Tips in Writing a Captivating Memoir

Do you have a particular experience that you want to share with the world? Are you feeling the urge to share a part of your life to express, inspire, and motivate? Then, writing them in the form of a memoir might be the answer. This particular literary genre allows everyone to narrate their personal tales through their own perspectives. It is often written with honesty and genuineness with a selective timeline. The defining trait of this form of writing is that it allows the writer to personally explore a certain facet of his life, awakening their ideas and emotions that will soon conquer the narrative.

There are hundreds of memoirs that were already published and are impacting readers’ lives as of today. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, The Nine Lives of Curious Edith by Edith Vosefski, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, One Caregiver’s Journey by Eleanor Gaccetta, and The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion are some of the best ones under the said genre.

So, if you are determined to write your memoir, then here are the points that you must consider during your writing journey.

Take a stroll down memory lane

Memoirs, similar to biographies, have memories as their foundations. Without the experience, the narrative can be considered fictional because it didn’t happen in real life, specifically in the author’s life. Hence, it is always essential to take a trip down memory lane so you can fully remember the event and reawake the emotions. Make sure to feel the nostalgia while doing this step so you can come up with better realizations and reflections that you can inflict in your work. On conditions that your memory fails you, please interview or ask people who were with you during that part of your life.

Create a mind map

Making a mind map is one of the best ways to create a strong and appealing story. It is a useful diagram that helps you in many ways, such as enhancing memory, learning new ideas, breaking down complicated concepts, improving creativity, and more. Thus, it is a helpful tool that can support you in toning and narrowing your ideas. This strategy can also allow you to develop a better organization when it comes to the order of the story and what part of your work you want to inject a particular experience and reflection.

Write from the heart

One of the many reasons why many are drawn to memoirs is because of human connection. Your honest narrative will pierce the hearts of your readers, making them more captivated and invested in knowing and finishing your story. So, write earnestly and passionately. Make sure that you can express your burden, unload the extra baggage, showcase your victories, face your fears, show your love, and heal from trauma. All these factors will be evident from your story and will be the bond that will bind you to your readers. Also, when you write from the heart, your words and emotions will flow freely, which can impact your work,

Draw intense emotions

Although your main purpose is to inspire and express, you should not forget the other aspects that make a memoir enticing and meaningful. Every story must have the ability to draw intense emotions from its readers because it enhances the book-reader connection. That said, you have to pay attention to your tone and word choice and how the characters are crafted and developed. But, you shouldn’t try so hard just to draw those emotions from your targets because it could compromise the quality of your work. You have to let everything fall into place and creativity piece them together so you can make an impactful whole.

Keep the rawness in your work

The purity and rawness of the emotions and experience should be retained in order to strengthen the impact of your story. It doesn’t mean that you have to write the verbatim conversations or advice that you’ve heard. What you should put in mind is to make your personal account clear and genuine. If you need to tap on the child or teenager you once were, please take your time. Ensure that there will be no fictional or imaginative blocks that will be infused into your work. Keep it honest and sincere.

Top Science Fiction Books Set in Outer Space

Are you a fan of Andy Weir, Ernest Cline, Frank Herbert, and Margaret Atwood? Does your interest in books specifically revolve around exploring outer space, riding spaceships, discovering strange objects, and witnessing intergalactic battles? Then, you are certainly a sci-fi fan! Science fiction has always been the genre that many tend to patronize regardless of what form it appears — film or novel, for example. It is often characterized by a great and humankind-related storyline and other amazing elements.

Sci-fi readers, moreover, might already notice how the setting tends to become the key to the stories. Why? Without a clear, established, and extraordinary place where the story takes place, the book will not stand out. You can definitely observe that even when the tales are set on Earth, there are still features of it that aren’t found in the real world, which enhances the readers’ interests. Another common yet captivating setting in the sci-fi world is outer space.

So, if you love stories that take place in outer space, then here are some of the best science fiction books that you should take note of and read.

