Hi guys. Welcome to my last blog post. Today I’m kind of just going to talk. Not really about anything specific. I’m not sure how I feel about my time at MSA, but I know there have been changes made for the better too. I came from LCHS barely passing to here and having straight A’s, which I am thankful for after going through the college application process. I got good opportunities as well. I feel like I can maintain my grades and do well in the future too. I guess what I could talk most about are the people I met here. I met A LOT of people. No matter where I looked there was someone who was supporting me or being kind, which I enjoyed a lot. I had several friends and people looking out for me. There was a good support system here which was nice if you looked at the workload. Even with the higher workload I still managed and managed to have free time to go out. Going out was one of the best parts. I loved going out to eat and shopping with friends even though we didn’t go out as much. But staying in was fun in its own way. My roommate and I watch movies together a lot and we play games together or watch each other play. She loves it when I listen to her yap about her interests, but she does the same for me. Having a roommate and living in the dorm was probably my favorite part about being at MSA. I love it when people come to my room, or I go to theirs. Hanging out in the dorms was always fun. Especially the time we all got together in someone’s room to play Twister. I made plenty of good memories with the people I met here. I’m sad I didn’t get to know a few certain people more though. I have been trying not to think about the “should’ve.” I just want to think of good memories and embrace the sweet part of a bittersweet thing such as graduation. I’m trying to save the bitter for after lol. Some of the staff here have also made my experience easier. I loved Ms. Malone and Ms. Cathy will always be my savior. Ms. Cathy listened to me rant every night and always gossiped with me. Ms. Malone was just one of the best teachers I have had and I loved her because we were very similar people too. I know right now I’m so wrapped up in graduating and getting everything done so I haven’t really gotten to think about my time at MSA and in high school in general. I know I will miss it eventually, but right now I am very excited to move on from this part and go to the next. Bye bye high school.
Author: Ava Lambert
Overwatch Tier list :)
Inside my brain holds vast amounts of knowledge that is absolutely useless to me in reality. This is where I share my information since people don’t like when you yap for hours about overwatch 2. So, let me get my yapping out of my system with this post. Basicalllyyyyy, I made a tier list of all the overwatch heroes from S (best) to D (worst). This is my list and a synopsis of my thoughts.
I guess this is where I break it down….so
S Tier
In S tier I have Dva, Lucio, Ball, Ramatra, Zenyatta, Sombra, Kiriko, Junker Queen, Sojourn, Baptiste, and Zarya (in order on the tier). D.va is kind of hit or miss depending on skill. If you have a very skilled tank player on your team then yeah she is S, but if your Dva is terrible she’s going to drop to a C or D. This is because she has a kit thats very useful for the team if you know how to time it all. Lucio is a very good support pick right now. He is in the meta at the moment. He takes a decent amount of skill though making it hard for lower ranks to have a meta team composition. His speed boost is just very useful, his ability to hold overtime, and his heals. Ball is a very hard character to play. If your tank is just playing ball to play him your team is going to get rolled. When you play ball, you have to know map layouts, good aim, good use of your abilities, timing, and any other tank skill. He just requires a lot of skill, but if your tank is a skilled ball, you 100% will win. Ramatra is another tank I’d class similarly to ball. He doesn’t require as much skill mostly knowing how to utilize your kit, but I love having a good Ram because he is harder to play against. Next is a support hero, Zenyatta. Zenyatta is also a part of the meta right now in lower lobbies and higher ones. I wouldn’t say you need crazy skill, but you need some. Mostly game sense and aim. His discord ability is so useful in winning fights and his heals are decent. I wouldn’t usually class sombra so high, but she is in the meta right now as well since she got ANOTHER rework on her hero. She is in absolutely every single game I que into and she absolutely destroys the teams back line. Kiriko, also meta right now, is a support who has one of the best kits for survivability. She has immortality, teleportation, and fast healing. 10/10. Junker queen is just unkillable. If you know how to play her kit she is very hard to kill. Sojourn is also meta right now for damage players. She just has good utility and shes a value to have on your team. Baptiste is another support in meta due to his high damage output and great healing. Zarya is a good tank to play but she is not meta at all and I would only suggest playing her if your are a skilled Zarya player.
