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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/7539-Cha--Cha--Changes.html
Noticing Newbies: March 16, 2016 Issue [#7539]

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Noticing Newbies


 This week: Cha ... Cha ... Changes
  Edited by: Brooklyn
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter


The Noticing Newbies Newsletter's goal is to make the newer members feel welcome and encourage them with useful information and/or links to make navigating Writing.com easier. Writing.com members of all ages and even veteran members can find useful information here. If you have specific questions, try visiting "Writing.Com 101 and/or "Noticing Newbies.


Meet The Noticing Newbies Full-Time Newsletter Editors






Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor


“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ― Leo Tolstoy


It's said the only constant in our lives is that of change. How you deal with change can define your level of happiness. To some, change results in stress and is a painful experience. To others, change can represent excitement and euphoric feelings. Being confident in the face of change is not impossible, but sometimes it can be hard. As writers, we have a way to diffuse that through expressing feelings through words. I'm a huge advocate of journal writing and I was really happy a dear friend of mine started a new one here to document some huge changes taking place in her life right now. Whether writing for an audience or simply for yourself, writing can be an amazing ally when you're going through change. Why do you ask?

Many people can attest to the neurological benefits of writing, especially during stressful times. However, did you know researchers in New Zealand have actual proof that expressive writing has a beneficial effect on physical wounds to heal faster? It's true. A scientific study was performed with 49 healthy adults aged 64 to 97 years. They each were asked to write about either stressful/upsetting events or daily activities for twenty minutes, three days in a row. After two weeks, to make sure any initial negative feelings stirred up by recalling upsetting events had passed, all the subjects had a biopsy on one of their arms. The arms were photographed over the next three weeks (21 days) while they tracked healing. On the 11th day, 76 percent of the group that did expressive writing had fully healed as compared with only 42 percent of the control group. They attributed the results that writing about the stressful events helped the group come to grips with the things they wrote about, therefore reducing stress and allowing the participants to sleep longer which also has an effect on healing.

Isn't that amazing? That's pretty convincing evidence that writing is a healthy thing to do. Still need more?

Here are some additional benefits I found from ZenHabits.net   are:

*Yinyang* Writing helps you reflect on your life and changes you’re making. This is incredibly valuable, as often we do things without realizing why, or what effects these things are having on us.

*Yinyang* Writing clarifies your thinking. Thoughts and feelings are nebulous happenings in our mind holes, but writing forces us to crystalize those thoughts and put them in a logical order.

*Yinyang* Writing regularly makes you better at writing. And writing is a powerful skill to be good at in our digital age.

So, what are you waiting for? Write! ~ Brooke

*Down*In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change.
ASIN: 0385528752
Amazon's Price: $ 7.45


*Idea* Reference: Time.com "How Writing Heals Wounds - Of Both Mind and Body"  


Editor's Picks


Check out some of our newest members and welcome them to our virtual home.

 Invalid Item  []

by A Guest Visitor

Excerpt:
After crossing town, I park and walk into the therapist’s office, shuffle some insurance papers around and have a seat. It’s raining outside, and I take a deep breath to prepare me for this next big step in my life. A spectacled lady with an elegant but casual look about her comes out and introduces herself. We walk back to the cozy therapy room complete with aroma candles, and she says, “Well, I would like to start out today by you telling me a little bit about what’s going on. Tell me as much as you feel comfortable with. Start with what you were feeling when you became ill the last time and then fill in as much of your story as you can so that we can work together on this. I’ll just let you talk it out today, and we’ll start a dialogue next week. Are you ready?”

~*Star*~

 
Outside the Box  [E]
A poem about getting out of your comfort zone and being yourself.
by Emily R

Excerpt:
How do we hike the mountains of our mind?
How do we climb out of the valleys
That we have created in self-doubt and fear,
When tunnels are much more appealing?

~*Star*~

The Mystery of Boneyard Alley  [E]
Someone was there, someone came into the locked flat at night But who and Why?
by Rima...

Excerpt:
Thomas Jefferson rented a one bedroom flat on the fourth floor of the apartment building behind the supermarket two blocks before the city limit. He stayed alone, worked the nightshift as a night watchman in the museum of natural history downtown. For four years he had been working there. He used to stay nearby his workplace when he had joined but when with time his rent went up while his salary refused to grow he had to move uptown. After some thorough search and research he found a nice comfortable place in the Boneyard Alley, where he was currently staying.

~*Star*~

 The Sadness She Brings  [E]
The loudest noises give birth to the most apparent of silences.
by TheLineBetween

Excerpt:
But without that candle, what left am I to see? When she goes away, there's nothing, to me.