Moon Luck by Scott Harral

Scott Harral’s Moon Luck follows the story of astronauts living on the moon. For the longest run, the bunch of 30 astronauts, both scientists, and explorers has lived harmoniously on the said magnificent celestial body. On their stay on the moon, they were cultivating plants, seeking mineral ores, conducting experiments, and doing other activities that boosted their productivity and enhanced their good relationships with one another. But, as the great bond rises, bad blood also emerges. The animosities were intensifying after a senior member died due to an alleged accident. Hence, the story becomes more interesting as it raises the question: was there a murder on the moon?

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury was published in 1950 by Doubleday. The book is a mixture of science fiction, post-apocalyptic, horror, and dystopian genres, making it more captivating. It centers on the mission of the Americans to explore and live on the Red Planet, which is where the aboriginal Martians reside. Why did they leave Earth? It’s because it has become a troubled planet that was later on nuked and destroyed. It primarily predicted how the technologically progressed future where people’s talents dilated to make and eliminate the post-World War II America has good and ugly consequences.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

This bestselling book by Pierce Brown is the first book of the Red Rising Saga. It focuses on the protagonist named Darrow, part of the bottom caste — Red, in their color-coded futuristic society. He puts his best foot forward and exerts more effort as they, along with his fellow, believe that they are responsible for creating their planet’s surface habitable for the generations to come. Thus far, the protagonist snares willingly, trusting that his hard work will contribute to a better world for his offspring. But it turns out that the Reds were victims of betrayal and deception. What Darrow discovered and realized encourages him to fight for their rights, their caste, his life, and the future.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Originally published in 1979, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams has become the talk of the town even if years have passed after its first release. It was a normal Thursday morning when Arthur Dent but peculiar things started to happen. First, his house got demolished. Afterward, the planet followed to make room for a brand-new cyberspace express track. What’s more astounding is that his best friend told him that he is already considered an alien. Arthur must venture into the extremely harsh universe with only a towel, tiny yellow fish, and a book with the fast-paced changes. But, he is not alone for a bunch of untrustworthy alien tags along with him.

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Considered as the best book written by Claudia Gray, Defy the Stars is a book that features an amazing and romantic adventure that will surely compel the readers to turn the page. The story is moved by Noemi Vidal, who would risk and do everything to safeguard her planet, and Abel, a machine left and neglected in space. The former is considered a rebel on the planet of humans, while the latter is branded as an abomination in the land of Genesis. As enemies, they are tasked to collaborate and set course through the stars. Then, thrilling things happened — including falling in love.

Must-read Self-help Books about Survival and Reflection

In life, there are things that can lead you to your highest of highs and lowest of lows. Most of this stuff, good, bad, and ugly, are the result of your actions and decisions. Since an individual goes through different stages of growth and development, there will be moments that the mind is fixed on the things that you want without considering their impact on others and even on yourself. Thus, you cannot see the outcomes of your decisions, especially when you fall on circumstances that only survival is the last resort.

Everything may look like a roller-coaster journey, where you can smile in happiness and scream in frustration. But, in the end, you have survived that thrilling ride and reflected at each peak. If you want to know more about yourself, life, and the world, as well as how survival and reflection are important in your journey — then here are some of the best self-help books that you might want to check out.  

Let Me Tell You How I Got Saved by Charles Lewis Anthony

Let Me Tell You How I Got Saved by Charles Lewis Anthony is a journey of street life survival and second chances. It was published in 2018 by CLF PUBLISHING and centers on the story of the author. His personal account in the character of Ray Watkins will inspire every reader to strive harder and turn their lives around.

Being raised in an area where gangs and violence are present, Anthony has made choices, good and bad. An excerpt from the book by Charles Lewis Anthony goes, “Vooshia picked me up while I was smelling like a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I didn’t care at all! Jesus said to come as you are, so I did just that, with all of my problems.” But regardless of all the bad and ugly circumstances, he still led into an encounter with God and a better life.

Growing Beyond Survival: A Self-help Toolkit for Managing Traumatic Stress by Elizabeth G. Vermilyea

Elizabeth G. Vermilyea penned an interactive book that aims to help readers in dealing with traumatic stress titled Growing Beyond Survival: A Self-help Toolkit for Managing Traumatic Stress. Hence, it is a workbook where you can learn different abilities that push you to be in control even in the most stressful impact of trauma.

