Writing Series 1 with writer L. Ann Ahlstrom

I'm a grad now so I now get to be your teacher. *bows*

I dare not give this a title

On Facebook a few days ago I gave a warning. Warning read as thus,

“Note for this weekend: If you do not want to invoke the wrath of the Irish and an educator, do not say 50 Shades of Grey is the example of a good relationship or that it represents BDSM. Main reason is that I will yell at you and show you what those two things SHOULD look like. Sincerely, She Who Knows Too Much”

Why did I write this? Well for one, as a member in the entertainment business I have two reoccurring reactions to both the book and the movie. Reaction 1: SEMPAI HOW COULD YOU?!?! *dumps all hopes of working for Universal in the trash* Reaction 2: They call that a good example of bondage and a safe, healthy relationship?

Okay, turning less manic now. Everyone on social media might be scratching their head at this. I have self-proclaimed that I’ve learned all written genres, this includes erotica – and yes even dabbled into what readers would call the taboo erotica for the sake of learning. I learned how to write details in setting through a book on how to write erotica. So I’ve made it a point to be self-educated on my craft to know every single thing about how to write a good story. No genre was crossed off of the learning list. I learned them all.

I’m two weeks from finishing my Creative Writing BA and everything about 50 Shades of Grey contradicts what people in the media should be doing and what I have been taught. Considering I’m young in the industry, I’m putting my neck out there by writing this review while boycotting the entire franchise of this book turned movie. Yet, because I am young in this industry I’m able to write about this from an angle that doesn’t involve the greed from the franchise. That being said, I’m throwing caution to the wind because this is utterly stupid, frustrating, and shameful.

Patreon

Patreon is officially live! I'll be recording the video for the page next week after finals but in the meantime take a peek. If you like what I'm doing drop a tip in the hat. Don't have to but it would be greatly appreciated if you did.

https://www.patreon.com/lannahlstrom?ty=a

Natural Writer #1: Allergy remedy

*sigh* Due to legal stuffs I get to do a disclaimer since this is the first thing to be posted. 

Ahem…

Disclaimer: Due to my personal diet (AKA body chemistry) I cannot promise that any remedy given will work to the same capacity it did for me.

*dusts hands* Okay, onward to the blend that saved my liver.

Backstory: I have had really bad allergies since I can remember. On top of having hay fever I’m also deathly allergic to pet dander. I was taking two 12 hr allegra decongestants per day every day. When I tried to do the 24 hr it never cleared my nasal passage up enough for me to breathe or eat. Every single year I would get a nasal infection that had so many things on top of it the doctor had to refer to the med school pharmacy books to get me the right medicine to knock them all out. So that means I was taking one too many antibiotics yearly. Going natural was something I knew I had to give a shot since side effects could possibly shorten my life if I stayed on them.

Playing around with Doterra oils to make a specific blend made my lungs sound so much better that my doctor was thoroughly baffled. This is how I did it.

Fantasy recommendation

Okay, while we are all on the “New Year” phase of making resolutions and so forth I will add my two cents. We writers often start a new year off with the vow that we will finish our book. We write the goal number count on a calendar, set a deadline for the first draft, and restock the kitchen with our caffeine drug/poison of choice. Odd thing is, we proudly boast such things but some genres we come across in writing confuse us.

Never fear, fellow writers. As per my goal for 2015, I will pass along tips and the names of writing books that I will use this year and can’t imagine my library without. Since this writer is still teary-eyed over the deaths of a few dwarves (“Why must my favorite characters in stories all ways die?”) January is Fantasy month. Without further ado, I present my Fantasy lifeline.

Road to Graduation #1 - 6 month mark

Almost six months until graduation. Half of me is cringing and going “yikes” while the other half of me is wringing my hands with excitement. I’ve filled out my passport application, kept an eye on BBC internships, and upped my freelancing by doing podcasts. Now, I have the hardest part of the journey ahead: The online portfolio.

This tab on the school’s platform is the most intimidating thing for me. The reason? My resume looks lacking. I’m a serious student, so that means I have no club involvement from either school I’ve been at. All I have on my resume is my degree, extra classes (speech, accounting, and history), and a tiny bit of volunteer work. That means what I have for my portfolio is heavy on the school influence and less on the creative influence.

