So we've finally passed the halfway point for NaNoWriMo and I am finally caught back up to that ever-demanding daily goal line (I fell behind last week).
This is the point where many people typically lose focus as to how to advance the plot or lose steam or interest all together. For me though the story is just now picking up. This is a good thing and a bad thing.
On the good side: I don't have to worry about where the story is going. With some pleasant divergence from previous plot points, the main characters have finally encountered the Kai'us' and things are steamrolling along as everyone gets to know everyone else and their motives. A character they thought was dead will be returning soon and more secrets will be revealed. Juicy stuff awaits!
On the bad side: I need to slam the reader with TONS of information about this alien culture so they know just what's going on and why without it bogging down the plot flow or boring the reader. There's a lot of subtle work on my part to slip in useful information without the reader really noticing. It often means going back as I remember a particular little piece of information that needs to go in a certain place and making "quiet" little tweaks here and there.
The natives also speak their own language and though I have previous glossaries to borrow from, I'm always reconstructing their grammar on the fly and so a fair amount of thought needs to go into every word spoken in the Kai'us language. That slows me down a little. I suppose I could just plow through and put in English placeholders or simple gibberish and just clean it up later, but I can't write like that. Their language is part of their identity and for me a simple turn of phrase or euphemism can subtly change the feel of a whole scene. How we speak is how we think and vise versa, so hammering out how these beings verbally communicate gives me (and therefore the reader) a subconscious insight into how their minds work and allows for a connection to happen that's so crucial to good story telling.
Maybe I'm over-thinking it and making more work for myself, but it is quite satisfying!
Given where I am in the story compared to what's still left to tell, it looks like I'll probably be crossing that finish line with plenty more story waiting, but that's okay; I've got the hardest part written (the beginning).
The interesting thing with is rewrite is the change in pacing. In previous versions the characters get days, sometimes weeks before the next big thing happens to them. In this version they're not afforded a moments peace (yes, I'm apparently turning into a sadistic writer mwahahahaha!)
Right when they catch their footing, think they've got their situation stabilized and they can settle in to a new "normal", the bottom drops out again and they have to figure out how to stay alive all over again. It's kind of mean to the characters, but makes for some great, heart-pounding reading!
So here's to an amazing second half!
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
The Second Go-Around (NaNo-related)
You may have heard (once or twice, lol) that I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year.
This is my second year doing it and I must say there's some major differences between my approach this year from last. Last year my decision to join was semi-last minute (within the last week or two before November 1st). I was terrified about finishing "on time and on budget". I broke down the various sections of my story into word-count goals (which actually did help). I participated in the forums; I watched pep-talks and videos about tips and tricks on youTube and I was so freaking exhilarated when I crossed the finish line!
This year I made my decision to participate weeks in advance. I kept stalking the NaNo home page, waiting for it to reset so I could put in my novel info for this year.
This time 'round I don't need the pep-talks and the "you can do it!" support from the forums. I have the rough outline I threw together the last time I tried to jump-start this project (again).
As expected, I still need to go hunting for information I never thought to jot down earlier, but you know what? I'm okay with that.
Though I take the daily word counts very seriously, I have no desire to run ahead of the daily quotas. Get your 1,667 words in and stop for the day - don't kill yourself (unless some burst of productivity seizes you). I'm not going to freak out if I reach the end of the story and am falling short by a few thousand words. I really have no idea how long this beast is going to be (I never do). But I don't care honestly. I want the story written.
I may blow past 50k words. I may not. What matters more to me this year for NaNo is getting this damned story pulled together, preferably devoid of those stupid plot holes that have been plaguing me for years.
I see the differences between this year and last as being a parent for the first and second time.
With a first child you do all your research and try to do everything right. You hover, you worry, you lose sleep.
With baby number two, you're an old veteran at that point. You know what matters and what doesn't. You still care, but not in the hand-wringing, worrying sort of way. You're more inclined to let things happen in their own time on their own terms.
I'm rather liking baby number two ;)
This is my second year doing it and I must say there's some major differences between my approach this year from last. Last year my decision to join was semi-last minute (within the last week or two before November 1st). I was terrified about finishing "on time and on budget". I broke down the various sections of my story into word-count goals (which actually did help). I participated in the forums; I watched pep-talks and videos about tips and tricks on youTube and I was so freaking exhilarated when I crossed the finish line!