This self-help book serves as a toolkit, which can help trauma survivors in identifying, contextualizing, and comprehending detachment and posttraumatic symptoms from their roots to why they arise. Readers can also build a structure to develop and enhance their abilities in managing exasperating thoughts, emotions, and impulses connected to traumatic events.

Wherever You Go, There You Are: A Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

The 10th edition of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are: A Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life was published in 2005 by Hachette Books. It is a guidebook that can greatly lower your stress levels and look for moments for self-reflection. The author plots a simple pathway for readers to follow in order to grow mindfulness in their lives. Thus, it is the perfect book for those who want to try to meditate and those who have been meditating for quite a long time now,

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You is a national bestselling book written by Elaine N. Aron. It is intended for those readers, specifically the highly sensitive ones, who want to find the best ways to achieve self-understanding and to live a better life with the aid of a clinical psychologist. The author, who possesses the same trait as her target readers, presents you with the methods of determining these characteristics and how to make the most out of them.

7 Mindsets to Master Self-Awareness by Elizabeth Diamond

In July 2010, Elizabeth Diamond’s brilliant book titled 7 Mindsets to Master Self-Awareness was published. This book aims to give rise to certain optimistic mindsets that can mold a strong underpinning for long-term conditions of inner happiness, love, calmness, and more. It also shows the readers the best ways to take so they can achieve the inner transformation that shows the emergence of positive, feel-good events that they’ve been longing for so long.

Mystery Romance Book for Your To-be-read List

For readers, the TBRs are the most important lists. Why? It contains all the titles that they are on the lookout for or have already finished reading. Some may have already crossed out some great titles on their to-be-read lists, for they’re done with the story, while others might be adding more books to read, making it longer. Checking out some new books and updating TBRs can absolutely bring a sense of comfort and joy to bookworms.

Since there are millions of books in literature and are sorted out by genre, then looking for new reads wouldn’t be that much of a hassle. Mystery romance is among the many literary genres that many tend to enjoy and delve into. The way stories have possessed both mysterious and romantic elements is one of the reasons why many are drawn into this category.

Hence, if you are a bookworm that’s searching for the best mystery romance book for your TBR — then, here are the titles that you should check out.

The Secret of Jerry’s Pride by Jo A. Totty

This stirring mystery romance book by Jo A. Totty takes place in a small and harmonious Southern town. But, how what would you do when the once peaceful town where no significantly worrisome events take place turns into a place where people begin to feel fear and threat? Everything was normal until someone moved into town and mysterious things started to occur to a notable family. One peculiar event leads to another that can change everybody’s life eternally.  

Never Look Back by Mary Burton

Never Look Back is a thrilling and page-turning book penned by best-selling author Mary Burton. It follows the story of how Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Agent Melina Shepard went undercover to investigate the cases of missing women. She turned into a prostitute, but as she ventured on a dangerous mission, she needed a backup. Hence, FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey came to her aid. After few dead ends and a new scene, they finally got a lead on what type of culprit that they were facing, which are two serial killers with varying motives. Would they catch the killers on the loose, or would they catch her first?

The Summer House by Jenny Hale

Jenny Hale’s romance book titled The Summer House was published in 2017 by Bookouture. The story focuses on Callie and Olivia, who invested their money in a beach house that they’ve always loved since their childhood summer days. Moreover, Callie gets entangled with a local named Luke Sullivan, whose everything about him almost looks perfect. But, just when genuine joy feels attainable, the two best friends and new owner of the summer house discovered a diary containing flabbergasting secrets that can impact people’s lives. As Callie begins to uncover the mystery, would her relationship with Luke be torn apart, or would love make them stronger?

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Bestselling author Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us gives the readers a story of love and how it always comes with a price. The book was published by Atria in 2016, and it immediately became a bestseller, like other Hoover books. It revolves around the story of Lily and Ryle. The former is a business owner from Boston but originally from Maine, while the latter is a neurosurgeon that is arrogant but brilliant. But as they built a connection together, their love was threatened when Lily’s first love, who is also connected to a past that she’d run away from, named Atlas, appeared.

