the foundation of their society. Strength = Safety.

The strongest among them are the protectors and warriors responsible for keeping the rest safe. The caves are also a hardy environment and so the test is about eliminating the weak so that only the "most fit" demons are living. Weeding out weakness is a practice of the dominate and Monica comes to realize that it isn't fair or right. She begins to think that perhaps an ancient transition to adulthood is not necessarily the best way to define a young demon as an adult.

Standing up to tradition can be difficult and it raises questions; are we abandoning our culture or are we transforming our culture to continue growing/learning/improving? There are many ways to view this. I don't want to say that rites of passage are good or bad. It's not so easy to look at it as one or the other. Many rites of passage are beneficial, providing social support, a sense of identity and community. However, it's important to be aware of our traditions. Do they cultivate wellbeing and positive affect in others or are they harmful meant to command a mindset and exclude others?

Monica has begun considering those questions and perhaps now, with her newfound adult status, she can begin to change things.