This year I made my decision to participate weeks in advance. I kept stalking the NaNo home page, waiting for it to reset so I could put in my novel info for this year.
This time 'round I don't need the pep-talks and the "you can do it!" support from the forums. I have the rough outline I threw together the last time I tried to jump-start this project (again).
As expected, I still need to go hunting for information I never thought to jot down earlier, but you know what? I'm okay with that.
Though I take the daily word counts very seriously, I have no desire to run ahead of the daily quotas. Get your 1,667 words in and stop for the day - don't kill yourself (unless some burst of productivity seizes you). I'm not going to freak out if I reach the end of the story and am falling short by a few thousand words. I really have no idea how long this beast is going to be (I never do). But I don't care honestly. I want the story written.
I may blow past 50k words. I may not. What matters more to me this year for NaNo is getting this damned story pulled together, preferably devoid of those stupid plot holes that have been plaguing me for years.
I see the differences between this year and last as being a parent for the first and second time.
With a first child you do all your research and try to do everything right. You hover, you worry, you lose sleep.
With baby number two, you're an old veteran at that point. You know what matters and what doesn't. You still care, but not in the hand-wringing, worrying sort of way. You're more inclined to let things happen in their own time on their own terms.
I'm rather liking baby number two ;)
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Getting to the Point (Life Musings)
As of this writing I have eight drafts sitting here in my blog archive that span three months. In that time I've only made two posts.
Eight times I'd tried to compose a witty, insightful piece of prose but couldn't get it tied up to the point where it made a point. I've tried a few different topics too: struggles with my career, frustrations with the endless plot holes I'm finding in "The Kai'us Planet" and musings about martial arts.
All started out with a spark that interested me enough to try typing them up, but then they each fizzled into a meandering monolog that went nowhere. Eight. Times.
It's annoying but not as frightening as it may be for a writer.
Getting ready for the wedding did indeed eat up a fair amount of my time and energy and now I'm waiting with baited breath for NaNoWriMo to start in less than a week!
Still, I'd like to get a post up and I might as well at least touch on these topics that I've been struggling so hard to articulate in a thought-provoking fashion.
1) My career: I do rather live by the adage of "It turns out I don't want a career, all I want is a pay check". Though it's true that apart from the retail job I had for six months the year after I graduated college and the in-home caregiver job I had for nine months to tide me over till I could find more steady work, all the jobs I've had for the whole of my adult life have been (at least vaguely) in the field I went to school for. Problem is that I take major pay-cuts with each new job I get. I'm pay-cutting myself into poverty and it's downright frustrating.
The easy answer is to switch careers, but to what?
Nursing or midwifery seem to be the obvious answers, but with my open disdain of the medical realm I really don't think I'd be happy there long.
Things are further complicated by the fact that I actually do very much like where I'm presently working. I'm good at what I do, I like my co-workers AND boss/manager and have a fair amount of personal freedom. The only real downside is the pay; so I'm continuing to noodle over what I should do there.
2) "The Kai'us Planet": I'm continually amazed at all the plot holes that have carried through "The Kai'us Planet" throughout the years, but that's why I'm rewriting it from scratch for NaNo this year. There will be absolutely no copy/paste in this version from versions prior. I'm going to force myself to assess each and every scene, plot point and character motivation to make sure it's as solid a piece of sci-fi as can be churned out in 30 days. (Then I'll spend the next year or two editing the hell out of the thing!)
3) Martial Arts: The longer I continue with Karate (I've been back for almost eight months now), the more I love it. I'm even making compromises that I never thought I'd do! For one I'm keeping my nails trimmed back shorter than the length I typically wear them just so that making a good, solid fist is easier. Another gasp-worthy change is I'm getting up a full half-hour earlier each morning just so I can do exercises to increase my strength and flexibility.
I've got a self-created three-day plan going presently: Day 1 is focused on legs and hips. My goal is to work up to a full split, but honestly my hips have always given me issue, so anything I can do to improve their mobility is great!
Day 2 is arms and upper body. I'm appalled at how poorly I do push-ups in class, so I work on my own to get better at that. Still have a long way to go and I continue to add exercises that'll hopefully help there.