Northern Lights by Nora Roberts

Written by New York Times bestselling author, this book surely brings the readers into a world filled with investigations, thrill, love, and redemption. Hence, it focuses on the story of how Nate Burke deals with guilt as he witnesses his partner killed on the street. The Baltimore cop was lost due to the stream of strong emotions and trauma. Amidst it all, he accepted the offer to be a Chief of Police in a small town in Alaska in the hopes of resetting his life. The town gives a balm for his crushed spirit with an unanticipated affair with Meg Galloway. But apart from that, a killer from an unsolved case is still on the loose. Investigations start, and secrets are revealed. It turns out, the town is not as placid as it is.

How to Write a Captivating Mystery Book for Kids

Children are the most honest and genuine readers. Why? They are still in the process of learning different things in this world. And, when they are introduced to books, they tend to ask several questions about the story, think out loud, and apply the lessons that they learned from the tales. These little readers may have fickle minds and short attention spans, but they can totally project their concentration and follow the stories with the right books.

The realm of children’s books is filled with thousands of vibrant, fun, and interesting tales. Mystery books are among the most entertaining stories that hook the young readers and ignite their drive to solve the puzzle. Is it Santa? is based on actual true events book by Nelibeth Plaza is a great example of a fascinating story that highlights a stirring mystery and features the significant symbol of the Christmas holiday.

If you are considering the idea of writing a mystery-filled children’s book, then listed below are the points that make a good mystery book that you should note.

Simple mysteries

Before anything else, you should know your target readers and research their interests. There should be an age bracket in order to incorporate an age-appropriate mystery. But if you cannot pinpoint the age range of your readers yet, then you must consider incorporating a simple set of mysteries that will, later on, lead to a major puzzle. Just make sure that when kids read your book, they can easily recognize the mystery and get the urge to solve it. For example, Nancy Drew 03: The Bungalow Mystery, which is a book with readers from 8 to 12 years old are the prospects, the mystery is about a peculiar bungalow and weird-acting “parents” of the girl named Laura Pendleton.

Moreover, don’t forget to develop every element of your storyline. Always remember that the puzzle might be the main attraction but how you build the other aspects will also matter, especially on the overall impact of your book.

Clues everywhere

A mystery book won’t make sense if there are no clues. Another important thing to consider is that kids love clues! Hence, do not forget to scatter the hints because they are the ingredients that spice up the story, arouse extreme emotions, and encourage readers to look for answers. Although you can use different literary devices to increase the quality of the plot, you should consider that your readers are kids. Hence, there should be no complicated aspects to guarantee comprehension and impact. If you wish to include some foreshadowing and other elements, make sure to do them in the simplest but wisest way possible — the way which readers can still follow the storyline.

Interactive point of view

Increasing interaction can strengthen the book-reader relationship. Without the connection between the story and the readers, stories will not be deemed successful. So, since your story falls under mystery, you must do your best to make the tale as interactive as it is, like The Boxcar Children Interactive Mysteries by Gertrude Chandler Warner.

Point of view is a significant element because it is the narrative voice by which the character or unreliable narrator tells the tale. Make sure to utilize the POV that gives the perks of increasing reader engagement, such as the second-person POV. With a great narrative and interactive elements, your prospects will surely enjoy and look forward to more of your works. You can also put some additional materials at the end or in between the story, such as quizzes, FAQs, puzzles, and more.

Uncomplicated plot

As an author, you write with your own voice and style. Sometimes you need to make alterations to fit the standards of your chosen genre and target audience. Again, given that children’s books are intended for the younger minds, an uncomplicated plot would be preferable. You are always given the freedom to add some spice to your story, such as using literary devices, making extraordinary characters, building amazing worlds, adding beautiful illustrations, and the likes. Thus, you should guarantee that these interesting elements can fit together and create a plot that readers can easily comprehend, interact with, and follow.

