Writers Diary #3

Welcome to Writers Diary! A place where you can find out about all my personal projects and writing experiences! Writers Diary is also a place to share your thoughts and stories of being a writer. Here, you'll also find writing advices, personal resource tools and book recommendations. Let's begin!

Welcome to the third edition of Writers Diary! If you want to read the first edition... go here. or If you want to read the second edition... go here. This post is a little special, because it my birthday week! And in celebration, I'm revealing the password to my Book club forum **Once you get the password you'll have access for a LIFETIME, you'll also get access to originally crafted short stories and get to review them, at the end of this week the password will be taken down i.e. 9th Feb 2022** so stay till the end to receive your free gift! I will also be talking about the different ways you can work with me for the new year, a book review on one of my recent books and a little note to end this post, as always!

ways to work with me

As you all know, I'm Christina, the writer behind the blog! I've been at this for more than a year, and I've watched this website grow along along with myself. Writing articles for all of you inspired me in my writing journey, It taught me as much as I know now and I've gained so much insight to the aspects of writing from when I had begun. As you all know, it was never until I started this website when I wrote my first book, and now I'm on my third! This website was the reason I , and many other aspiring writers, began their creative journey through storytelling, and my one goal for 2022 is to inspire more writers and reach more creatives. My only dream is for others to see how much it has helped me and how much it can help them! I'm always creating free resources for all of you, a podcast where you can listen to some of the best blog-posts AND a book club to share your book recommendations! I have planned so much more for the coming year and with your help, it can reach the right people!

Luckily, there are a lot of ways you can be apart of Indited fiction and help us grow!

1. You can guest-post your articles and get it featured on the blog and get the title of blog writer

Here at Indited Fiction we have a lot of Guest-posting and advertising space available! If you feel like we haven't covered a specific aspect for writing you're an expert at, or if you have some writing advice that worked for you, or you want to promote yourself or your writing... Then this is exactly what you can help in! We accept originally scripted articles and advertisements which can get featured all over the website (and the podcast!) If you feel like you could really add on to the blog and/or want to get your works featured here: Take a look at our guidelines!

*If you do submit an article to be featured you automatically get the title of 'Blog Writer' and your name will come at the bottom of your post!*

2. You can get your testimonial featured on our HOME PAGE!

If you have something positive to share, or something you noticed that was amazing on our site, or something you loved while working with me... Then this is exactly what you can help in! Write a short paragraph on what you enjoyed about our site/ working with us and get it featured on eth FRONT PAGE of our website! It'll be showcased for all readers, new and old, to see! Of course, the testimonials will also be featured all over the website, in the blog, podcast, book clubs and any new implements in the future! It will also be broadcasted on all of Indited Fiction's social media and will be used in newsletters and communications! To submit your testimonial simply type it all in the chat and fill in the contact details! You will be notified when your testimonial is up and LIVE on our home page! You can take a look at some of our testimonials here.

*If you do submit a testimonial you'll also be the first we'd contact for any beta-testing/beta-reading of our new implements and guest-posts!*

3. You can apply to become a story reviewer

If you've read a lot of fiction and you love reading other works of fiction, then apply to become a story reviewer! In the Guest Post page, you'll notice the criteria for flash fiction stories, where users can submit their own crafted stories to be reviewed! Till date, I've been doing it solo, which has been a tedious task since I also have to keep up on my blog posting schedule and social media. If you think you'll be able to handle reviewing two to three stories a month, then you can simply request in the chat (speech bubble at the bottom right corner) and fill in your contact details!