Day 3 is a rest day and I usually need it. This doesn't mean I sleep in that extra half hour - I don't want to mess up my schedule by doing something silly like that - instead I do chores on those mornings or just spend a little extra time on the computer before work. I have a feeling Day 3 days will be a godsend during NaNoWriMo!
I'm still hellbent on trying to test for my next rank in May. It's "only" seven months away and I still have a lot of work to do, but it's far more prep time than I've had for any of my other tests, so I think I'll do okay.
So those are the three main topics that I've had on my mind a lot lately that I've been unable to pull together in a way that was entertaining and awesome for this blog.
I'm hoping my second dive into NaNoWriMo brings out my witty humor again and maybe even some random short-stories will come your way when I need a break from that annual 50k word marathon!
Eight times I'd tried to compose a witty, insightful piece of prose but couldn't get it tied up to the point where it made a point. I've tried a few different topics too: struggles with my career, frustrations with the endless plot holes I'm finding in "The Kai'us Planet" and musings about martial arts.
All started out with a spark that interested me enough to try typing them up, but then they each fizzled into a meandering monolog that went nowhere. Eight. Times.
It's annoying but not as frightening as it may be for a writer.
Getting ready for the wedding did indeed eat up a fair amount of my time and energy and now I'm waiting with baited breath for NaNoWriMo to start in less than a week!
Still, I'd like to get a post up and I might as well at least touch on these topics that I've been struggling so hard to articulate in a thought-provoking fashion.
1) My career: I do rather live by the adage of "It turns out I don't want a career, all I want is a pay check". Though it's true that apart from the retail job I had for six months the year after I graduated college and the in-home caregiver job I had for nine months to tide me over till I could find more steady work, all the jobs I've had for the whole of my adult life have been (at least vaguely) in the field I went to school for. Problem is that I take major pay-cuts with each new job I get. I'm pay-cutting myself into poverty and it's downright frustrating.
The easy answer is to switch careers, but to what?
Nursing or midwifery seem to be the obvious answers, but with my open disdain of the medical realm I really don't think I'd be happy there long.
Things are further complicated by the fact that I actually do very much like where I'm presently working. I'm good at what I do, I like my co-workers AND boss/manager and have a fair amount of personal freedom. The only real downside is the pay; so I'm continuing to noodle over what I should do there.
2) "The Kai'us Planet": I'm continually amazed at all the plot holes that have carried through "The Kai'us Planet" throughout the years, but that's why I'm rewriting it from scratch for NaNo this year. There will be absolutely no copy/paste in this version from versions prior. I'm going to force myself to assess each and every scene, plot point and character motivation to make sure it's as solid a piece of sci-fi as can be churned out in 30 days. (Then I'll spend the next year or two editing the hell out of the thing!)
3) Martial Arts: The longer I continue with Karate (I've been back for almost eight months now), the more I love it. I'm even making compromises that I never thought I'd do! For one I'm keeping my nails trimmed back shorter than the length I typically wear them just so that making a good, solid fist is easier. Another gasp-worthy change is I'm getting up a full half-hour earlier each morning just so I can do exercises to increase my strength and flexibility.
I've got a self-created three-day plan going presently: Day 1 is focused on legs and hips. My goal is to work up to a full split, but honestly my hips have always given me issue, so anything I can do to improve their mobility is great!
Day 2 is arms and upper body. I'm appalled at how poorly I do push-ups in class, so I work on my own to get better at that. Still have a long way to go and I continue to add exercises that'll hopefully help there.
Day 3 is a rest day and I usually need it. This doesn't mean I sleep in that extra half hour - I don't want to mess up my schedule by doing something silly like that - instead I do chores on those mornings or just spend a little extra time on the computer before work. I have a feeling Day 3 days will be a godsend during NaNoWriMo!
I'm still hellbent on trying to test for my next rank in May. It's "only" seven months away and I still have a lot of work to do, but it's far more prep time than I've had for any of my other tests, so I think I'll do okay.
So those are the three main topics that I've had on my mind a lot lately that I've been unable to pull together in a way that was entertaining and awesome for this blog.
I'm hoping my second dive into NaNoWriMo brings out my witty humor again and maybe even some random short-stories will come your way when I need a break from that annual 50k word marathon!
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Post-Wedding Life Update
I've been neglecting this blog something terrible of late because I was busy with wedding prep. Don't feel bad though - I've been neglecting pretty much everything else as well (my poor house is an absolute wreck!)
