How Do I Put My Thoughts Into Words?

Putting thoughts into words can perhaps be described as the process that takes place before writing begins. This is the step many writers find to be the most challenging. Though thoughts and ideas flow; they don’t always necessarily arrange themselves into a specific order. This makes the writing process less convenient. In your mind, there isn’t a blank sheet of paper; you imagine words have filled the space so much so that pages are accumulating. One idea builds on another which reminds you of that one topic and that one book by your favorite author—the cycle continues. This can easily get overwhelming, and if you’re anything like me, you are going to wait until you find those elegant words before you put your thoughts on paper. More often than not, when you do finally decide to write it down, those same ideas aren’t there anymore. The pretty words you came up with seem purposeless; they no longer have ideas to adorn. But don’t you worry! Below, I have shared some tips that have helped me that I hope also helps you turn your thoughts into words.

Whatever it is, write it down now!

Resist the urge to cloud your mind with words, phrases, and sentences you think would be most attractive to express your thoughts. Whatever and whenever it comes to mind, get a piece of paper and jot it down. You can go with the classic bullet points or the infamous incomplete sentences. What matters is that you have taken the time to write down your ideas. After time passes and you want to pursue these ideas for your written work, all you have to do is look at your notes. The neural pathways have already been paved, and the key words will refresh your mind on why you wanted to express these ideas in the first place.

Freewriting

If you are not pressed for time when the flood of ideas begins to drown your mind, it might be a good idea to just begin writing them. I know this sounds unorthodox, but trust the process. Write as thoughts come and go with no regard for flow or even punctuation; your goal is to compile them into written form. It builds the framework from which you will begin the actual writing process. I have found it to be rather rejuvenating; you should try it sometime.

Outline

I like to think that the outlining process is the fun part. Now that you have your ideas, you get to choose which one you’ll talk about first and create your own unique flow. This step helps you organize your thoughts and give them a sense of direction. For instance, you may begin with the major ideas and continue to break them down into three different perspectives or approaches. Once you have done that, the rest is busy work that entails finding examples and sources that support your them. If you are in the creative writing field, on the other hand, you may begin to write as soon as you have finished your outline!

Putting thoughts into words does not have to be a painful or bitter process. Hopefully, as you have learned thus far, many of us just need to break through the barriers of the need for perfection so we can truly express ourselves. When we do that, we get to exercise our ability to formulate our thoughts into words and hone it to our own unique sense of perfection in the process.

Written by Kenean

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Shalom

Optimistic lyrics, “Do you remember the 21st night of September? Love was changing the minds of pretenders while chasing the clouds away,” from Earth, Wind, and Fire’s song September quickly come to mind when thinking of Peace Day. Coincidentally, Peace Day is celebrated annually on September 21st, and its message echoes the band’s emphasis on love conquering the damaging behaviors and thoughts we constantly have. Writers for the International Day of Peace’s official website state that the holiday was “established in 1981 by [a] unanimous United Nations resolution [and] provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to [p]eace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.” However, history has proven that peace is hardly celebrated, perhaps because it is rarely truly attained. Michelle Ruoff, a writer for Live 365 reports that the most popular holidays worldwide celebrate food, independence, light, love, saints, death, and resurrection. None of them commemorate peace. 

For many Americans, the entire month of September causes a whirlwind of emotions. Many developing students across the nation have returned to school to begin the next grade level. On the 7th, most take a day off or attend a barbeque to acknowledge all of their hard work on Labor Day. World Suicide Prevention Day on the 10th is used to honor those who have been affected by suicide or suicide attempts through suicidal behavior education, global cycling events, and most commonly, lighting a candle near a windowsill to show support or honor a loved one. Ten days before Peace Day, during Patriot Day, still sensitive Americans acknowledge the terrorist attack on U.S soil, 9/11/2001, that bruised the heart of the nation almost twenty years ago. The history, holidays, and traditions held in this month alone seem to encourage chaos. 

In May 2020, as I wrote this blog, the whole world was engulfed in chaos and lacked peace because of COVID19. At this time, many individuals were overwhelmed by fear-mongering, selfishness, job-insecurity, risk of infection from a deadly disease, death itself, and many other peace-stealing circumstances. Bombarded by 24-hour news cycles, isolation from people one normally sees every day, or fear that one may be assaulted or killed for asking others to abide by safety regulations can drive away peace in anyone. 

