by Nicole | Mar 6, 2015 | Book Review, Books, Creative Non Fiction, Published, Reading, Writing
About a month ago, a dear friend of mine asked if I’d be interested in writing a quick review of a book I recently read. I jumped at the chance because when I first read Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan, I couldn’t put it down. Her story not only was so interesting, it was scary to think that someone could go through what she experienced.
Without further ado – my review as featured on Traditional Femme:
A Review of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
On a rainy summer Saturday afternoon, I was cruising the shelves at our local bookstore and stumbled upon Susannah Cahalan’s memoir, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. I admit I was drawn to it by the haunting image of the author and the book’s title on the front cover, but once I read the summary on the back, I was sold. I took it home and I couldn’t put it down.
Cahalan is a young, twenty-something woman with a bright career ahead of her as a journalist with one of New York’s most famous publications. She has a wonderful boyfriend, with whom she recently entered a serious relationship. She’s healthy and ready to take on the world. Life is great. Not much later, she wakes up in a hospital unsure why she is strapped down with wires hooked to her body that are traced back to monitors and machines.
While the precise point of when her illness began is hard to pin down, she realized in the time leading up to her diagnosis some of her symptoms: migraines, light/color sensitivity, difficulty controlling emotion, seizures, numbness in her left hand, hallucinations, and intense paranoia.
With her paranoia, it started with a bug bite that prompted her to fumigate her apartment to rid it of the bed bugs she thought she saw. She suddenly had the urge to read through her boyfriend’s emails – something she never would normally do. She started to feel like she was slipping into a deep darkness. (more…)
by Nicole | Feb 7, 2015 | Creative Non Fiction, Creative Writing, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Journals, Poetry, Prompts, Prose, Tips and Tricks, Writing
Happy Saturday, fellow writers! If you’re sitting around with writer’s block and need something to get your pen moving, I have just the thing: Brainstorming First Lines.
I have a confession: I struggle with first lines. When I sit down to write a fiction piece, I usually just dive right into the story and go back later to finesse the beginning – just like what I do when writing nonfiction. I want to draw the reader in without being cliché… but for me, sometimes that’s easier said than done. (Ha! See what I did there?)
Earlier today I started out with something that described the weather. How boring. I mean, really? I couldn’t continue, so I deleted the draft and started wracking my brain. When my writer’s block kicked in, I took to the internet. (I love the Internet. Seriously. It has literally everything.) I went through a few random generators on some random websites found via Google Search to help get some words, phrases, and lines to help me generate a story. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, I thought.
I jotted down a handful of lines I found that I felt had some promise. That’s when I figured I should share with my writing friends. Anything to help the creative process!
Here are some of the best lines I found that make me want to stop everything and write something down:
1. She knelt on the carpet of her new living room, a big cardboard box in front of her, unwrapping ornaments.
2. He was stunned. The stranger in front of him looked exactly like the girl he’d been dreaming about.
3. As he took in the view from the twentieth floor, the lights went out all over the city.
4. It was up to her to investigate how the accident had really happened.
5. The attack was over in seconds.
6. He watched, helpless, as the door closed behind her.
7. She felt for the lock in the dark.
8. More and more people were refusing to obey the laws of the land.
9. Under normal circumstances he would speak his mind, but, with a gun against his head…
10. He had waited twenty years to return it.
If any of these intrigue you, start writing and see where it takes you. If you want to see more variety or find something different, just do what I did – hit up Google and search for random writing generators to get some more ideas and prompts. Maybe you’ll find something for your next brilliant masterpiece. That’s what I’m hoping for, anyway. Have a lovely Saturday and happy writing!
by Nicole | Jan 19, 2015 | Creative Writing, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Prompts, Prose, Writing
By this point, there is no introduction needed. It’s time for another round of writing prompts!
The first one I often use because I’m such a vivid dreamer. I wake up able to recall the smallest details of a dream, so I’ve taken to jotting down or taking account of the crazy dreams that fill my head when I’m sleeping.
The second, well, is because I’m obsessed with the thought of a zombie apocalypse. I’m such a fan of old to new school zombie movies and (of course) The Walking Dead. Even with its depressing undertone, I find it a fascinating topic. Obviously I’m not the only one considering books, movies, and televisions shows continue to be published focusing on this specific post-apocalyptic genre.
The third, I found browsing Tumblr a long time ago and thought it would be interesting to read a story from that perspective.
Without further ado…
Write about the dream(s) you had last night.
The Zombie Apocalypse has begun. How and when did it start, and where are you in the mess that is life after modern technology?
Explain and describe a football game from the perspective of a helmet. (
Source)
Remember, just pick one at random and write for 15-30 minutes. Let your pen (or keyboard) take over; get the work of your great imagination on the page! Add your own to the comments or email them to me to feature in future posts!
by Nicole | Dec 31, 2014 | Holidays, Life, Past Blog, Personal
Whew, this thing is dusty! Time to get back in the swing of things…
So, here we are. December 31. Tomorrow, 2015 begins. Can you even believe it? For much of the globe it’s already 2015, but Indianapolis has about 8 hours left of this year. Looking back, it was pretty low-key for me. I’m happy, I’m healthy, and I’m ready to begin another great year.
This will be a big year for me; I can just feel it! Not only do I plan to buy a house with my sweetie, I hope to finally get closer to finishing the novel I’ve started (and restarted several times) this year. Speaking of…
Obligatory New Years “Resolutions”
I’d rather call them goals. Goals are dreams with deadlines, right?
- Finish saving the down payment and purchase our first home.
- Keep working on and (attempt to) finish my first novel. (Oh, and obviously blog more.)
- Work harder on my health and fitness – more yoga!
- Be more considerate of others when making decisions.
- Read at least two books per month.
I think this is a good start. Each of these will make me a better person and help me have a better life, so that is why I’m calling them goals instead of resolutions. The whole resolutions thing to me is hard to follow through with because there’s no accountability. Sure, for the first few weeks we’ll be on fire to stay committed to the resolutions we make today. But then the magic of starting a new year fades away and face it, it’s just another day, another week, another month, and another year gone by. We fall back into our old habits. At least, I know I do.
I’m ready to change that this year. I’m ready to start my 31st year on this planet and make the most of it by working on myself. I want to be a better person, and I’m the only one who can make that happen. So, this list of goals is my attempt to keep myself in check. I’ve set deadlines for numbers 1, 2, and 5. For 3 and 4, I’ll start small and keep it at the forefront of my mind and make them a part of my daily routine.
What are your goals for 2015? How do you plan to carry them out? Share in the comments and let’s help each other make this be the best year yet!
Happy New Year, everyone!
by Nicole | Jul 17, 2014 | Education, Life, Music, Personal, Viral
This, my friends, is brilliant! Weird Al is at it again, releasing one new video per day to promote his new album, titled Mandatory Fun. The one released yesterday is titled “Word Crimes” and is absolutely share-worthy.
It’s catchy (you can’t tell me you don’t dance to the tune of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” when you hear it), and will help you polish your grammar skills. Just file this one under “learning can be fun” – you’ll be grooving and cleaning up your grammar simultaneously in no time!
Click here to read the lyrics.
Share with your friends, if not only for a good laugh but to also help them brush up on common grammar mistakes.
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