Not Dead

You may have noticed that I haven't updated 'The Caffeinated Writer' in some time. This is largely because I have been focusing on my other blog, A Caffeinated Fantasy, as well as my fiction writing.

I am hoping to have some short stories published soon, and within the next year I would like to be preparing my novel for publication. Because of this I've narrowed down my writing pool and I am not taking on as many business clients at the moment.

However, as I'm generating more topics for A Caffeinated Fantasy than I can include on that blog (partially because they do not directly relate to my own stories), I will be updating 'The Caffeinated Writer' more.

Of course, this means a general shift in the content. Not large, as this blog has largely been about writing commentary and the practice of writing, but I will be expanding beyond nonfiction and professional writing to fiction writing, writing tips, and also book reviews.

I have not yet decided if I will only be doing nonfiction writing recourse book reviews on here, or if I will also be doing fiction reviews. Largely this will depend on HOW I'm reviewing the books. We'll see.

Our Duty as Writers

This blog is not for my personal opinions. It's a personal rule, but there is times when these things cross over. One thing that I believe is important is our responsibility as writers. As people. To write what we see and offer it to the public in the most unbiased manner we can.
But it's not always possible, and there will always be times when our own biased towards events will leak into our lives, into our writing.
And it is because of this that I believe that it is our responsible to do something with our lives. To make a difference. As writers, we can do this in such a strong way that others will can be influenced far too easily. So we must strive to have the difference we make, with our carefully typed words, mean something.
Even if you don't want to involve your business, your professional persona, with politics, or religion, or even an opinion on any controversial topic, you must still influence the worlds for the better. If you must do so hidden behind a mask, I am not to judge.

As long as your strive to make a difference, no matter how small.

Even if it is only to make someone think.

The Importance of Spelling Names Right

A lot of advice for job hunters, writers, journalists and, well, anyone sending a professional message to another professional, is to make sure that you get the name right of whoever you are sending whatever it is to.

I live by this credo, and I avoid using names if I'm not sure how to spell it, and I even avoid asking how to pronounce someone's name. Because I remember in Kindergarden, getting an award for something or other (being a nice person, I think?) and they spelled my last name wrong.

On my award it said 'Samantha Gordon'. I could not stop crying.

I don't remember anything else about the award. I don't remember if they fixed it or who had mispelled it, but I remember thinking that the award wasn't for me. Despite that they meant to put my name on it, and it was just a typo. Despite that being quite some time ago, I still get annoyed at my name being misspelled. For example, my first name? Samie.

A very unusual spelling of my name, and I tend to be pretty lenient with people about how they spell it if they've only heard it or don't know me very well, but I get a little irked when I send someone an email, ending it with the proper spelling of my name, and they respond with it misspelled. I find it a little lazy, to be honest.

It always makes me wonder how much they read of my email if they misspelled my name. Especially if I introduced myself at the beginning as well as ending it with my name. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the biggest reason that I believe that it is a horrible idea to misspell someone's name.

It's insulting. Going back to being a child and not feeling I deserved the award, that really is the most basic way of describing it.

We define ourselves, in part, by our names, and if someone cannot take the time to spell our name right, they obviously do not think we're all that important in general.

Whether it's the person you're sending the resume to or the person you're sending your pitch to, if you don't spell their name right, they don't think that you are considering them important, so why should they take their time to even attempt to elevate your importance?

While not everyone will get upset about it, while I no longer will begrudge someone too much when they spell my name wrong, it still bugs me. One of my best friends does it, and while I tease him, I otherwise don't mention it to people.

But if I had to hire someone, and two people had similar credentials, spelling my name wrong may end up making the difference between hiring one person over the other.

Uses of an English Degree

So, you're getting an English Degree. When you tell people they give you a sympathetic look, or they ask if you're going to be a teacher. If your intentions are not teaching and you tell them such, they give you a confused look. Then comes the uncomfortable moment when you have to explain to them what you're going to do with that English degree, and hope they're not of the crowd of people that think you'll be stuck working at a coffeehouse or in fast food with such a 'useless' degree.

Have no fear! I'm here to let you know what careers are available for those of us with an English Degree so you don't have to feel like you have to are stuck with a career in fast food or waiting to become the next great novelist.

• Author - Most writers want to become authors in some sense. Whether they want to publish the great American novel or not, being an author is about having your name on a book. It's a hard part of the writing industry to break into, as it requires skill as well as patience.  
• Editor - One of the prized positions for many English Majors, an editor, for a magazine or a newspaper, will not only edit other people's work, but often times they will also be in charge of writing a few articles each issue, as well as dealing with freelance writers.
• Technical Writer - Technical writers are the people that write service manuals, and other instructional or informational pieces. They are needed in any industry, from electronics to automotive, to health care. If you like writing, and want to get involved in a specific industry that you don't believe caters to writers, technical writing may be for you.
  