However, seeking peace is the remedy for this extremely stressful time. In order to acquire peace, one must first understand it. Many dictionaries and thesauri emphasize tranquility, calmness, or the absence of war. After further study, the word tranquility describes one thing being free from interruption or disturbance of another. Endless notification pings, breaking news, and even new thoughts prevent us from living a distraction-free life. Calm most often refers to stillness, especially in harsh weather. Alfred Nobel’s final will and testament declared that the Nobel Peace Prize was to be awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses”( “History”). Many brilliant leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and John F. Kennedy have lost their lives seeking it. Perhaps most people never possess peace because they have unrealistic ideas of what it is. 

According to the Living Word, peace, or shalom, is an invaluable gift from God, not a prize for the conquering. In fact, in John 14:27, Jesus admits that true peace cannot be obtained through man but through Christ alone, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”(ESV). Another important theme in this verse is that Jesus consoles God’s children and tells them not to fear.

Peace is not the absence of agitation or the void of violence, it is a precious present from the Lord during the worst times.

In one’s own experience, peace comes in the midnight hour, when the heart and brain sleep. Sometimes peace is the Son that shines after one’s eyes cloud and make storms of tears. Finally, peace, when coupled with faith, provides strength to overcome all obstacles. 

Written by Ashley

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Sources

Anonymous.(n.d.) History. Nobel Peace Prize.org. Retrieved from  https://www.nobel 

peaceprize.org/History. 

Anonymous.(n.d.) What is the International Day of Peace? International Day of Peace.org. Retrieved from https://internationaldayofpeace.org/

Ruoff, Michelle.(28 Feb.2020). Top 15 Most Celebrated Holidays in the World. Live 365. 

Retrieved from https://live365.com/blog/top-15-most-celebrated-holidays-around-the-world/

Twilight: A Saga

In the world of the early 2000s and even going into the 2010s, few things were as universally controversial, or universally mocked, as Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling book series, the Twilight Saga. These books spawned movies, rocketed actors into fame, and overall, caused mass hysteria. Websites dedicated to hating and trashing the franchise popped up just as quickly as posts with adoring fans freaking out at premieres. While the series was popular, there was vicious hate towards the books, with many people voicing problems with the series. As this series has faded and others have taken the limelight position, it is time to have a critical discussion about the books. Should teenage girls read Twilight for years to come? Or is this vampire fantasy novel best left in the dark?

Many psychologists and media critics have a long-standing criticism with Twilight’s apparent depiction of an abusive relationship between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. In a Psychology Today article, Dr. Wind Goodfriend talked about how Twilight normalizes Edward’s over-the-top protective, abusive behavior while glorifying those actions through the flowery narration of the victim, Bella. Goodfriend lists several actions Edward takes towards Bella, including separating her from her friends and even stalking her. She also points out Bella’s character, including her low self-esteem and complete obsession with her relationship, as textbook for abuse victims. Critics of the series say that it is unhealthy for people, especially young girls, to see such relationships portrayed as positive and desirable.

In a strong defense of Twilight, look at the good it has done for its readers. Many girls found their love of books because of the saga. The series has been criticized for simplistic writing, but that’s exactly what makes it so easy to read. No book series suits everyone but there is a reason that Twilight was so popular. The books are thrilling and romantic, and Bella and Edward’s relationship is fun to read about. Edward’s snarky yet chivalrous personality has become the blueprint for beloved YA love interests. He and Bella have great chemistry and will make readers laugh one moment and sigh the next. The BookTube community, a corner of Youtube dedicated to discussing books and book franchises, is filled with young women spanning ages 16 to 30, almost all of whom credit Twilight for their addictions to literature because it introduced them to the joy of reading.

If Twilight, an enjoyable but flawed book, inspires girls to continue reading other books and broadening their perspectives, then is it not doing its job fantastically?

 So, should girls read Twilight? Is it a bad influence; does it morph people’s perspective too far? Perhaps a comparison to other literature might help make the reaction to Twilight clearer.

 In the first Twilight book, Meyer continually compares the kindling love between Bella and Edward to the romance of Heathcliff and Cathrine from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights,  a favorite text of Bella’s and an inspiration for Myer.  BBC writer Hephzibah Anderson, in her essay “Heathcliff and Literature’s Greatest Love Story Are Toxic,” accurately discusses Heathcliff’s nature. She interviews many people who loved the storyline of Wuthering Heights.