A Tier
I’m going to talk about A tier more as a whole because most of what I have to say can be said about all of these heroes. First, let me tell you their names in order of the photo. Bastion, Genji, Winston, Reaper, Symmetra, Reinhardt, Tracer, Widowmaker, Moira, Mauga, Sigma, and Orisa. Almost everyone in A tier provides so much value to your team if played right. Almost all of them are heroes that require a lot of skill to provide any value. Some definitely aren’t like Mauga, Orisa, and Moira. The rest of these heroes you have to have game sense, know flanking strategies, know your kit, have good aim, etc etc. BUT if you are good on them they are very very valuable to your team.
B Tier
B Tier are the heroes who just aren’t very in meta, kits aren’t that great right now, and I’m just losing matches with these people on my team. We have Junkrat, Mei, Pharah, Soldier 76, Roadhog, Torbjorn, Lifeweaver, Ashe, Brigetta, Doomfist, and Ana. I don’t mind having these heroes on my team but they typically don’t provide a lot unless played well, and they typically just get counter picked. There is one hero in here i would put higher in the tiers though. Ana. Her kit is amazing and so useful, but unfortunately we are only human and everybody’s aim sucks. Ana is a support sniper. You can play her close or long range but your aim has to be good or you might loose the whole game for everyone. A skilled Ana player I would throw to S.
C Tier
I only have 5 people down here because there aren’t really any characters who are truly terrible. You can win with any comp if you have any skill. In C I have Cassidy, Hanzo, Mercy, Illari, and Echo. Cassidy belongs in D tier honestly. He has no value to the team, his kit is bad, and you have to have good aim to play him. Hanzo is in C due to his recent nerf. He used to could 1 shot people if it was a headshot, but he can no longer do that, so he just isn’t too great anymore. Mercy is a good support she just is not in the meta at all right now. Her healing is way to slow to the point of when you play her you have to ONLY heal. No damage. No damage boosting. Only healing. The meta right now is fast, hit scan, etc. so mercy doesn’t quite do the job. Illari is another support who doesn’t have great healing or dps and isn’t meta so no one is playing her right now.
After making the tier list and typing this out I want to move Echo to A. She is very good at getting important picks if you know her kit well and have decent timing and aim. I think she is good to have if the person playing her is a good Echo.
Thank you.
What YouTube videos have I been watching? :)
I wasn’t sure what I should write about this month since I have previously written about everything involving my interests. I realized I watch YouTube A LOT so here we are. I watch it while I eat, which is a must for me to enjoy my food, and to go to sleep. I also use it as background noise for almost everything I do.
- Jay3
Jay3 is an Overwatch youtuber/streamer who puts out a variety of content. He is someone I watch while I eat and for background noise. On his channel you can watch many different series. I enjoy his two series’ called Elo Hell and I spectated. In Elo Hell he watches people who think they deserve a higher rank in Overwatch 2 and Jay determines if so and if not he gives tips. I spectated is just Jay spectating players in competitive who are hacking/cheating. He has a huge variety of Overwatch content that I love to play in the background while I work or eat.
2. Ice burgs
Ice burgs is not a channel but a category on youtube consisting of videos that are anywhere between 1-3 hours long. Each video is a certain category that the youtuber discusses in a chart. The chart is shaped like an ice burg showing the two top layers, middle layer, and 2 bottom layers underneath the water. Basically, each 5 sections of the ice burg is filled with subcategories related to the main subject that get progressively deeper, worse, or darker the further down the ice burg. There are tons of these videos regarding different subject matter that I love listening to. Videos like these I mainly sleep to but occasionally I’ll use an ice burg video as background noise to work to.
3. Broogli
I LOVE Broogli. A lot. He is a youtuber that focuses his entire main channel to explaining the backrooms. He does explanations of each level, item, or entities you can find in the backrooms. I pretty much only watch him when I’m going to bed because I like his voice and his videos aren’t as serious as most videos that explain things.