*If you do request to become a story reviewer you will automatically get the title of 'Flash Fiction Critic' and your name will be added to a list with other Flash Fiction Critics for all users to see.*

4. Blog Interviews/ Podcast interviews

If you are a Writing blogger or social media influencer or a published/in-progress-of-publishing author or a successful writer then this is exactly a way you can get your viewer/reader count soar! Promote your visibility by requesting an interview, where we'll simple give you some questions to answer in your perspective and your answers (along with a short Biography) will be featured on the blog AND Podcast! (The podcast is a voice-over) This way you will gain a lot more online visibility on your products/ services/ websites! To request an interview just COMMENT AT THE END OF THIS POST ONLY (sign up required so I can contact you afterwards) Your interviews may also be broadcasted on our socials, communications and websites and any of your products/services/websites will also be featured as advertisements around the blog and Book Club! To see some of our interviews click HERE!

*If you request an Interview, you have a higher chance at being personally contacted for another one in the near future! You will also be highlighted as 'Interview of the Month' *

5. Referral Policy

This is a new policy that is coming into place in 2022. For every referral that does either of the above, you will receive a free bonus (never seen before content) that is specially kept for referral's ONLY. This may include writing products for FREE or Blog content that was never published or Discount codes to a lot of tools most writers use! You will still need to check back to this post for when and how you can start referrals, but here is how it works: You'll get a unique link that leads to this blog, the number of times its been clicked by different users (this can be tracked) will be counted bi-monthly, and if you reach 20 referrals you'll activate your free bonus which will be mailed directly to you! Till the policy comes to action, you can promote the website or blog or podcast in any way you'd like to get more referrals when you receive your referral link.

If none of these appeals to you, that's alright! I'm still glad your an Indited Fiction Blog Reader (without you this website would have never come to life) and if you know someone-else who you'd think would benefit from any of the top opportunities', then do share this post by clicking on any of the social media buttons at the bottom of this post!

Book recommendation

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Summary:

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger and her younger brother are being taken by their mother to live with a foster family outside Munich. Liesel’s father was taken away on the breath of a single, unfamiliar word – Kommunist – and Liesel sees the fear of a similar fate in her mother’s eyes. On the journey, Death visits the young boy, and notices Liesel. It will be the first of many near encounters. By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.

So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up, and closed down.

Review:

This is easily one of the best historical fiction novels I’ve ever read and I would recommend it to just about anyone. I didn’t summarize the ending because it is both surprising and sad. Just in case you decide to read it, I don’t want to give it away. There is a movie adaptation, although I don’t remember much of it. Which probably speaks to how it stood in comparison to the book.

One of my favorite things about this book is the unique narrator, Death. This is the only book I’ve read written from the perspective of Death, and I believe it works for the story. The characters feel real, even as Death describes them. Hans is a role model for Liesel and Rosa is crotchety but loveable. Liesel’s friends and neighbors make such an impression on her that she continues to remember them, even later in life.

Before this book I felt disdain for German citizens who simply stood by and watched the Holocaust, but now, thanks to Zusak, I don't have words because I know, that despite this book being fictional, it isn't far from the truth. This was a really great read. I think I will find another Zusak book. I really liked his writing style and descriptions. (My one qualm with this book is stated at the end of this review.) His words are beautiful, especially in such a heavy story. Every story I read about WWII offers a new layer, perspective, color, and emotion to that time, and this one was no different.

Overall, I would highly recommend this for high-schoolers and adults. Especially if you’re looking for a great read for someone who loves history. However, the only thing I would caution you about is the ending and the context of the story. It’s sad. Not exactly the most uplifting story you’ll read, but it’s inspiring.

*This is the shortened summary, to read my extensive review, read on to find the password to my Book Club.*

A little note from me

If you’ve been following the Olympics at all, then you’re well-familiar with the controversy surrounding Simone Biles.

First off—allow me to say that she’s a ROCKSTAR for choosing herself. There is no such thing as “letting down your team” if you’re struggling to take care of yourself. She saw the warning signs, made a choice to withdraw so she could take care of her mental health—and by default, she also took care of her team because she knew that if she’s not 100% she is more likely to hurt the team than help them.

This is true for everyone, and as writers, we need to look at Simone’s choice as a valuable lesson in how to handle the ups and downs and immense pressure of our creative journeys.