Literature 101: Elements of Nonfiction

You probably know by now how nonfiction plays a significant role in literature. It aims to give readers factual and concrete information, which is definitely in contrast to the imaginative manner of fiction. This genre is more complex than it seems because it must, in any way, feature events, individuals, and accounts that happened or existed in real life. Thus, any fabrication of the tiniest information inflicted in the book is a sin and would make the writing fall from the nonfiction standards.

Works under this genre are written with the purpose to either express or inform. You can observe it as to the sub-genre and the way the text is written, such as Taking the History of Science Really Seriously by Scott A. Kleiner, The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr, Happiness in Quantum Leaps by Aura McClain, Generations of Good Food by Eleanor Gaccetta, and Into the Wild by Mike Honeycutt.

With all these remarkable descriptions, what could be the basic elements found in nonfiction books? If you are curious to know what these aspects are, then here they are.

Style and Tone

Given the nature of this genre, it is definitely essential for authors to look into and maintain a writing style and tone that can captivate the attention of the readers. It is a great way of keeping them engaged and preventing them from growing bored from reading the text. Hence, writing with a good style can be done by keeping precise, clear, and accurate information with an interesting narrative. Readers must also be provided with an objective view of the subject; thus, authors should do their best to keep their work non-biased. Moreover, the scope of data should be showcased based on the degree of complexity and significance so that they can gradually get a better grasp on the presented concepts, as well as connect with the narrative.

Descriptive Imagery

Books rely heavily on their ability to establish ideas and generate images in the minds of their readers. Nonfiction utilizes facts, history, places, and people along with great descriptive words or adjectives to form a work that can paint a good picture in their readers’ minds. You can observe this by getting into a nonfiction book and take note of how authors feature a particular happening by encouraging you to use all your sense, which are your sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Through imagery, readers become more engrossed and invested in the work because they can feel the book-reader bond.

Figurative Language

Many might have various misconceptions about the use of figurative language in nonfiction. However, it also plays the same crucial role as it does in poetry and any other genre. Figurative language is defined as the utilization of words that in a way that goes beyond the usual order and definition to depict a point or message. It is also used in order to strengthen the meaning and appeal of the text. There are various forms of figurative language, and each of them has different characteristics of presenting a concept and its meaning in an unconventional way.

Storyline or Information

There are categories under nonfiction that follow a certain story; thus, they are presented in a creative way but still adhere to the standards of the genre. Biographies and memoirs often follow a storyline to express the personal experience of the author or of a particular person either from their childhood to present or a particular part of their lives that they deemed remarkable. Therefore, the basic sequence of a story comes into view. Readers can surely identify the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion of the story even when they are presented in different manners to add spice to work. But for other subcategories, such as self-help, textbooks, journals, and the likes, the information is conveyed with accuracy and clarity to promote understanding and awareness.

Layout

The layout basically refers to the whole format of the work. Since nonfiction books are more thorough and formal, authors often utilize photographs, footnotes, citations, illustrations, and diagrams to help the readers get a better grasp and examine the reliability and authenticity of the text. For academic papers, researches, textbooks, and the likes, you can see the similarity of their formats by using the table of contents, glossary, and index or bibliographies. When it comes to creative nonfiction, such as memoirs, personal essays, travelogue, and more, they almost have the same format as fiction books, but they can attach more photos, insert captions, utilize footnotes, and use bullet points.

Ways to Effectively Introduce Christianity to Children

There are efficient ways to start Catechism among children and to introduce them to the Christian life. If we want to build a strong foundation of faith for our kids, it is wise to teach them Catechism while they are young and employ creative ways to make them understand and practice the ways of the building and strengthening faith.

Share Gospel daily

The Bible is one Superbook filled with many stories and lessons. It is divided into two sections- the Old Testament and New Testament. The former contains Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; and, features the creation of the world, the early humans, and God’s relationship with humanity. The latter, on the other hand, is more about the life and death of Jesus Christ as told by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Both sections contain amazing stories of heroism, kindness, bravery, and faithfulness. If we can tell a story from the Bible each day, we are slowly introducing Christianity to kids. And kids love a remarkable story. Some amazing stories are David and Goliath, Jonah and the Whale, and Daniel and the Lions.

