11/4/18 - Writing Advice Wednesday

Today, 28/3/18, is the sixth instalment of a new series of posts; Writing Advice Wednesday, where my advice to new writers will be shared once every two weeks. 

It is important to remember that my opinions are not law in any way, shape, or form! Not everyone has the same experiences as I do in this field but it is valuable to share opinions on topics to try and help others!

So, what is today's topic? Accumulating an audience!

Admittedly, I am still lacking in the sense of having an audience, but several years ago, I had a much larger group of people wanting to know what I was producing. But how did I get them?

1. Don't be afraid to write fanfiction to get attention - I found myself inspired by reading a piece that a fellow writer and now friend, Katie, created back in 2012. This piece was long-prose and it was fanfiction. Her piece of work motivated me to write my own piece that derived from the same source material. And when I plucked up the courage to post it and tell her about it, she became an immediate supporter. From that one single fanfic, I have acquired several long-term friends that have made up a portion of my audience, regardless of what content I am producing because they simply want to know what I am doing! I don't know whether I would be this motivated without them! So shout-out to Katie, Ellen, Ryan, Den, Alex and Bre for dealing with me for so long and supporting my works!

2. Regardless of what you are writing, keep it consistent - I managed to expand my audience on one specific account by posting short but regular updates on a daily basis, producing short chapters that tended to be between 800 and 1500 words in length that would be posted every day without fail. I did this for two months and managed to acquire an increase of over 100 followers on that account. Consistency got me an audience. The fact my work was constantly at the top of the "recently updated" section online allowed me to gain an increased readership. In a week of absence, readers would have seven chapters worth of content to immerse themselves in! It was a great system that I had devised!

3. Maintain a presence - I am very guilty of not taking my own advice in reference to this article in particular - but when I was using a previous account, during a painful extended hiatus from writing updates for my stories, I found myself still constantly checking the happenings on the website, supporting my fellow writers and their own works. I found that despite not being able to join in on the writing front, keeping my account active, meant that my followers were not losing interest in what I was producing!


Thank you for reading!

And remember:

Per Ardua Ad Astra!

- Imogen. L. Smiley

10/4/18 - Happy Tuesday! University Inspired Writing Prompts!

Happy Tuesday! University Inspired Writing Prompt!

Today, 10/4/18, is the next instalment of University Inspired Writing Prompts. Since my first year at university, I have been compiling a collection of writing prompts inspired by my time studying in Derby. I hope that these prompts help you create your own works!

All of these prompts are dialogue based, and are inspired by real conversations I have been part of whilst at university.

PROMPT #14
"Who ya texting?"
"My people."
"You actually have those?"
"Yes. I own them."
"...Those are called SLAVES!"

The above dialogue prompt derived from one of the first coherent conversations I had with my younger sister when we were reunited for the first time since I left for university on September 1st, on November 11th for my Grandma's 70th birthday party. We had obviously spoken since then but not face to face, and once the initial crying etc. had passed, we were back to our usual sass. Over dinner, my sister was texting someone, evidently a group chat filled with her "people". We both ended up laughing hysterically at the idea of her texting her slaves. It was honestly so good to actually just spend time laughing with her. I miss her a lot while I am away from home.

I hope that this prompt inspired something - even if it was just a smile

Thank you for reading!

And remember:

Per Ardua Ad Astra

- Imogen. L. Smiley

9/4/18 - Monday Book Review - Private Peaceful

Today, 9/4/18 is the second instalment a series of Monday Book Reviews, expressing my personal opinions on works of fiction. Today, I will be looking upon a piece called Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo!

This book was one of my favourites as a child and one that I happily picked back up again when I found out that I would be studying and creating works that looked at war and peace for one of my modules this semester. Although it took me a while to finally get to read it again, I blitzed through it in about two hours and felt like I was catching up with an old friend. The sense of nostalgia that derived from reading this piece was amazing! On that fact alone, I would recommend reading it, or even better, rereading it!

There seemed to be so many amazing aspects to this book that I had missed when I read it as a child, and I found it so enaging and familiar. The story itself, is generally grim and sad, telling the tale of Tommo as he fights in World War One alongside his older brother Charlie, and their fates during the conflict. It was very emotive as an older sibling to read of the level of sacrifices that the pair happened to make for one another. I cried at the end. I always do.

Morpurgo wrote such a beautiful and real story that it tended to be hard to swallow. The idea of underaged men going to war for the sake of glory and losing their lives before they were legally old enough to enlist was a reality for many during World War One. I am so happy to have read this again! It really is spectacular!

Thank you for reading! See you in two weeks for another instalment of Monday Book Reviews!

