Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Nerves, Stories In My Head, Cartoons and Transforming

Today's Blogs...

Welcome To My Reality - Week Seventy - One

3.Do you get nervous easily? If so, what are some things that make you nervous? If not, describe the last time that you felt really nervous. What were you doing?

Yes, I get nervous easily. Meeting new people is a big one for me. This is rather troubling when I go into different classrooms each day to teach. I am nervous to the point of being ill, but once the students come in and I am faced with being the teacher in charge, I step up to the challenge. I do better in primary grade classes and special education - I feel more confidence there.

This social anxiety works against me in interview situations as well. I have to really get myself into a place where I can remember my stuff and answer questions without babbling like an idiot.

Conflict also really sends me scattering, especially when emotions run high. I do better when the conflict is with people I don't know, or are not married to. Most of the time, I am like the ostrich - sticking my head in the sand and hoping the danger will leave me unscathed. To face these situations I need to syck myself up - rehearse what I want to say and try to tell myself that this conflict is not the end of the world.

4.For the writers out there -- have you ever had a story in your head for a while (sometimes years) but just can't get going on it? What are your tips for dealing with this type of writer's block?

I have many stories that play in my mind. I tell myself the story, get to know my characters, but cannot seem to get the words down on the page that paints the story the way I see it in my head. This prompt is related to today's Blog City prompt.

I have managed to break down the barriers by doing things like NaNoWriMo - where you write and not edit. You write to get the story down and worry about the details later. I find that doing this helps me shift past that inner editor that is not satisfied and gets the words down. You can't edit what isn't written - so I get my butt in the chair and do the work. If I am lucky my muse will find me and help me create some good stuff. I tell myself some days will be good writing and some days will suck, but the important part is getting to the page and putting the words down. Getting out of my way and letting the words flow. Lock up the inner editor and let the words fly. invite her back when the story is done in first draft - then she'll have something to work with instead of criticizing your humble self and its efforts.

7.Did you watch cartoons in your youth? What’s your favorite animated or cartoon program from when you were a kid? Do you still watch any animated shows today?

When I was a kid I enjoyed the Flintstones. I remember my aunt not letting my cousin watch the show - I don't really remember her reasons. Stereotypes, I think.

To me the show was funny. Fred and Barney getting into some kind of situation. Their wives finding out.

Not all that different from The Honeymooners (which I think it as modeled after) and I Love Lucy.

It is interesting that I only ever watched reruns of it as it finished filming before I was born.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flintstones



I do enjoy animated shows to this day. Many of them are quiet well done and have excellent story lines. Toy Story. Monsters Inc., Frozen, The Incredibles, Brave, and Cars to name a few.

Blog City – Day 420

Prompt: Ann Patchett says, “I never learned how to take the beautiful thing in my imagination and put it on paper without feeling I killed it along the way. I did, however, learn how to weather the death, and I learned how to forgive myself for it.” Do you agree with her or is the process different for you?

Writing or drawing something from your imagination or even from life never materializes as finely within the black splotches of ink that trail over the paper or fritter over the screen. I would not say I killed it per se, but I have definitely maimed it. What I see in my mind’s eye cannot be transformed perfectly. I have learned to live with the process - getting it down then editing it to get it at least close to the original. To not do so, means to give up and that is not an option.