Self-care must be part of our writing journeys. Our ultimate success is dependent on our mental health. We may reach our personal finish lines or accomplish our goals as unhealthy people, but the long-term effects are disastrous. It won’t matter that we get that publishing deal or win the gold medal if we’re suffering from depression, anxiety, or any other number of health issues.

The big question to ask, when we look at Simone Biles, is when did her passion for gymnastics become less about her and more about satisfying/pleasing the American people? When that line was crossed, she hit dangerous territory which resulted in suffering mental health.

As writers, we are faced with the question of whether we want to “sacrifice” all the good, juicy Little Darlings that tend to make up the book we deeply love in order to create a book that others will want to read. When we choose to make the commitment to writing a book for an audience, then we have to be prepared to do a little bit of self-sacrifice.

But at what cost?

This is something we must take into consideration. When Simone decided to take her career into the realm of greatness, was she aware of the cost? And if so, how did she work it out so that she believed, at the end of the day, she’d be okay?

I see this kind of conflict in writers a lot. We get caught up in the book dream that we forget to ask ourselves (or we lie to ourselves) how do we feel about WHO WE ARE at the end of the day. Writing for our own pleasure is not the same as writing for an audience, and when we choose to write books for others, certain decisions need to be made that are self-sacrificing in order to reach that Audacious Goal. Totally different decisions from a writer who only wants to write for fun.

But this is where many writers, who move on toward the Audacious Goal, leave behind joy and personal fulfillment.

We must, it’s crucial, maintain our joy and personal fulfillment along our writing journeys, even when we are performing for an audience. It’s like a tool that must be packed into our writing gear.

You need to check in with yourself, every day, and make sure you’re feeling good about yourself, feeling the passion for your journey. Loving the work, loving yourself, loving the growth and the challenges and the wins. At the end of the day, how do you feel about yourself as a person, as a writer? Do this check-in every day, seriously. If you’re not feeling fulfilled—like Simone was not feeling fulfilled—you must take action.

• What is your vision?

• Do you feel joy when you think about your vision? What does that joy look like and feel like?

• Commit to feeling this joy and fulfillment on a daily basis. No exceptions.

• This never means that you're against challenges or improving your skills. It is absolutely possible to feel joy and fulfillment EVEN WHEN you're doing hard things.

• When you are lacking joy and fulfillment, what are your solutions? How will you take care of yourself? How will you nurture yourself? How will you heal? Do you have a support system or outreach resources? What will you do to feel good about yourself and your writing journey again?

Writer, if this sounds like something you’re contending with now, please know that I’ve been there, and it is a painful, messy place to be. No judgment, no criticism. If you need a place to vent, I’m right here. I want you to know I’m a “safe place” and anything you want to share is always confidential and supported. You can contact me anytime.

Your first priority is you, always, so please never feel shame or guilt for choosing yourself.

Your free gift!

Thanks for sticking till the end!

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Please follow our Book review guidelines

Do:

• Be specific. Throwing around adjectives like “terrific” or “disappointing” doesn’t really tell the reader anything about the book. What exactly what terrific? What was disappointing?

• Was it written for a specialist audience? A general reader?

• Take a stand. The ultimate point of a book review is to make a recommendation. Offering a nuanced opinion of a book often makes a more interesting review.

Don't:

• So you didn’t like the book you just read? THAT’S OK. Some books are not for everyone. There is no need to attack the writer.

• Don’t trash the book because it wasn’t what you expected. It’s your responsibility to understand what you’re buying. Trout Fishing in America isn’t really about trout fishing, and Fear of Flying is not for nervous travelers.

• Don’t be nasty. If you didn’t enjoy the book, don’t be insulting or snide. Let your reader know calmly why you were disappointed.

• Do not defame the author because you didn't like the book. The author and his book are different entities.

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed this post and your little gift!