And remember:

Per Ardua Ad Astra

-Imogen. L. Smiley

8/4/18 - Song Of The Week Sunday

Song Of The Week Sunday:

Today, 8/4/18, is the day of the next instalment of Song Of The Week Sunday - where I will be sharing a piece of music that I listened to more than any other during the space of the previous. In this instance, from week beginning 2/4/18 and ending today, 8/4/18, the song I listened to the most was the following:

Hymn For The Missing by RED
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2kTtW5f56I

This song is personally one huge throwback in terms of artistry, I was a huge fan of RED and their music when I was in Year Eleven and my first year of college, however, their music slowly found it way to being skipped on my iTunes. Until today, Sunday. When the title song of their Release The Panic album came on in the car as we travelled to the coach station, to drop me off. I had to wait through a four hour coach ride, but all I could think about was how desperately I wanted to listen to RED and the other albums.

I immediately revisited my RED nostalgia as soon as I returned to Derby. I chose today's Song Of The Week as this song was the first one I chose to listen to when I got access to my entire expanse of music. This song is very emotionally driven and that is one of the reasons I hold it in such high esteem. The piece itself sounds like a heartfelt requiem that I was eager to sink my teeth into after having left my family again for another term at university!

Thank you for reading!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Astra!
- Imogen. L. Smiley

6/4/18 - Favourite Character Praise Friday - Ryan Evans

Today, 6/4/18 is the seventh instalment the series of posts praising my all-time favourite characters for their quirks and flaws etc. called Favourite Character Praise Friday. I will be sharing these posts every two weeks to gush about fictional characters in a proactive environment. With this segment, I intend to demonstrate what makes characters great so you and I alike can use these facts to improve our characters!

So who is the subject of my seventh Favourite Character Praise Friday?

Ryan Evans from the High School Musical Franchise, portrayed by Lucas Grabeel! 

Warning! There will be spoilers!

Ryan Evans, despite being affiliated with the antagonised Sharpay, his twin sister, never went out of his way to cause misfortune and allow it to befall upon the other students at his school

Despite what many may think of Ryan's character in the first movie, he is never explicitly depicted to be the brains behind any of the misfortune that befalls upon Troy and Gabriella. Albeit, Ryan did not discourage his sister, nor did he actively disagree with her, he never seemed to go out of his way to cause any problems for them. This fact in the earlier movies demonstrated that despite how close Sharpay and Ryan are within the franchise, their characters are very different. This gave the creators space to develop their characters in the second film when they have a disagreement that leaves them competing for the same goal as individuals in different acts. 

Ryan is demonstrated to be a character that encourages others to partake in the arts. 

This enthusiasm to encourage others is demonstrated in High School Musical Two, specifically in the scene that includes the song 'I Don't Dance'. There has been a lot of talks and speculation around this scene, however, in terms of what is presented at face value, what we find is that Ryan wants Chad to participate in the staff performance despite Troy no longer wanting to perform alongside him since he promised Sharpay that he would sing a duet with her. 

Ryan encourages Chad to consider dancing with the fellow Wildcats that are a part of the staff through a song and dance number which ends with Chad relenting and deciding to participate. His initial reluctance to join in without Troy has been cast aside due to Ryan's persuasion. And in the third film, Chad participates in the Spring Musical, despite his passions still lying greatly with basketball and his other beloved sports. 

Ryan is a good role model for the fans of the High School Musical Movies!

Ryan Evans is a character that is originally depicted in the first film of the series to be rather stupid, unable to understand the plans his sister was conjuring up, or read the message that the basketball team left for the drama club; not comprehending that the message said "Go Drama Club!". Despite how he was depicted in terms of academics, Ryan was very talented in theatrics, being a strong dancer and one of the greatest talents East High had in the drama department, alongside his twin sister, Sharpay. 

Despite being treated as an afterthought by the majority of the characters within the first movie, a subject for comic relief etc. Ryan continued to work hard in the theatre. He learned by the start of the sequel, that the schemes his sister was conducting seemed to be outrageous and he distanced himself from engaging in them as one of her pawns. In the second film, Sharpay wanted to spend more time with Troy Bolton and to acquire the Star Dazzle Award, the prize offered at the end of the summer. 

Ryan found himself at the brunt of his sister's wrath several times within the second film. When Sharpay manages to get Troy to promise to sing with her in the talent show held at their parents' country club, Lava Springs, Ryan is cast to the side, no longer being her duet partner. In response to that, Ryan decides to work alongside the rest of his schoolmates in choreographing a staff-wide performance to go against Sharpay's duet with Troy and try and beat them for the otherwise un-achievable feat of acquiring a Star Dazzle Award, a prize reserved for the efforts of Sharpay. Regardless of his awareness of this, Ryan does not relent and continues to work hard. It is only when Sharpay lashes out again and has the employees' entry retracted as they would be 'required to work on the night of the show' that Ryan sought to take revenge on his sister. When the opportunity struck, he acted and had Troy learn the song that the employees would have been singing in the show. 

At the end of the second film, he receives the Star Dazzle Award, which was about to be given to Sharpay. She revoked her award and offered it to her brother in a bid to make amends with him. 