So now I'm married (yeah!)
Thank heavens society has reached a point where people don't look at one funny when told the bride didn't change her name!
Once we get our formal pics back from the photographer I'll be submitting the full wedding story to The Offbeat Bride. Until then I'll gloss over the lovely day we had.
Apart from the chilly, icky weather it really was a wonderful day full of friends and family and food!
So what plans do I have post-nuptials?
Well, I'm going to do NaNoWriMo again this year! (Look me up under GwendolynWilkins).
Last year I didn't want to touch "The Kai'us Planet" as a potential NaNo project. This year I can think of nothing else I'd rather do!
So that's happening.
I already have a vague outline sketched out and some other helpful resource material written down; but I have a feeling I'm just going to pants the damned thing (like I always have). I mean I've written it from start to finish at least five times - I'm pretty sure I know how the story goes!
Still, as I revisit particular scenes in my head I'm continually appalled at all the blaring plot holes I come across. In fact I don't think I've hit upon a single scene that I haven't found a major issue that will need to be addressed in the NaNo re-write. (Hmm...maybe I should do a write-up pointing out all these plot holes and my plan for closing them up...)
While I wait for the starting bell for NaNo to ding on November 1st, I've promised my business partner that I'd work on inventory this month so we'll be all set and ready to go for our Christmas season craft fairs. (Time to plug our website and etsy pages!!)
So those are the immediate plans.
Though the wedding ate up a fair amount of my time for the past couple months, not much has changed in its aftermath. We had no intention of doing a honeymoon straight away. The current game plan is taking that fabled road trip through the Rocky Mountains, hitting all the National Parks we can along the way.
Ah, glorious travel!
I'm still enjoying Karate to no end and am still planning on trying for my next rank in May of next year. We'll see how that goes - a lot of improvements in kicking needs to happen between now and then though!
I'm going to try to be a little more participatory over here on the blog.
There's always random musings floating around in the ol' noggin and no doubt a few of those will grace these pixels on occasion.
Thanks for sticking around and here's to hoping there's more to come!
So now I'm married (yeah!)
Thank heavens society has reached a point where people don't look at one funny when told the bride didn't change her name!
Once we get our formal pics back from the photographer I'll be submitting the full wedding story to The Offbeat Bride. Until then I'll gloss over the lovely day we had.
Apart from the chilly, icky weather it really was a wonderful day full of friends and family and food!
So what plans do I have post-nuptials?
Well, I'm going to do NaNoWriMo again this year! (Look me up under GwendolynWilkins).
Last year I didn't want to touch "The Kai'us Planet" as a potential NaNo project. This year I can think of nothing else I'd rather do!
So that's happening.
I already have a vague outline sketched out and some other helpful resource material written down; but I have a feeling I'm just going to pants the damned thing (like I always have). I mean I've written it from start to finish at least five times - I'm pretty sure I know how the story goes!
Still, as I revisit particular scenes in my head I'm continually appalled at all the blaring plot holes I come across. In fact I don't think I've hit upon a single scene that I haven't found a major issue that will need to be addressed in the NaNo re-write. (Hmm...maybe I should do a write-up pointing out all these plot holes and my plan for closing them up...)
While I wait for the starting bell for NaNo to ding on November 1st, I've promised my business partner that I'd work on inventory this month so we'll be all set and ready to go for our Christmas season craft fairs. (Time to plug our website and etsy pages!!)
So those are the immediate plans.
Though the wedding ate up a fair amount of my time for the past couple months, not much has changed in its aftermath. We had no intention of doing a honeymoon straight away. The current game plan is taking that fabled road trip through the Rocky Mountains, hitting all the National Parks we can along the way.
Ah, glorious travel!
I'm still enjoying Karate to no end and am still planning on trying for my next rank in May of next year. We'll see how that goes - a lot of improvements in kicking needs to happen between now and then though!
I'm going to try to be a little more participatory over here on the blog.
There's always random musings floating around in the ol' noggin and no doubt a few of those will grace these pixels on occasion.
Thanks for sticking around and here's to hoping there's more to come!
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
My Stomach and Me (Humor)
Though I've never been formally diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I've just come to assume that's what I have. My IBS has gotten significantly better in recent years (I used to be plagued with near daily symptoms that were affecting my desire to eat anything at all). About ten years ago I had to go on a highly restrictive diet for about a year. That year of detox got me back to where I can pretty much eat whatever I want whenever I like; the only limitation now is eating after 6:30, 7:00pm.