• Journalist - You too can be Lois Lane! Well, perhaps not literally, but journalist have been around for quite some time. The most current incarnation, and the one people think of, came around with the onset of the printing press. A time honored tradition that requires good writing, reporting techniques, and a love of the truth.
• English Teacher- The most commonly assumed job for those seeking an English degree, if you like teaching others, it is always an option. You don't even need to stick to public school system. Private schools, tutoring, or professional writing teacher, you will find that many people want to learn how to write well. If you can teach someone else to write, this is an option.
• Freelance Writer - While not everyone is cut out for freelance writing, as it is a competitive field and the independence you get from working for yourself also translates into the panic of having to do everything yourself, if you can bowl through the awkward first few months where you're sure you'll never get anyone to pay you over $5 for an article, it is fun and rewarding.
• Marketing Director- Writing is, let's face it, pretty important to marketing. While you may not start as the director, you could end up there with persuasive writing skills.
• Public Relations - Writing speeches, doing press releases, and generally making the public happy isn't necessarily hard for a writer. If you are a good persuasive writer, and you love working with people, this could be the job for you.
• Administrative Assistant- The office world may not seem like the most attractive profession, but an English degree can be the easiest way to get your foot in the door to a writing based job. While some may use this as a doorway to another job, others may enjoy an Administrative Assistant job, especially in certain industries, as it is generally lower stress than a lot of other office jobs.
• Paralegal/ Legal Assistant- Those skills you learned for how to write a good essay and a research paper translate into investigative ability that will turn around and can be used well. Whether you decide to use it as a bridging degree or not, it's up to you.

However...
Despite that there are many professions available to the English Major, if you're interested in these careers and don't want to go to college or don't have the time, these are just some suggestions. Many of them you don't need a degree at all to get into. Many people move into their jobs without ever getting a degree. This can be great, and this can be dangerous, depending on the industry. I always encourage people to at least get an associate's degree in something, as it's the shortest (and cheapest) degree to get.

I may be a bit biased, however, since I grew up the girl who wanted to get a degree in everything, and still plans on getting quite a few degrees. Including a PH.D in psychology.

What are your thoughts on the uses of an English degree? Did you get one and then go in a totally different direction or did it lead to your dream job? Did you get your dream job without needing a degree? Did I miss any other interesting jobs you can get with an English degree?

You Are Not Original

I am going to tell you something as a writer that you won't like. You are not a unique, special snowflake. Or, at the very least, your writing isn't. Especially fiction writing. Maybe if you are reviewing a movie or book and you happen to be the first one, maybe you can think about claiming to be unique, but your critiques are probably ideas that have been thought before, about different books, movies or what have you.

There is no such thing as an original idea.

Now, doesn't that make you feel a teeniest bit better? I mean, really, this blog most is mostly for my fiction writing companions, but it can also be true for non fiction writers. However, I'm going to focus largely on fiction writing for this. Because that's when this becomes a pet peeve of mine.

Haven't you ever read those posts by various people that are upset that [insert author here] didn't give credit to their inspiration? That they really aren't that original?

Personally, I get tired of it.

Humans have been telling stories since, well, since they could communicate with each other. Stories have been woven by man and woman alike for millennium. The idea that it is even possible to come up with an entirely new and unique story seems a bit ridiculous to me. I know someone that continuously tries to prove me wrong on this point, and every time he fails.

And I don't understand why people get upset by this fact. In fact, I consider it a relief whenever I am writing and I tell myself 'You don't have to try to create something so unique and so different that it's shocking. All you have to do is make is believable: make it real.'

Making it Real

Now, when I say making it real is more important that making it original, what I mean is that the issue with writing is not the originality of the idea or of the story, but how it connects with the readers. Famous playwright William Shakespeare was by no means the first person to write about star crossed lovers (ever read Tristan and Isolde?), but he did so in a way that connected with the readers and the play goers and there he found success.

So how can you better connect with your readers? With people. People that seem real, and believable. Whether or not they feel that they can connect with the main character is not the immediate issue, because people will find what they like in the characters for themselves. But if the character seems like a real person, then they'll want to read more about them, about their life. High action works well for movies, where you can enjoy the special effects and action for action's sake, but in writing, especially in a world where there are many people who would prefer to watch TV than curl up with a good book, it's the characters that make people want to read the story.

Don't misunderstand, however, the plot and the action is also very important, as no matter how wonderful your character is, without a direction for the story, it can read more like a psychological study than a well thought novel. I think the book Plot vs. Character illustrates this the best, and helps explain why you need to balance the plot and the character development in your story.

So stop worrying about being the most original writer that ever existed.

And focus more on being a better writer.

Pushing Through It.

I love writing. I've considered myself a writer since elementary school, and it hasn't been until I've gotten older and started writing professionally that I've realized what that really means. I love writing, but it's more than a hobby. It's a job, and a sometimes I hate my job. It happens to everyone. Writing and other creative jobs have this problem: you'll be trying to create and you can't get anything out on paper or on the keyboard. No matter what you try, whether you changed environment, grabbed a cup of coffee, read other people's articles; nothing works. It's like pulling teeth to get a single word out. Then the phrase 'putting your nose to the grindstone' comes to mind and it is the perfect phrase.