4. Stories
Recently, I have been listening to stories to sleep to. I am obsessed with cryptids, specifically skinwalkers. I love to find a good 5-10 hour video of someone telling short, scary stories about skinwalkers. Usually, they get the stories from Reddit and read them with rain or fire sounds in the background. I love listening to these. Chefs kiss.
BONUS: My Encounter with a Skinwalker (totally real)
I drove to Raymond, MS a couple months ago to meet up with someone I had started being friends with. His name is Ken. Anyway, I picked him up from his house and we went to this park called Raymond Military Park, I think. It’s basically just a big circle trail. We get out and decide to do a lap around the trail, and we do. On our second lap around we decided to stop at this bridge we found off to the side of the trail. Underneath was just a small creek. I was not satisfied with being on the bridge because I wanted to explore the underneath. We both found a little area where we could get underneath the bridge and sit. Some stone pilers were broke in the sand making the perfect benches so that’s where we sat. I would say about 30 minutes later we hear rustling in the bushes behind us. It was on the edge of the creek off to our right more but still behind us. We look that way, then back at each other, and we hear something jump out of the woods. It was a deer. We both just kind of froze and looked at this deer in awe. Personally, I knew it was mating season and that buck would smack me with an antler, so I just sat still and watched as it ran down the creek. It got close to the other tree line in front of us and just stopped. The deer turned around and stared at us. Not its body, just its head. I think Ken and I made solid eye contact with this deer for 3 minutes before it leaped back into the woods. No way this deer wasn’t a skin walker fr.
The End.
My thoughts on the new Five Nights at Fredy’s movie
Heyyy everyone. I could not let this topic go untouched. I’m kind of late doing this but I figured why not do it anyway. I wanted to give my honest insight on the new FNaF movie. It became very controversial among the fanbase because half of them hate it and half love it. So, I’m adding my own two cents.
Casting
This is the one thing I feel they did great on. I absolutely loved Matthew Lillard being casted as Afton, and Josh Hutcherson as Mike. Elizabeth Lail was also a nice pick for Vanessa. I also enjoyed how they included fan favorite YouTubers in the film as backing characters. People loved seeing MatPat and CoreyxKenshin in the movie.
Characters
There was only one character in the film that was somewhat accurate to the lore and played well, Afton. I enjoyed Afton and his part in the film and I thought it was decently accurate (50%) compared to the others who aren’t accurate at all. I did not enjoy Mike or Abby very much. Mike was 100% not accurate and Abby did not even exist. Vanessa is one of my favorite characters in the books and games but in this movie they changed her so much it did not even feel like Vanessa anymore. I thought the animatronics were alright. The movie decided to take a different perspective on the animatronics that I would still consider decently accurate. They head first dived into the fact that the animatronics were haunted by children, which is true, and the movie decided to really embrace that aspect of the lore. Mike, Abby, and Vanessa end up drawing and building forts with the animatronics as well as making friends with them in general. Embracing the robots “inner child.” It shows how much the children were manipulated and I cannot say I enjoyed this but I won’t bash them for taking that route as it was a PG-13 movie.
Plot
The plot line for this movie was my least favorite portion. It was very inaccurate to the lore but that is my last concern. I understand that I am watching this movie from a different perspective. I know the lore and I have been in this fandom for a few years. Naturally, I did not enjoy the movies plot. I would have loved to see an R rated film, accurate plot, gore, and the whole nine yards. Instead we got a kid friendly spin off. If you were someone seeing this movie unaware of any of the lore, I could understand why you enjoyed the movie. Typically, those people were the ones enjoying this film while the lovers of lore were on the outside side eyeing it. I just would have loved to see something a lot more similar to the games. The movie shares almost nothing in common with the games besides the animatronics, they looked wonderful. I also understand that the lore is NOT set in stone. Almost all lore is what the fan base put together after studying the games and books. Some has been confirmed but not all, so who knows if the lore is what Scott Cawthon actually wanted it to be. To me, the best part of this movie was the end credits. Thank you.