I warn all friends and family that I can't eat after that time of day. Happily I have plenty of self-control, so I'm rarely tempted to have "just one slice of pizza", or a "small bowl of ice cream". I know that such indiscretions will send my digestive system into terrible spasms of nauseous and diarrhea, making my whole body shake and sweat, and my breathing sound like I've been running sprints for the past hour.
It's frustrating though because I tend to be up until 11:00 at night - that's a pretty long stretch of time to go without eating. With all that in mind, I'd like to present a sample conversation I have with my stomach on a frequent basis:
5:30pm
ME: Alright! Home from work. What do you want for dinner?
STOMACH: Eh, whatever you want, I'm not terribly hungry. That snack we had at 3:00 is still holding.
ME: Okay, I'll just scarf down a quick yogurt. You let me know when you want something more substantial though.
6:30pm
ME: How about it? Want some spaghetti or some fried eggs or something?
STOMACH: Nah. That yogurt was enough. We're good.
7:30pm
ME: Tick-tock, tick-tock. We're down to just being able to eat toast or oatmeal at this point.
STOMACH: Pfff! I've got my second wind baby! We can go all night long!
8:30pm
STOMACH: Feed me.
ME: You're kidding right? I asked you three times already and you said "no".
STOMACH: But I'm hungry now!
ME: Tough, you're going to have to deal with it.
9:30pm
STOMACH: FEED ME NOW!
ME: Nope, you had your chance. You're just going to have to suffer, otherwise you'll make me suffer.
10:30pm
STOMACH: <sobbing> Why do you hate me?!?
ME: Because you don't know how to play well with others. No food for you!
STOMACH: But I'm soooooo hungry!
ME: Yeah and how do you like the alternative? I want to sleep tonight! You're not getting anything until 7:00 tomorrow morning.
STOMACH: I'm going to die!
ME: No, that's what you would do if we ate anything right now. You're going to have to suck it up and wait.
STOMACH: i hate u.
And this boys and girls, is why I can't gain weight.
I warn all friends and family that I can't eat after that time of day. Happily I have plenty of self-control, so I'm rarely tempted to have "just one slice of pizza", or a "small bowl of ice cream". I know that such indiscretions will send my digestive system into terrible spasms of nauseous and diarrhea, making my whole body shake and sweat, and my breathing sound like I've been running sprints for the past hour.
It's frustrating though because I tend to be up until 11:00 at night - that's a pretty long stretch of time to go without eating. With all that in mind, I'd like to present a sample conversation I have with my stomach on a frequent basis:
5:30pm
ME: Alright! Home from work. What do you want for dinner?
STOMACH: Eh, whatever you want, I'm not terribly hungry. That snack we had at 3:00 is still holding.
ME: Okay, I'll just scarf down a quick yogurt. You let me know when you want something more substantial though.
6:30pm
ME: How about it? Want some spaghetti or some fried eggs or something?
STOMACH: Nah. That yogurt was enough. We're good.
7:30pm
ME: Tick-tock, tick-tock. We're down to just being able to eat toast or oatmeal at this point.
STOMACH: Pfff! I've got my second wind baby! We can go all night long!
8:30pm
STOMACH: Feed me.
ME: You're kidding right? I asked you three times already and you said "no".
STOMACH: But I'm hungry now!
ME: Tough, you're going to have to deal with it.
9:30pm
STOMACH: FEED ME NOW!
ME: Nope, you had your chance. You're just going to have to suffer, otherwise you'll make me suffer.
10:30pm
STOMACH: <sobbing> Why do you hate me?!?
ME: Because you don't know how to play well with others. No food for you!
STOMACH: But I'm soooooo hungry!
ME: Yeah and how do you like the alternative? I want to sleep tonight! You're not getting anything until 7:00 tomorrow morning.
STOMACH: I'm going to die!
ME: No, that's what you would do if we ate anything right now. You're going to have to suck it up and wait.
STOMACH: i hate u.
And this boys and girls, is why I can't gain weight.
Friday, July 25, 2014
The King's Choice (Tipsy Lit Entry)
Less than an hour to go and I'm finally getting this week's entry in! (Oy what a week it's been!)
