Reblogged
What is a Healthy Identity?
Such an excellent series – join the conversation! 😉
If you’ve been following my recent posts, you’ve probably noticed I have been thinking about the concept of ‘identity’ quite a bit. I’ve tried to define my concept of identity in relation to self-esteem, trauma, addiction, social media, and issues veterans face in transition to civilian life.
I’ve been trying to use a consistent concept of identity throughout these articles, influenced by Erik Erikson’s characterization of role identity, but I keep coming back to a fundamental problem:
Which role identities are healthy vs. which are unhealthy?
In my article on how self-worth affects identity, I describe the unhealthy ‘hero’ role. This is a role taken up by individuals with a low level of intrinsic self-worth who become perfectionists, attempting to gain self-worth through the external praise of others. I then elaborated how this similar process occurs among codependent caretakers who enable a loved-one’s addiction.
I then applied this model…
View original post 892 more words
Books: The New Weights for Exercising Your Brain
Using the 6 Types of Conflict to Create Pitch-Perfect Tension
Add this one to your lists of resources! Definitely a keeper! Click through and leave Jed a LIKE, comment or both! 😉
Conflict is the lifeblood of stories. However, most of the time we think conflict can only happen between characters.
This isn’t the case. In fact, there are many other types of conflict writers can create. But before we get to those, let’s define conflict.
Conflict = result of a force stopping a character getting what they want …
… Which creates tension.
Most of the time, this opposing force will be another character. However, this force could also be a whole bunch of other things. Let’s look at the different types of conflict:
View original post 661 more words
Why you should be more specific with your husband!!!
LOL!! 😂
My thanks to the Vermont Varmint
for the following words of wisdom:
After 10 years, the wife starts to think their kid looks kind of strange so she decides to do a DNA test.
She finds out that the kid is actually from completely different parents.
Wife: Honey, I have something very serious to tell you.
Husband: What’s up?
Wife: According to DNA test results, this is not our kid..
Husband: Well you do remember, don’t you?
When we were leaving the hospital, you noticed that our baby had pooped.
Then you said:
Please go change the baby, I’ll wait for you here.
So I went inside, got a clean one and left the dirty one there…
License to use obtained – Copyright : Alexandr Aleabiev on 123RF Stock Photo
Identity Crisis Among Veterans
Another insightful post on identity! 😉
In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity. — Erik Erikson
Erickson’s concept of identity crisis has been generally associated with adolescents trying out various identities as they find their place in the world. Before my research on veterans in transition to civilian life, I never even considered the fact that many veterans experience an identity crisis, leading to a difficult transition.
Growing up, Remembrance Day ceremonies shaped my idea of veterans as a particular symbol of national pride. Perhaps I assumed they all held strong identities based on this national reverence. Little did I realize, this image was an idealized sacred nationalism that is often irrelevant or forgotten when it comes to everyday matters in civilian life.
One of our nation’s most revered roles is simultaneously one of the nation’s most forgotten and misunderstood. This is a huge…
View original post 852 more words
Friday Roundup – 11th August
1. Melinda Clayton at Indies Unlimited tells us of the importance of categories and keywords:
The Importance of Categories and Keywords for Your Books on KDP
2. Jennifer Scott, guest writer on Nicholas C. Rossis’ blog, gives 8 tips to create the perfect writer’s resume:
3. Janice Wald at Mostly Blogging gives the 4 worst blogging mistakes:
http://www.mostlyblogging.com/worst-blogging-mistakes/
4. Peter Adewumi writes of how to induce a spike in your blog stats:
https://adewumipeterblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/06/how-to-induce-a-spike-in-your-blog-stat/
5. Joel Friedlander at The Book Designer gives advice on finding your first 10,000 readers:
https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2017/06/find-first-10000-readers/
6. Cynthia Hilston on A Writer’s Path tells of the benefits of joining a writer’s group:
https://ryanlanz.com/2017/08/05/the-benefits-of-joining-a-writers-group/
7. Derek Haines on Just Publishing Advice reminds us that publishing is not just Amazon KDP and Kindle:
Self-Publishing On Kindle And Amazon KDP Is Not The Only Way
8. Capital Nerd tells us how to get ARCs:
View original post 73 more words
When Should You Redo a Book?
I was listening to a podcast today–I know, shocker. I listen to them all the time, and it sure makes scooping the kitty litter a little more tolerable.
Anyway, so the two hosts went through their usual, what are you working on, what are you working on? And the male host (I won’t say who it was or what podcast this was) said, I’m going to redo my first book. New cover, new title, redo some of the plot, the whole thing. And the other host was like, oh, that’s great, blah blah blah.
I don’t know what I was doing then. Cleaning my bathroom? Sweeping the kitchen? But I was like, wait, what?
Rereleasing a book isn’t a new concept to anyone. Traditionally published authors (or their houses) do it all the time, especially for old books. You know it when you’re reading and someone lights up in a…
View original post 711 more words
Identity and Social Media
Another thought-provoking post! 👍
Expanding on my previous post, I want to explore the interaction between identity and self-worth, but in the context of social media.
Social role influences identity.
As stated previously, I am using Erickson’s model of identity as derived from one’s social role. When one has a low sense of self-worth, they may take on roles aimed at gaining a sense of self-worth through external validation. ‘The hero’ role is one possible way to achieve this validation, as I described in the context of the family.
Social injustices can influence self-worth.
Beyond the family, low self-worth can be the result of an infinite number of traumas, social injustices, and other forms of violence. Some may include stigmas or discrimination based on one’s race, class, gender, level of ability, body image, or any other social bias that works to dehumanize, invalidate, and classify a specific ‘type’ of person.
Specific roles may…
View original post 520 more words
Improve your Prose by Varying Sentence Length
Whatever you’re writing, there’s one sure-fire way to make your prose more engaging:
Vary the length of your sentences.
Rather than explain why this is important, I’m going to give an example:
This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.
Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the…
View original post 289 more words
Felicia Denise, Author 