Things I am obsessed with right now
- Overwatch
I have been playing this game like there’s no tommorow. I played overwatch 1 so long ago and recently installed overwatch 2 on my pc. Basically, Overwatch is a 5v5 online multiplayer. There are different game modes like control, escort, flashpoint, etc. You play as different heroes and I wanted to talk about my favorites to play. Firstly, there are 3 options. You play tank, damage, or support. I play support mostly. I have 3 favorite support heroes. Mercy, Moira, and Kiriko. Mercy can fly and she is the most focused on healing. Not much damage. Mercy has a staff for her healing and her dps (damage) is a pistol. She can also use her staff to supply damage boost to her teammates. Moira is so fun to use because her dps ability is better than most damage heroes. Her left hand heals, and her right hand damages. She shoots the heals out in a stream, and her left hand sucks the life out of people damaging them. Moira can also throw this ball at teammates or enemies because it can heal or damage. Kiriko is very new and simple. She throws Kunai knives for dps. She throws out paper talismans to heal called her healing ofuda. She also throws a cleanse making herself or teammate invincible for a short second. They all have ultimate abilities as well. Mercy’s ultimate is called Valkyrie and it just allows her to fly for a longer period of time. Moira can shoot a very large consistent beam that damages enemies and heals teammates at the same time. Kiriko throws down a trail that allows health boosts and her teammates to shoot or use their dps 10x’s faster.
I also play damage and tank just not even half as often. I only use one tank because i think playing tank SUCKS and if you know anything about this game you know it is probably D.va. It is. She’s a cutie patootie. Anyway, D.va’s tank is a mechanical suit that we call a mech. When she “dies” she is pulled out her mech then your just D.va without the tank part. She just has a pistol in this state. When you are inside the mech, you have 2 abilities besides ultimate. She has a rocket boost and a shield. Now, in my opinion, D.va’s ultimate is one of the best in the game. She can self destruct. Basically, you can throw your mech at the enemy team and its like a giant nuke. It wipes them if they don’t get away in time.
Damage character time. I play 3 on damage mostly, but honestly I can play any damage. I use Echo, Widowmaker, and Sombra. Echo is a blue robot with wings. Her abilities are pretty good. She can fly for a short time. She has sticky bombs. Then, she has a beam of…energy, I guess, that she shoots out for a few seconds. You have to use combination moves to get kills with her but she’s fun. Widowmaker is a simple but very hard character to play. She’s a sniper. Her sniper charges when you scope in and will let you know when your aiming onto an enemy. She can one shot headshot from a certain distance. One of her abilities is a grappling hook to allow her to get a vantage point as a sniper. Her second is just a little poison trap that she throws own. I don’t see the point. Sombra is my all time favorite because she has so many abilities and she is very over powered honestly. Firstly, she has a small one handed SMG but it can destroy someone’s health if you have good aim. Her first ability is automatic meaning you don’t press a button to use it. She is invisible. 100% invisible to enemies. When she does anything besides running she comes uninvisible. Two seconds after becoming uninvisible she’s back invisible unless your fighting. Her next ability is an emp. She throws a cube and it deals a decent section of the enemies health. Her next ability is a teleport cube. She throws a cube and it can teleport her very far. Her next ability is a hack. When you get hacked by Sombra, you cannot use any abilities or ultimate for 3 seconds, which is plenty of time for her to combo and kill you. Now, their ultimate abilities. Echo has a replicator for her ultimate. She can replicate herself as any hero on the enemy team and use that against them. Widowmaker’s ultimate makes it where her and her entire team can see the enemy team through walls. Sombra’s ultimate releases a huge wave that can hack the entire enemy team.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk
2. CHEEZE ITZ
i just wanted to talk about overwatch lolz
American Cryptids: The Lizard Man and The Dover Demon
The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp is one of the lesser-known cryptids in American folklore, yet it has captured the imagination of cryptozoology enthusiasts and curious locals in South Carolina. This creature is said to inhabit the swamps and woods around Lee County, primarily in and around Scape Ore Swamp. This area is located near Bishopville. The legend of the lizard man dates back to the late 1980’s. The Lizard Man is often described as a reptilian humanoid. He is said to be around seven feet tall. He has scaly, green skin, three toes on his feet, and three fingers. People claim it has glowing red or orange eyes and sharp teeth as well. Some people mention it having a tail. The legend of the Lizard Man has become an integral part of local folklore in Bishopville and the surrounding area. It has inspired books, documentaries, and even a local festival called “Lizard Man Festival.” This event attracts enthusiasts and curious visitors looking to learn more about this cryptid.