Yes, I have a handful of blog-a-book challenges, photography knowledge and experience, and some editing experience. However, that compared to what other people have on a resume or in their portfolio makes mine looks wimpy. Over the last month I have brainstormed the heck out of things to find out a) how do I scrape together the money to get through my Masters of Fine Art and b) how to come up with a plan that doesn’t lead to a starving artist. My solution thus far is make podcasts, write, and aim for a Patron page.

Summary of the situation I’m in:

            I am under a contract with Division of Vocational Rehab due to my physical disabilities that are the reason why I have hearing aids and why I sometimes have to use a wheelchair. Based on the level of my disability, my work contract was approved. One catch: writing/screenwriting wasn’t a good enough career to aim for, college teacher of creative writing was.

Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching – in a way it’s in my blood since I was started young as a peer teacher for basic science with my dad (who was, a science teacher at a community college – the SAME community college I have attended and am expected to submit a resume to upon the completion of my MFA.) Only problem to this is that I do not like the idea of teaching to fit a test or a single textbook. Also, my endurance levels would not allow me to teach full time and if I can’t do it full time I think I would only waste resources. If I ever do teach, it’ll be to people who want to learn – not to people who are there just because the class sounded easy and they need blank amount of credits for a transfer. Because of having that same experience as a student (and technically wasted money on classes that I didn’t need) , I choose to teach in a more private setting of giving the tips and tricks whenever someone asks.

So, podcasts and freelancing are my method to making the funder happy. Writing and teaching for free undoubtedly may make teachers and peers cringe, but that’s where my thoughts on Patron come in. Having free access with the option of having a tip jar is something that I’ve always liked. Not all of us are lucky enough to go to college. Not all of us are lucky enough to pay for writing workshops or even to buy writing books. I’m a firm believer on education being free or merely affordable to the every day person. To put into context of how much I believe in it I’ll illustrate:

            I am the first person on the maternal side of my family to get an education that is beyond high school. My mother was the first person in her family to graduate from high school – and thus convinced my grandfather to get his G.E.D. – I am a third generation American (via paternal) who has had a better start on life because one parent was highly educated. Since that parent passed, I have ended up being the most educated in my household and family. Which scares the living daylights out of me since I am the only one who can get a fair wage or a livable wage based on my education. Yet, I’m not considered educated enough by employers.

My lot in life (disabled) pushed me to get educated so I’m not stuck on the government’s poverty plans for the rest of my adult life. Rather, my lot in life and the demoralizing behavior of state caseworkers convinced me that I HAD to get educated because I valued myself enough to get out of a situation that had me battling my depression episodes. I succeeded, I’m not on SSI anymore but that is only because I stuck to my guns when I was told I had to go on a spending spree with my savings or lose the monthly income.

Because of that background of being pressured and bullied by circumstances, I feel comfortable with giving the information I have to teach for free and then have a Patron page to support the podcasts and the updates on the blog-a-books. It feels wrong to demand that a person take out a loan to be able to sit in a class that contains information that I would give to any follower or fan for free if they asked. We live in an over priced world with under paid resources. I’d like to not contribute to the problem that my generation has with education and be the person who takes the risk. I have no idea if my current base is big enough to support a Patron page. It’s good to hope that it is and I’m putting a lot of faith in this idea.

I won’t be starting the Patron page yet. Once I have ten or so podcasts written up and at least five online I will. And if Patron is intimidating, the website and blog will have a tip jar for readers and listeners. 

The books behind S. Holmes

As mentioned in podcast #2 I have book recommendations for how to write villains and the chaos they create.

#1. As mentioned in the podcast Making of S. Holmes #2 – this book is one I use daily for writing. It’s creditable, cram packed with information, and easy to understand. Key to writing villains is to make phycology your best friend. This book makes that step easier. #2. When doing a whodunit, you have to look up things on the web that probably are really suspicious. This book helped me keep my internet history from looking…well, worse. Within the pages of this book you have a basic guide to writing accurate forensics – from the crime scene to the morgue. Definitely a book that should be on the must have list if you’re wanting to write blood, horror, and the morbid aspect of life. #3. My other must have book to keep the Internet history clean. Book of Poisons is one of those odd books that I find myself using every once in a while for projects. Inside there are the nature made poisons – like hemlock, snake venoms – and industrial. Each poison gives a medical break down of what the symptoms are, reaction time, and a level of how deadly said poison is. First three books down on the recommendation list, many more to go!