Teach them prayer

Prayers are fundamental for every faithful, no matter what religion he belongs. For Christians, we view prayers as our way of showing our gratitude to God and asking for His forgiveness, His grace, and guidance. They are also the easiest acts to teach. Most Christian prayers are easy to memorize, and there are specific prayers to say upon waking up, eating meals, and going to bed. One effective way to teach kids how to pray is through songs. There are prayers with melodies, and children love learning new songs. Aside from standard prayers, childhood is also a good time to teach how to say their own prayers. It is wise to make them understand that saying a prayer is all about talking to God more than memorizing words.

Seasonal Activities

One great thing about Christianity is that it has a very active calendar. Almost every day, there are celebrations or feast days of saints and martyrs. But, the annual calendar of Christians is divided mainly into four seasonal activities- Advent, Lent, Easter, and Rosary. Advent covers the events leading to the birth of Jesus Christ. Lent features the passion and death of Christ on the cross. Easter is all about Jesus rising from the dead and going into heaven. Rosary is about the three mysteries- Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries. Each season is filled with various community activities that children can participate in; what better way to introduce them to our faith than to have them immerse in the Church calendar and its activities. Plus, it will also expose kids to other kids their age, learning from each other.

Kid’s illustrated books

Literature is a powerful tool for educating young minds. However, when it comes to Catechism, parents and church leaders must find a way to present the teachings of Christianity in a more creative and easy-to-absorb forms. Enter children’s illustrated books and fables. Mara-lee Stricker is the author of the children’s book entitled The Adventures of Cammy Lambie in The Place of the Big Blue Sky. This 2015 masterpiece is a story of a young lamb and his twin brother living under the caring and watchful eye of their mother, Ewe, and Granny Lambie. It represents Jesus Christ’s relationship with us. Mara-lee Stricker’s biography tells us that she is a mother and has four grandsons, which may have been her inspiration in writing the book. Colorful drawings and easy-to-understand narratives are vital to attracting young readers into the ways of the Christian faith.

Teach outdoor classes

Classroom discussions are good only if your students have a long attention span. Catechism is like school education, but only the subject is about our Christian faith and God. If we want to attract more young inquisitive minds into Christianity, we must offer them excitement, adventure, and unconventional teaching methods. Outdoor classes always excite students because they are not confined to the four walls of the classroom. Catechism should be taught under the open sky, near wonderful sceneries, outdoor camps, and anywhere where students can see surroundings and breathe fresh air. During His time, Jesus Christ did not teach in an auditorium or a university hall. He preached on mountaintops, marketplaces, outside synagogues, near the seashore, and in the garden. So why can’t we do it today with our kids? It’s more fun out there in the open.

These five methods are just some of the many ways we can teach young kids about God, faith, and religion. If we can show them the Christian way of life and how relevant it is to everyone, we can continue to raise and nurture kind, loving, and God-fearing individuals in our society.

Common Traits of an Antagonist

A character is always essential in a story. It is the element that helps the readers go through the tale from beginning to end, guiding them to get the gist and ponder on the central message. In most stories, there are a set of characters showcasing different traits and pursuing different objectives. The antagonist is one of the most popular next to the main character. By definition, an antagonist is a character that goes against and hinders the protagonist in solving the problem and achieving his goal. Thus, another term used to describe it is the villain.

There are a couple of popular antagonists in literature, and most of them belong to stories of different genres. Some great examples of these villains are Randall Flag on Stephen King’s The Stand, Sauron on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Manuel Noriega on Shemella’s The Dictator’s Revenge book, and Agatha Trunchbull on Dahl’s Matilda.

If you want to know more about what an antagonist is, specifically its traits, then listed below is the information that you might want to know.

Goal-driven

Like normal characters, villains are also driven by a goal. This objective is expected to be something that will definitely bring complexities to the side of the main character. What is remarkable in this type of character is its detailed, evil, in most cases, plan to achieve a specific goal. Because of that, she becomes more determined to take action. For books that are character-driven, this trait can be introduced by an individual who’s attempting to prevent the main character from inflicting hurt to himself or who’s pushing the protagonist to do so. Moreover, antagonists that are aiming for something will always try to avoid a particular event or object that can put their plans at risk.