Author and Brontë buff Samantha Ellis recently struck a chord with an article titled How Heathcliff Ruined My Love Life. A self-described ‘recovering Heathcliff addict,’ she says Heathcliff was her ‘gateway drug.’ After him came Rhett Butler, Rupert Campbell-Black, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Spike, Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell… Unfortunately, they were accompanied by real-life bad boys: ‘As I hit my teens, I actively chased bad men… In my twenties, I went out with men who were not always honest to me, or nice’ (Ellis qtd. in Anderson).

This is one of the fears many Twilight critics have. The literature of youth affecting perception of the present. This story really did change how people saw romance, in a negative and harmful sense. Heathcliff is a terrible person and has a destructive relationship with Catherine, no matter how much they claim to love each other. They go out of their way to do things to hurt each other as well. It is obsessive, repulsive, and toxic. However, many would not say that it is the same dynamic at all as that of Twilight. Edward and Bella have an unhealthy relationship; they always try to do what is best for each other, though often in the wrong way.

 However, Twilight still might be harmful to younger teens if they have not been educated on healthy relationships, which according to studies such as Making Caring Common, are not being reliably taught in many teen’s opinion. Yet, if used properly, Twilight might be a tool for just that.

 When kids find something complicated or easy too misunderstand in school or in activities, adults do not stop teaching it. Math is still taught in schools despite most kids declaring their confusion. What does a parent or school do when they want to explain something to a student? They get a teacher. A guide. Choir directors do not expect the students to teach themselves how to sing; after all, they would probably teach themselves incorrectly. Media, literature— Twilight—are not squeaky-clean pieces of art that have nothing but good morals and upstanding role models. Parents and guardians use them as a way to share ideas and then teach through them. Twilight is fun to talk about, whether it’s the plot holes or the vampire fights or which bad boy is cuter. This is a powerful advantage when trying to open discussions about relationships, healthy and unhealthy. Bella Swan is such a blank-slate audience surrogate that any situation can be easily superimposed upon the reader. While Twilight’s purpose is not to be a conversation starter, it does a really good job of it. Of course, at some point teens and children will mature and be able to go out into the world without their parents on their shoulder, but those who were prepped best beforehand will have the clearest path.

Written by Robyn

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Works Cited

Anderson, Hephzibah. “Culture – Heathcliff and Literature’s Greatest Love Story Are Toxic.”BBC, BBC, 30 July 2018, http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180725-heathcliff-and-literatures-greatest-love-story-are-toxic.

Bates, Robin R. “How Jane Eyre Is Not Twilight.” Better Living through Beowulf, 11 June 2014, betterlivingthroughbeowulf.com/how-jane-eyre-is-not-twilight/.

Goodfriend, Wind. “Relationship Violence in ‘Twilight.’” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,9 Nov. 2011, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychologist-the-movies/201111/relationship-violence-in-twilight.

Happy Grandparents Day!

What is Grandparents Day?

Just as we have days to honor mothers and fathers, Grandparents Day is dedicated to the wonderful people who brought those mothers and fathers into the world: grandparents! Grandparents Day is a national holiday, and it is celebrated in various countries around the world. Some countries even have separate days for grandmothers and grandfathers. In America, this holiday always falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day, and for 2020, Grandparents Day falls on Sunday, September 13.

The Origin

Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation to officially recognize Grandparents Day as a national holiday in 1979. He urged all Americans to take time to honor their own grandparents or elders within their community on this day. A woman by the name of Marion McQuade was recognized as the founder of this day as she worked tirelessly to unite all fifty states in recognizing this day as a holiday. McQuade donated much time in her community to teach the youth about the various important contributions that seniors have made throughout history, and she encouraged the youth to adopt a grandparent for a lifetime. Clearly, McQuade felt that the knowledge and guidance that elders had to offer was vitally important to the younger generation, and she took the steps needed to show them the recognition they deserve.

Celebration

The best way to show someone that he or she is important to you is to spend time with that person. Giving gifts and cooking food is also a good way of saying, “Thank you!” Even though COVID-19 is keeping everyone indoors, e-cards and phone calls are excellent ways to stay in touch with those you love. Perhaps even leaving a letter in the mailboxes of the elders in your community could be a magnificent way to spread love and celebrate the wisdom and life that they possess. Take time to love those around you and support those who you look up to. Maybe even remind a boss, teacher, professor, etc. of their importance to you.  Adopt a grandparent if you don’t have one, and adopt a grandparent if you do. There’s so much to learn from those that have already lived so much life, so let’s thank them on this incredible day. Thank you all for all of your contributions to our society and lives! You are important, you are amazing, you are loved and appreciated!

Written by Jonathan

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