That cavern, while frightening, fills me with delight, and when I step from the ledge, it feels all but right.

That voice oh so smooth, the air on my skin, when it leaves my ears, I hear only a din.

~*Star*~

 
A Walk in the Woods  [ASR]
A peaceful walk in the woods takes a dramatic turn for the worst.
by J. Preston

Excerpt:
I love these woods, I go to them almost every weekend. My walks help me calm down, relax, recharge after my stressful week. It almost feels magical, the power of these woods to help me. It's as if they understand my predicament, understand the reason why I come here, understand me in general. I know it's very stupid for me to drive almost an hour and a half just to come here, but I feel like it is more than worth it.

~*Star*~

Thinking is Bad  [E]
A look at how the society destroys those who abandon thought.
by Naveed

Excerpt:
In a city as busy as a bee,
where everyone, no matter what they may believe,
is as insignificant as one can be,
for 'thinking is bad' is what they believe.

In this city, a child is born,
but one very different from what you'd expect.
This child has greatness sworn,
and he is different from the rest.

He can be whatever he may dream;
he doesn't need to be a follower.
He can go against the stream,
and become a teacher, preacher or a leader.

~*Star*~

 S.O.S ~ Can Someone Help Me Please?  [13+]
I would like some real and genuine criticism on a section of my story
by Amber Dawn

Excerpt:
Zane awoke with a scream begging to be released. Sweat covered Zane but he didn't notice. He climbed out of bed and paced around the room to calm his nerves.

"Just breath. Just breath." Zane mumbled to himself. He ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair then walked over to the window.

"It won't happen again. Your stronger than the dreams." Zane took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

~*Star*~

 
Lisps and Sips  [13+]
A 50s themed story about a friendly girl who loves to hang around the local soda shop
by Lizbeth

Excerpt:
The sun shone through the clouds on a moderately warm Tuesday afternoon, May 15th, 1953, a light breeze blowing down the length of the East Coast and through its cities. Sitting comfortably between the larger, more prominent cities in the area was the town of Questerfield, PA, its buildings and houses simple but elegant in their own ways. Record players spun the popular music of the day, clothing companies advertised their wares in the front windows of stores, and furniture retailers sold the latest items to complete the home of every housewife’s wildest dreams. It wasn’t even rush hour, yet the air contained a hint of urgency as people rushed up and down the sidewalk, busily buzzing between locations or getting the attention of their friends with an enthusiastic hand wave.

~*Star*~

 Invalid Item  []

by A Guest Visitor

Excerpt:
The train shuffled effortlessly along the tracks. Normal trains would be loud, bumpy, rattly. This one was smooth, comfortable. I found myself gazing out the window, but there was nothing to see. Muddled, fuzzy shapes, a grayish blur, as though the window were obscured by something, although I had no clue what it could be.
I suddenly wondered why I was there. Why was I riding on a train? And such a strange train. The seats, floor, roof, all a solid white. Not a blinding white, but comfortable like the waiting room at a doctor's office. I blinked. When had I gotten on a train, and where was I going?

~*Star*~

 
Crayons  [13+]
I know that now, the crayons were a lie. I thank you now, for fooling my young eye.
by Ethereal Freyja

Excerpt:
You were only seven,
I had yet to turn five.

Your face was the first thing I saw when I woke up. I had fallen asleep in your lap the night before. You were looking at me and as soon as I met your gaze, you smiled. We were still laying on the bathroom floor. It felt the same as the night before; I was scared, I was tired, you held me, you were there. But it wasn't the same, now everything was quiet. I tried to say something, but I wanted to be silent. I sat up. My tears started flowing. I didn't want to sit up; I didn't want to be alive. You knew I was is agony so you put your own aside. You gently dried my tears away and looked me in the eye, ''Let's get away'', you said. I told you I was scared, I didn't want mother to wake. But you were strong and you said that if we'd be wary, she wouldn't hear a thing.

~*Star*~



 
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Ask & Answer


I received some wonderful feedback to my last newsletter [#6018] "Avoiding Stereotypical Characters and I'm proud to share it with you.

From GaelicQueen
I like your idea of a virtual vacation to check out revenues you may not have the funds to travel to. I used this technique in one of my Nanowrimo projects to map out a character's cross-country drive and see the house on the mountainside she inherited.



From Shannon
Loved this newsletter! Great idea, as if I don't spend enough time in front of the computer already. *Laugh*



From Nixie is recovering.
Have I told you recently you're brilliant? Googling locations is a fantastic idea!




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