Sorry - the brain is fried and I can't seem to get the photo to link to the site, so here's the link: Tipsy Lit
"The King's Choice"
450 Words
“Are you certain?” the king asked bleakly.
“Sire, the signs never lie,” the grim soothsayer replied. “And to be honest, Your Majesty, I pray I don’t live long enough to see it come to pass.”
With that the aged man left the king alone with his thoughts. What a terrible prophecy! Being a generally good-humored man however, the king could not help but smile at the utter lack of creativity on the part of the Fates.
“Father!” The single word pulled him instantly from his musings. He looked up to see his beautiful young daughter sneak into the room – knowing the old sage had left.
“Come here, my sweet child,” he said as jovially as he could muster.
The young princess ran into his arms and he clung to his only daughter with a paternal passion he was rarely able to indulge in. Why must such a wicked prophecy be bestowed upon him? Why should in involve such a loving child.
“Father, what did the soothsayer say?” she asked, pulling away to study her father’s face.
The king looked back into a face verging on womanhood, yet his daughter’s eyes still contained the untarnished innocence of youth. He forced a smile and patted her cheek. “Crops, my love. Nothing to concern yourself with.”
Dimples formed in her cheeks as she settled herself in his lap and demanded a story. How could the kings of old lock their daughters away in secret towers when similar portents were laid upon them? Were their own miserable lives so much more important than the ones they sired?
As he rattled off an ancient tale they both knew by heart he contemplated telling her the awful truth: that her future son would bring about his own death and the ruin of the kingdom. Yet he knew that such awful knowledge would drive her to a convent in the hopes that taking holy vows would avert disaster. The king knew those stories too: some mysterious traveler comes along and woos or forces himself upon the unsuspecting maiden and the prophecy becomes fulfilled.
No. Though he always strove to be honest with his beloved daughter, ignorance would be best in this case. This way she would marry a man the king knew and approved of. She’d marry for love and have many years of happiness. She may not even bear a son right away. She may be allowed decades of peaceful bliss before the inevitable strikes.
All the while the king would be watching, waiting and knowing that when she presents her firstborn son to him, that he’d be holding in his hands his own demise. A strange notion no doubt; but he saw no other choice.
Sorry - the brain is fried and I can't seem to get the photo to link to the site, so here's the link: Tipsy Lit
450 Words
“Are you certain?” the king asked bleakly.
“Sire, the signs never lie,” the grim soothsayer replied. “And to be honest, Your Majesty, I pray I don’t live long enough to see it come to pass.”
With that the aged man left the king alone with his thoughts. What a terrible prophecy! Being a generally good-humored man however, the king could not help but smile at the utter lack of creativity on the part of the Fates.
“Father!” The single word pulled him instantly from his musings. He looked up to see his beautiful young daughter sneak into the room – knowing the old sage had left.
“Come here, my sweet child,” he said as jovially as he could muster.
The young princess ran into his arms and he clung to his only daughter with a paternal passion he was rarely able to indulge in. Why must such a wicked prophecy be bestowed upon him? Why should in involve such a loving child.
“Father, what did the soothsayer say?” she asked, pulling away to study her father’s face.
The king looked back into a face verging on womanhood, yet his daughter’s eyes still contained the untarnished innocence of youth. He forced a smile and patted her cheek. “Crops, my love. Nothing to concern yourself with.”
Dimples formed in her cheeks as she settled herself in his lap and demanded a story. How could the kings of old lock their daughters away in secret towers when similar portents were laid upon them? Were their own miserable lives so much more important than the ones they sired?
As he rattled off an ancient tale they both knew by heart he contemplated telling her the awful truth: that her future son would bring about his own death and the ruin of the kingdom. Yet he knew that such awful knowledge would drive her to a convent in the hopes that taking holy vows would avert disaster. The king knew those stories too: some mysterious traveler comes along and woos or forces himself upon the unsuspecting maiden and the prophecy becomes fulfilled.
No. Though he always strove to be honest with his beloved daughter, ignorance would be best in this case. This way she would marry a man the king knew and approved of. She’d marry for love and have many years of happiness. She may not even bear a son right away. She may be allowed decades of peaceful bliss before the inevitable strikes.
