5 Six-Word Stories To Inspire And Make You Think

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Oftentimes we think of quality work equating to long or substantial. When it comes to stories in particular, there is this unconscious idea that a well-developed story is lengthy, diving deeply into each of the character’s mindsets and finishing with a full-circle ending. Though this can and is true for many well-developed narratives, it is not an absolute.

Poems, short stories, screen plays, scripts, six-word stories etc.—these are all examples of writing styles that are succinct in nature, yet still highly effective.

Below are examples of six-word stories, compiled by Narrative Magazine. Notice that each story is (very!) small yet contains not only characters and plot, but an underlying message, a beginning, and an ending within the short sentence. Continue reading →

7 Self-Sabotaging Habits That Are Stifling Your Success

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1. Your unwillingness to accept criticism.

This is by far one of the most self-sabotaging habits. As a creator you must be able to take constructive criticism. (Keyword: constructive. There is a definite difference between a legitimate comment and blatant degradation of your product/person.) When it comes to feedback, you have to learn to accept both what you want to hear, and what you may not. You have to absorb the negative and focus on a) the intent behind the person’s comment and b) the path you can take to move forward.

Criticism is a stepping stone in which to grow from; you must understand that it is not a commentary on who you are as a person, but a means of expressing areas of improvement (which will ultimately develop your career path from this moment forward.) Accept. Absorb. Learn. Let go. Move forward. Continue reading →

6 Tips For Unleashing Your Creative Voice

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Every writer has a ‘voice’ (and I don’t mean a physical, words-coming-from-your-mouth type of voice) I mean a creative voice, which is the style, rhythm, pattern, and way in which you articulate information or thoughts. This voice is unique to you, it’s built over time, and most importantly, it’s something that others can identify as yours.

When you’re first starting out as a writer, finding this voice is incredibly difficult because as beginners, we’re so often pulling from and emulating styles of writers and creatives we encounter. In order to be successful writer, however, you have to create a style that is different, dynamic, and you. Continue reading →

8 Tips For Fostering Creativity In Your Daily Life

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I get it. You’re busy. You have work, obligations, family, friends, and not enough hours in the day. Trust me when I say I completely understand. There’s just not enough time.

But if you want to build yourself as a creator, writer, artist, musician, etc. you have to make time for what matters—pursuing and working on your craft. And that starts by carving intentional space for this in your daily life. Continue reading →

9 Little Ways To Beat Writer’s Block

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What is writer’s block? Well, according to the world it’s when you absolutely hit a wall with your writing. Nothing comes out, nothing makes sense, just nothing. But honestly (and as crazy as this sounds) I don’t believe in writer’s block. I think that we build this idea in our heads that we a) aren’t good enough, or b) can’t create, so then we trick our minds into thinking in that direction.

If you’re telling yourself you can’t do something—well how can you?

Our ability to achieve, complete, or master something is largely based on our mindset. And when we tell ourselves we can’t write, well, we’re probably not going to be able to.

Writer’s block, to me, has always seemed like an excuse when we’re afraid to face our fears, or when we’ve had a bad few pieces and feel discouraged, or when we just aren’t creating what we want. (Obviously if there are reasons related to trauma then this doesn’t apply—I’m just talking about the day-to-day creative person here.)

But the truth is, writer’s block is defeated when we face it head on.

It’s defeated when, instead of giving ourselves reasons why writing is impossible, we just put our pens to the paper, our fingers to the keyboard and let whatever comes, come. Continue reading →

The Man Behind the Mask

To read the original article on Word & Sole, click here. 

“What I love about hockey is my teammates…the speed of the game, and the unbelievable skill and hard work it takes to excel in the game,” said Spencer Johnson, the sophomore Spotlight Athlete of the Week from Burnsville, Minnesota.

Each week, the Waldorf University Athletic Department honors an outstanding student athlete on the Warrior athletics page and through a campus-wide email. This past week it was Johnson. This recognition was due to his assist and two goals, one being the game-winner during a 5-2 win over No. 9 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville on January 17.

In the 2014-2015 season, Johnson has scored five goals and contributed five assists. Not only is he a valuable asset to the team as both a defenseman and forward, but he’s also a great friend and teammate on and off the ice.
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