The first notable sighting of the Lizard Man occurred in the summer of 1988. A local teenager named Christopher Davis claimed to have been attacked by a creature matching the description of the lizard man while changing a flat tire near Scape Ore Swamp. Davis reported that the creature damaged his car and left scratch marks on the vehicle. His account, accompanied by photographs of the damaged car, gained widespread attention. Following Christopher Davis’s report, numerous other witnesses came forward with their own stories of encounters with this creature. Some claimed to have seen the lizard man in or near the swamp, while others reported damage to their vehicles or property, similar to Christopher’s experience. Skeptics have given various explanations to everyone’s encounters saying witnesses may have seen misidentified animals or were influenced by the media attention generated by Christopher Davis’s encounter. However, believers in the Lizard Man’s existence point to the consistency of eyewitness accounts and the relatively remote location of the swamp, making it less likely for hoaxes to persist.
The Dover Demon
The Dover Demon in an American cryptid that came around in the 1970’s. It is associated with a series of sightings in the town Dover, Massachusetts in the course of 2 nights in April of 1977. The Dover Demon is described as small and humanoid. It stands around 3-4 feet tall, thin limbs, and hairless. It has peach-colored, pinkish-grey skin. It is described as having large, glowing, orange eyes, a melon-shaped head, and long fingers. The Dover demon remains a legacy in American folklore and cryptozoology. Although the sightings in Dover are isolated to a few nights in 1977 we can talk about that.
The first reported sighting of the Dover Demon was on the night of April 21, 197. Three teenagers, Bill Barlett, Mike Mazzocca, and Andy Brodie, claimed to have an encounter with this creature while driving in separate vehicles. They gave a description matching the one above saying it was walking along a stone wall. The nights after these many other sightings were reported by different witnesses. There were no documented photos, but the sightings became a local interest. Some believe it as a teenage lie for attention, others say it was a moose or fawn.
Unveiling the Enigma: The American Folklore of Skinwalkers
Nestled within the rich stories of American folklore lies a chilling tale that has captivated the imaginations of many for generations: Skinwalkers. With its origins deeply rooted in the beliefs and traditions of indigenous peoples, the legend of the Skinwalker continues to intrigue and terrify those who dare to delve into its shadowy depths. In this blog, we will embark on a journey through the mystique of Skinwalkers, exploring their origins, characteristics, and the enduring fascination that surrounds them.
To understand the lore of Skinwalkers, one must first acknowledge its origins in Native American cultures, particularly within the Navajo and Pueblo communities of the American Southwest. Known by different names in various tribal traditions, these malevolent shape-shifters are believed to be powerful witches or shamans who have strayed down a dark and forbidden path. In many indigenous cultures, the act of shape-shifting is considered taboo, as it involves tapping into dark magic and sacrificing one’s humanity for supernatural abilities.
The most distinctive feature of Skinwalkers is their ability to transform into animals at will. While they can assume the forms of various creatures, common choices include coyotes, wolves, and owls. This shape-shifting ability grants them a terrifying advantage, allowing them to blend seamlessly with their surroundings and stalk their prey with uncanny stealth. Moreover, Skinwalkers are believed to possess other supernatural powers, such as mind control, telepathy, and the ability to curse or harm others from a distance.