In the third movie; High School Musical: Senior Year, Ryan and Sharpay are pitted against one another, and fellow classmates Troy and Kelsi for a scholarship at Julliard. This opportunity was one that neither of the Evans twins were expecting to come their way and Sharpay was eager to grasp at it - wanting to be the centre of attention. In order to dazzle the representatives from Julliard, she took the role of 'Gabriella' in the Spring Musical to sing alongside Troy and acquire the scholarship. Meanwhile, Ryan found himself choreographing the entire show, working alongside Kelsi to create a show that he and his classmates would remember for years to come. At the end of the film, he is offered a scholarship to pursue choreography as a career path at Julliard. 

This ending to the series was satisfying as it demonstrate that Ryan's hard work gained him something he wanted, despite being doubtful of himself and his awareness that Sharpay still wanted to outshine him. Her seemingly unconscious desperation to grasp the spotlight, demonstrated by her covering Ryan's face during the 'I Want It All' performance, meant that it was potentially unlikely that he would achieve what he wanted, which was to continue to follow his passions in the theatre. It demonstrated that despite what happens around you and the fact that people may upstage you, if you work hard at what you love, you can follow your dreams. Children would find this idea inspiring and would therefore potentially act in the same way and continue to strive for success. 

So what can we learn about writing characters from Ryan? 

1. It's okay to have good people be associated with antagonists, a lot of the time it makes them interesting 
2. It is positive to show characters encouraging others to try new things as it shows the character in a different light. This is good, especially when the character has a questionable morality, like Ryan did due to being Sharpay's twin brother. 
3. Creating positive role models is a good thing - demonstrating to a reader that hard work can and will pay off is a positive thing to do! It encourages them to not give up and keeps them motivated - Ryan lived in the shadow of his sister for years and yet he only began to be recognised for his own talents when it came to being separated from her, and that was okay! Because his efforts were not in vain! 

Thank you for reading my reasons that I adore Ryan Evans! I hope I influenced the way you perceive your own characters!

Until next time!

And remember: 

Per Ardua Ad Astra! 

- Imogen. L. Smiley

3/4/18 - Happy Tuesday! University Inspired Writing Prompt

Happy Tuesday! University Inspired Writing Prompt!

Today, 3/4/18, is the next instalment of University Inspired Writing Prompts. Since my first year at university, I have been compiling a collection of writing prompts inspired by my time studying in Derby. I hope that these prompts help you create your own works!

All of these prompts are dialogue based, and are inspired by real conversations I have been part of whilst at university.

PROMPT #13
"You were so drunk you couldn't walk downstairs. We had to get the most sober guys at the party to carry you down the stairs. But one of them...may have dropped you and you went tumbling down a flight of stairs."

The above prompt derived from an experience several months ago, when my friends and I went to an acquaintance's flat party. We found that having a night with the other guests to be a lot of fun; not only did we get control of the music, we were surrounded by laughter! But later in the night, one of our friends had had a few too many shots. And as the prompt suggested, they eventually got dropped down the stairs as we attempted to take them home They were fine though!

I hope that this prompt inspired something - even if it was just a smile
Thank you for reading!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Astra
- Imogen. L. Smiley

1/4/18 - Song Of The Week Sunday

Song Of The Week Sunday:

Today, 1/4/18, is the day of the next instalment of Song Of The Week Sunday - where I will be sharing a piece of music that I listened to more than any other during the space of the previous. In this instance, from week beginning 26/3/18 and ending today, 1/4/18, the song I listened to the most was the following:
Sinners by Lauren Aquelina
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyMal7io41s

I chose this song to be my Song Of The Week this week as it related greatly to the topics of what I have been writing and working on at late - I have been writing stories that centre around conflicts about love.

One instance is a love between two characeters - Azura and Greggy. Azura's father does not approve of Greggy despite the pair being close friends when they were young. He was devastated when the pair ended up together after reuniting at university. And continued to lament and attempt to sabotage the couple even after five years of being together.

The second instance, which is arguably more applicable, is the story of Greggy's older brother, Michaelis and his boyfriend Seth and the struggles the pair have during their relationship due to Seth's overwhelming issues with GAD and Michaelis' fear of being outed as gay due to his family's conservative opinions toward the LGBT community.

Sinners related to both of these pairs, in the case of Azura and Greggy, the song applies due to the religious background of Azura and her families. Despite having been with her boyfriend for five years, she refuses to have sexual contact with him, but her abusive father does not approve and wants them to break up. Our hearts are too rutheless to break, let's start fires for heaven's sake, reminds me of their relationship and how they refuse to break up despite the pressures from her father. In the case of Seth and Michaelis, you have a reflection of how the world may disapprove of them being together due to negative opinions about homosexuality existing in the world, and how it need not matter because they have each other.

Thank you for reading!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Astra!
- Imogen. L. Smiley