Highly motivated

Being highly motivated is almost identical to being goal-driven; however, the former shows more action than the latter. This is when the antagonist acts out the plan. The strong and logical motivations will push the villain to seek grander heights, resulting in the rise of intense human emotions. Furthermore, the more reasonable the motivation, the more interesting the antagonist becomes — which is more beneficial for the entire storyline. For example, a villain is trapped in a cell after being captured. Thus, he plots for a jailbreak, and he is highly committed to the execution along with the right timing.

Acting on personal desires

If you try to think about it, all characters have their own purposes and goals. But, there is nothing more determined than the antagonist. You can observe that the villain will stop at nothing to satisfy his personal desire, such as to get revenge. Another defining thing about this characteristic is that it motivates the character to hinder the protagonist and succeed in any way he can. For the antagonist, failing weighs heavier than victory. It means that when a villain fails, it creates a more profound impact on them. He faces the consequences if the plan fails, and these punishments can be extreme.

Extremely manipulative

There are various negative traits that are possessed by antagonists, but the most common is their manipulative behavior. Showing passive-aggressive actions, imposing threats, displaying dishonesty, keeping information, gaslighting others, and causing verbal abuse are among the signs that a character is a manipulator.  Why do villains manipulate others? The answer lies in between being in control of the situation and achieves goals. In most stories, antagonists are willing to adapt to control and deceive others for the sake of success. Many authors also suppress this kind of characteristic by creating a thin layer of positive behaviors, so other characters can fall into the villains’ traps, resulting in heightened tension and conflict.

Keeps a secret

Secrets always increase the pressure of a story. It is also the element that makes the readers more engaged in the book and eager to turn the last page. Basically, antagonists are secretive given that they have plans that they are determined to accomplish. In every step they take, they are careful, so they could fulfill themselves and enjoy the satisfaction from their achievements. But like in every story, there will always be that moment when secrets are revealed, and conflicts are solved.

Activities That Will Calm Your Mind, Body, and Soul

In this day and age, healing and aligning of the mind, body, and soul are considered a necessity. Why? It is because struggles and challenges are included in the package deal of growing up and they have the ability to either make or break your life. Those that haven’t strengthened up their guards may have had difficulties in facing each adversity while those that toughen up may have already reach success.

However, it is undeniable that people have varying vulnerabilities and rooms for improvements. These qualities become the essential ingredients that make stronger, more empowered, and more powerful individuals. Regardless of the hardships brought by life and the chaos that affect your mind, body, and soul, it is still significant to acknowledge, learn from, and mend those aspects. There are many activities that can help you calm your mind, body, and soul and help you grow into a happier and better you. That said, here are the activities that you might want to consider doing for your personal development.

Exercise

Surprisingly, exercising regularly can bring so many benefits to your well-being. It can be the most underrated activity that can help you achieve healing and growth. With frequent work out, you can reduce the chance of developing diseases, maintain a fit lifestyle, clear your head, think clearly, and other amazing things. What is more awesome with exercising is that it is cost-efficient, convenient, and beneficial to every individual. There are also different kinds of exercises, which you can choose from that will fit your lifestyle and needs. What are you waiting for? Exercise now and eliminate stress and live healthily.

Read

Literature houses millions of books that can help you learn, heal, and grow all at once, such as the book about happiness by McClain titled Happiness in Quantum Leaps. Moreover, reading is an activity that doesn’t require a lot of effort and resources. All you need is a great book and a comfortable place to read. Through reading, you can get both learning and entertainment. The stories and writings have their own little way of creating an impact within the readers and encourage everyone to slowly understand the different aspects of life and apply their realizations for the benefit of their minds, bodies, and souls. Thus, start looking for the best book that can help you in your current situation and see how it can help you improve and mend.

Write

Writing is the best confidence builder. It is also the activity that promotes self-expression and awareness. It cannot be denied that there is a great sense of comfort that arouse after turning your experiences and emotions into remarkable stories. Furthermore, the negativities in your mind that radiate to your body and soul can be calmed and eradicated through writing. The mere act of journaling or scribbling your thoughts down on paper can untangle the bothering thoughts, release the stress, and push you look forward for better days. Other benefits that this activity gives are the development of communication skills, improvement of empathy, and enhancement of holistic health.