Encounters with Skinwalkers are rare, and those who claim to have crossed paths with these malevolent beings often recount chilling tales of their experiences. Some describe witnessing an animal that should not be present, exhibiting unnaturally intelligent and predatory behavior. Others speak of eerie encounters with humans who display unnatural agility and a malevolent aura. One common thread in these stories is the feeling of dread and unease that washes over those who encounter Skinwalkers. Native American cultures emphasize that even acknowledging the presence of a Skinwalker can invite their malevolence, making it essential to avoid engaging with or even discussing them whenever possible.
Given the sinister reputation of Skinwalkers, indigenous communities have developed rituals and safeguards to protect themselves from these malevolent entities. Many Navajo and Pueblo traditions include rituals involving the use of sacred herbs, blessings, and protective charms. These practices are meant to deter Skinwalkers and safeguard individuals and communities from their dark influence.
Despite their terrifying reputation, Skinwalkers have captured the imaginations of many beyond indigenous communities. They have become a fixture in modern paranormal and horror lore, featuring prominently in literature, films, and television series. The enigmatic nature of these shape-shifters, their connection to ancient Native American cultures, and the fear they evoke all contribute to their enduring fascination.
The American folklore of Skinwalkers is a haunting and mysterious tale deeply rooted in the traditions and beliefs of indigenous peoples. While they may be the stuff of nightmares, Skinwalkers continue to intrigue and terrify those who delve into their lore. Whether encountered in stories or whispered about in hushed tones, these malevolent shape-shifters remind us of the enduring power of folklore to captivate our imaginations and awaken our deepest fears.
Benefits to reading diverse genres
Hi. Back to blogging. Over the summer I did a lot more reading than writing. Everyone has their favorite genres including myself. I like horror, romance, and mystery books. Some people ONLY like their favorite genres. I wanted to talk about why reading more than just 1-3 genres can benefit us as writers. I see an extreme growth in my own writing because of the amount of reading I did over the summer. I dove into genres I thought I would absolutely hate like Sci-Fi, humor, action fiction, and even a couple biographies. It can offer a very large range of benefits for us as writers.
Reading different genres exposes you to different story telling formats, structures, and perspectives. Especially if you pick up a fantasy novel or Sci-Fi. Being exposed to these forces a creative stimulation for us to think outside of the box. It can broaden our creative thinking I would say. Writing isn’t always about emotion, though, it is some people’s favorite thing to add to writing. Reading books that explore more than you think inside a box is eye opening.
Reading a diverse genre can also broaden your perspective on writing. Think of it like this, each genre and novel offer you a unique lens for us to view the world through. Different genres can expose you to different cultures, time periods, and topics to write about. They can show you different ways to write about certain subjects. You can even get a new perspective on your favorite thing to write about. Maybe you write a horror story, but you read someone else’s horror story after. They may show you a whole different perspective on how to show fear in a story.
Now, you will also get to improve your own personal writing through exploring literature. You will get to read different tones, styles, voices, and narratives. All of which can improve your own writing skills. You will see how different genres employ different pacing, language, dialogue, and imagery. These are all very versatile as well. Once you apply them to your own writing, they don’t have to be exactly how the other novel used them. You make them your own as well. You can also make them engaging.
New genres can expand your vocabulary by miles. Diverse genres have new words, phrases, and terms specific to their genre. You would be able to enrich your vocabulary, which will enable you to communicate more effectively in your writing. I noticed that my recent flash fiction and poem I wrote had a very wide vocabulary I never saw in my previous writing.
You will improve your adaptability as a writer. If you are skilled in multiple genres, you will be able to adapt to new projects. This is extremely handy for us because we are literary students. We get new projects very often that aren’t in our comfort zones, or we may dislike the prompt. If you’re experienced in more than one genre your adaptability to these projects will be improved. The dynamic of your work can improve as well because of your ability to draw from different genres.