I have days I don't want to write anything substantive. I only want to write fluff or fan-fiction; fun writing that won't do any good, that won't pay any money. Some days I let the impulse take over, but after about an hour, I turn my attention back to what I need to do. And I write. I write even though I don't know what I'm writing, or I'm not an expert in the topic, or even if I feel like I'm writing pure and utter garbage.

That's what editing is for. If you have the luxury of a day or two extra, write the article, even if you think it sounds absolutely ridiculous and even if you know it's going to be full of mistakes. Put it aside for a day, maybe two, and come back to it. Read it over as if it isn't your own and see what needs editing. Then fix it.

You may have to do this a few times before the article or blog post comes out how you intend for it, but after a while you'll get used to pushing through it. You'll find that it comes more easily the next time you get that feeling. You'll be able to push through even though you may hate yourself.

It took me awhile to learn this, and I still have a hard time practicing it when it comes to fiction writing, as inspiration is far more vital to fiction writing than it is to nonfiction writing. I still force myself to pump out writing that I may not be proud of, putting it off to the side until I can edit it and make it into something I'm proud of.

Because I am a writer, and despite that I may hate it some days, writing is my job, and like any job, you do it even when you're not feeling it.

Writer's Block and a Cup of Coffee.

So I've found that everyone has their proven methods for curing writer's block. Many of them sound great, but the one thing I've realized is that no one can tell you what will work to cure your writer's block. Writer's block is a personal problem with personal reasons and the solutions are usually personal.

For example, the common "write a train-of-thought' journal doesn't work for me, and a lot of common writing practices only distract me. However, I've come to realize that this isn't so much an issue of not being able to put words on paper, but for me, it's a matter of motivation and distraction. Writing practices are tools for procrastination.

So instead I go to the nearest coffeehouse and grab a cup of coffee. Why? It's a good enough distraction that I feel refreshed, and the caffeine gives me an adrenaline rush that gets my brain moving. I can't just sit and watch TV with a cup of coffee. I have to do something with my hands, so it's easy to reach for my laptop (or a pen and paper) and write.

It may not be the best writing, and it doesn't always work as intended, but a cup of coffee is my (temporary) cure to writer's block. Part of why I like the expensive drink so much.

How can this help you?

Instead of trying to address your writer's block with futile writing practices and hoping something works, my best advice is to figure out why you have writer's block. This can be harder than trying to do train of thought writing, but it's more effective in the long run. Once you can figure out what causes your writer's block, you find it easier to cure it each time it comes up.

To help you figure it out, I'll tell you some of the common reasons that writers get blocked:

• Motivation: This is my biggest problem. I have always had trouble finding motivation for anything that does not result in instant gratification. Taking the time to do something that will pay off later is too much trouble. Too much anguished artist in me, waiting for my muse to strike me. A good solution to this is to make your own muse or to force you to have no other option but to write.
  
• Stress: Life can be stressful, and with too much on your mind, your writing can be blocked by your emotions. Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders count under stress. If you believe that it is caused by a mood disorder, I would recommend talking to a therapist to see if medication or therapy might help you. A good solution for stress is getting your emotions out, such as daily journaling or meditation.
  
• Fear: Fear is a big problem for many people, and often times contributes to other problems. Fear of putting yourself out there, of being rejected. This one is actually quite common and contributes to both Stress and Motivation. This is the hardest one to cure, as it is rooted in self-esteem and that is a difficult problem to solve. My best suggestion is to find a supportive writing group, or a friend, someone who will help build up your writing self esteem.
  

So next time you have writer's block, take the time to figure out why before you start trying every suggestion that's thrown at you. It will help you more than you think.

Why Writing and Coffee go Together

A lot of people wonder why it's so common for writers to be found at coffeehouses. I know I often make fun of the phenomenon myself, and I've also been one of those writers, typing away at my laptop, somehow finding inspiration within the noisily quiet establishment. You may ask what it is that attracts writers to coffeehouses? Well, the easiest answer is the free wifi generally offered at most of them. It's practically a staple, and while it helps, it's only half accurate.

While the wifi, the coffee and the soft alternative music is usually a nice addition, it's not necessarily the draw. What is then?

Unlike some places, you can go to a coffeehouse and even when everyone in there is talking, it's pretty peaceful. Somehow, it tends to be a place where people mind their manners and don't talk so loud that everyone can hear them. Maybe it's because of the relaxing music, the delicious coffee, or the distracting wifi, but something about a coffeehouse makes people calm down and relax.

So next time you've hit a wall in your writing, take your laptop with you to your favorite coffeehouse, curl up in a reclusive corner with a nice hot latte, and let the atmosphere wash over you. Even if you're not a coffee drinker, a nice cup of tea is also an amazing writer's companion.