Pray

The healing presence brought by praying is the best benefit that you can get. By saying your daily prayer, you are cultivating a better relationship with God and allowing Him to guide the course of your voyage. There is no mandated time to pray. Although there are established days where you are required to participate and give your respect as children of God, such as on Sundays and Sabbath day, you can still say your prayers at any time of the day. After praying, a variety of emotions can be felt. The said emotions include but are not limited to feelings of thankfulness, forgiveness, benevolence, hope, and healing.

Travel

Traveling might not be that cost-efficient but it can bring grander things to your well-being. Going on different places is a breath of fresh air. You can discover multiple things, including the things about yourself. It can also make you happier, more confident, more creative, and more inspired. The healing, comfort, and delight brought by seeing new places, disconnecting to your present world, and breaking free from the mess in your life can bring you peace.

Why Every Story Matters

Have you ever had this drive to share your story with the world? There are definitely various tales inside of you that want to be let out and inspire others in their own little way. The mere act of storytelling can do great and amazing things you never thought you needed, such as empowerment, inspiration, expression, and healing. However, you are not limited to telling popular oral traditions or stories because simply sharing your experiences is also considered storytelling.

There are also different avenues that allow you to tell your tale and express your truth, such as literature. In the said platform, every individual is given the liberty to either tell or write their stories and express their ideas with creativity. Hence, there were millions of books and stories that were born from those remarkable stories. Most of these books are under different genres, such as fiction, nonfiction, prose, and poetry.

Moreover, does the thought of why stories matter ever crossed your mind? If it has, then here are the reasons that will enlighten your minds.

Represent a memory

Stories often represent memories while memories often become stories; and, the cycle goes on. How did this happen? As you already know, experiences turn into the best tales. Knowing that people experienced different events in life, such as childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, each of the stages of their life brings a great lesson that many can learn from. Thus, writing your fondest or most meaningful experiences can help preserve those memories and even help others who had it worse than you did or are facing the same struggles.

In literature, stories that are solely based on real events of a person’s life are categorized under memoir and biography. There are also works that take those experiences in order to inspire people to make a move for their betterment, which is called self-help. The mentioned genres house remarkable and heartwarming books, such as The Other Side of Fear: My Journey into Perfect Love by W. Veronica Lisare and The Journey Home by Lori-Ellen Pisani.

Connect emotionally

Emotional connection is the most unexpected outcome in storytelling. This factor is the main indicator if a tale has created an impact on its audience or readers. The moment that you decide to share your story in the most comfortable method, which is either through verbal or written form, the receiver on the other end of the line will start to process and respond.

Hence, the emotional connection that is formed between a book and reader often refers to the bunch of subjective emotions that emerge. Through this connection, the bond between the readers and the stories becomes stronger, wherein the former become attached and moved by the latter. The common emotions that arose during the reading or storytelling process that create the emotional bond are happiness, sadness, anger, love, sorrow, grief, and a thousand more.

Influence lifestyles and mindsets

As it has and always been, stories are inanimate teachers. Knowing that each individual has gone through different events and has conquered varying struggles, it is also good to consider that they also live different lives. You may not live the same way or may not have the same perspectives as others, but with the wide array of stories that you’ve read and heard of, you will soon develop a better lifestyle and mindset.

Through stories, you can learn more about the things that you are struggling with and rise above your adversities. In return, you can also share your passions, fears, and hardships with others, which they can also take and learn from as they go on their lives. Therefore, stories have their own unique way of influencing people and shaping their minds.

Teach about culture and history

Stories reflect both culture and history. The place that you have originated or the location where your story setting is based on has its own rich culture and history. Everyone has a tale to tell, which goes the same to culture and history. Hence, the stories that you personally experienced or that were shared with you somehow showcase a particular belief or tradition from the country of origin of the writer or storyteller. These oral tales and written stories are inspired or based on some parts of history that have made a great impact on the authors.

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