Different genres evoke different emotions in the characters in the story. When you read a horror novel you read the characters in fear, romance novels show them in love, and a scientist in a Sci-Fi novel may show them focused. You would experience a wide spectrum of emotion and many new ways to describe it. Every author describes these emotions differently as well as every genre. Reading new authors more often and more genres will show you so many new ways to have your readers feel the same and connect more with your characters.
Empathy also plays a large role. If you read different genres you will read about different characters from so many backgrounds and situations. This helps you develop empathy which will give you a broader understanding of human nature. How will this help your own writing though? This will enrich the authenticity of your characters.
I hope my blog may help some of you who are in writers block or just like to read in general. From my own personal experiences, I recommend reading many novels on every inch of the spectrum.
My favorite music to write to
Some of us like to listen to music as we write, so I figured I would list some of my personal favorites. Music tends to distract me sometimes when I am trying to do something. Certain artists and songs help but a lot do not help me. I’m going to have 3 bands in here and 2 songs.
Artists
- The Neighborhood
There is quite an obvious theme residing in these bands and songs if you are familiar with the ones I chose. The Neighborhood is very relaxing for me and I can focus well while listening to their music because there aren’t a lot of noises involved or fast pace. When the songs are too fast paced I cant keep up with both the music and writing.
- Cigarettes after sex
This one is on here for the same reason as the previous artist listed. Very slow, calm, and quiet. I find those 2 bands quite similar in many aspects. They both bring the perfect energy and amount of focus to my writing zone.
- Mitski
Mitski has some songs in a fast pace, but I can still use them to focus with in my writing. She has a very soft singing voice which is perfect for the atmosphere I try to create during writing.
The songs
- Jealous- Eyedress
- Spit in my face- ThxSoMch
I’m talking about both songs at once because everything I say can correlate to both. Both songs have a nice rhythm that I love hearing. They contribute to my stories every time I write. Sometimes I like to play songs I feel would fit into the movie version of my stories and they often contribute. As well as the piano solo Clare De Lune.
Why don’t I like writing to music?
I mentioned in the blog that I did not really like listening to music while I write. I have a few reasons why, but the main thing is that I can’t focus on both. When fast or loud music is played in headphones or out loud I can focus on my writing. If the music is softer and slower I can. I also don’t like it very much because it will sometimes give me ideas for the story. Now, this is fine and helpful until you are almost done with the story and decide the ending and plot should be reworked because of one song lyric.
What inspires my writing
For this weeks blog I decided to write about who, what, where, and everything else impacts my writing. I think I write about a wide variety of themes and plot lines. I thought you may be interested in seeing where they all come from.
Mental Health
I commonly use the topic of mental health in my writing because it is one of a few things I can strike a passion for. I love forming a character to represent this illness. I also really enjoy getting to research the mental illnesses I write about. I obviously try to do extensive research before writing the story. There is so much to be aware of in the area of mental health, and I feel like I can show that through my stories.
Societal issues
This is another subject I am passionate about. When it comes down to sexism, racism, or just hate in society in general I feel like I have to write about it. Societal problems strike a special anger for me, but I can vent that onto a piece of paper. I feel like there are so many places society as a whole still needs to improve in.
Specifically teenage mental health/issues
It gets technical here, but this is my favorite subject matter to write on. Teenagers do not get heard a lot of the time when it comes to their mental health, or what people call “teenage drama” can be serious in the eyes of the teenager. I have a specific, festering passion for this subject. I could go on and on about why I like writing about this topic.
Lighting and sound
This is not a topic I like to write about, but my setting. Certain areas I can be more or less productive. I like it to be in my own personal area, but that does not always mean my room. Take our classroom for example (3rd block). I sit on the almost end of our table but I am not shoulder to shoulder with anyone. I have enough of my own space to feel like I am in my personal area. My room is the ideal place of course. I like for the lights to be dim. I usually sit at my desk with the lava lamp on my desk, and my roommates lamp on on the other side of the room. I like to have 2 sounds going (not at the same time). I either like to hear white noise while I write, or music. It depends usually. If one doesn’t work I will swap to the other. I like my room freezing at all times, so I can bundle into a blanket. Comfy and cozy.