All the while the king would be watching, waiting and knowing that when she presents her firstborn son to him, that he’d be holding in his hands his own demise. A strange notion no doubt; but he saw no other choice.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Home Acne Treatments
I've been plagued with acne since the onset of puberty. Unable to afford the doctor's fees and medications, my parents were unable to do much about it while I lived at home. As soon as I got out on my own and got a real job with real insurance however, I dashed off to a dermatologist to get my pimples taken care off.
What followed were years of yo-yo wins and frustrations. Yes, the medications worked, but by the time I needed more (usually after two years or so), it'd been "so long" since I'd been to the office that they couldn't just call the prescriptions in, I'd have to come in again as a new patient. (Really?!?! Two years?) So I'd fill out fresh paperwork, have to go to the stupid follow-up appointments even though nothing had changed and then finally be left in peace for a year and half to two years till the prescriptions expired and we'd have to start the whole process over again.
I tried different dermatologists, hoping that I'd find one that wasn't creepy, or scatterbrained, or more aesthetician than actual doctor, or one who didn't have a waiting list of several months. I tried to explain that I didn't need countless followup visits or wholesale quantities of the expensive treatments they hocked. No go.
So within the past year or so I finally resigned myself to a life of endless acne (at least until menopause strikes in another 10-15 years); too fed up with the medical establishment to want to play their games anymore.
Problem is I'm getting married in a few short months and I'm still vain enough to not want my face to be covered in angry red bumps on my big day. Still unwilling to step foot in yet another dermatologist office, I was going to have to research home remedies.
Acne is a complicated condition, it's not just a matter of person hygiene. It has as much to do with your digestion (apparently), as your skin. Treatment therefore needs to tackle the issue from several angles. The following is a (long) list of things that have helped.
1) Wash your face at least twice daily.
Seems like a no-brainer. My skin is so freaking oily in the summer that I really could actually get away with washing a third time at noon (I choose not to though). In the winter I get dry scaly patches despite the rest of my face being fairly greasy.
In the morning I use a facial cleaner with benzoyl peroxide. This tends to irritate some people's skin, but it works great on mine. I get a cleanser with the highest percentage of BP I can find.
In the evenings I use a simple dye-free, perfume-free cleanser. I don't use a moisturizer (obviously) or any other skin-care product.
2) Change your washcloth with each use.
Your washing dead skin cells, bacteria, dirt and oil off your face (along with any leftover cleanser). Don't put that stuff back on your face again later. Buy some extra washcloths and change them out each time. Just do it.
3) Change your pillowcase every couple days.
Think about it: you're mushing your face into this thing for hours at a time. It collects all the stuff you're trying to keep off your face. As with the washcloths, you may have to buy more pillowcases if you don't do laundry too frequently.
4) Pepto-Bismol is your friend!
But you don't need to drink it!
Put that stuff on a cotton ball and dab it on your face a few minutes before bed. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so and then rinse it off. Pepto has two ingredients in that are found in common acne treatments: benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid and it's much cheaper than the prescription acne stuff.
5) Stay away from greasy, sugary foods.
If you have acne you probably already know this one, but it's worth mentioning just in case.
6) Don't drink ice-cold liquids.
This is a new-ish one on me. In researching home acne remedies, this is one that came up. The reasons were rather nebulous, but since fridge-cold water does trouble my stomach sometimes, I've taken this advice to heart and have tried to cut back on the cold beverages.
According to this school of thought one shouldn't drink anything colder than room temperature - which to me is actually right about the temperature I prefer cold beverages to be anyway; so win there!
7) Instead, drink "Seed Tea".
This is an Ayurvedic remedy I came across in my research. The recipe is pretty easy:
Boil 5-6 cups of water
In a tea ball, add 1/2 tsp each of: fennel seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds.
Turn the heat down to low and let the seeds seep for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and drink throughout the day until it's gone (I usually have it finished off by 2:00 in the afternoon, but I drink a lot).
This tea actually doesn't directly have much to do with treating acne. Instead it cleanses the liver and strengthens the digestive system so it's better able to deal with the bacteria and toxins that are bringing those nasty sores to your face.
I should warn that this tea can irritate your bowels. It takes about a week for your body to adjust to it. If you're noticing bloody stools, you can dial back the seeds to a 1/4 tsp of each for that first week or so.
Speaking of which:
8) Make sure you poop regularly.
At least once a day for good digestive health (again, it's so your body can handle that bacteria bloom your skin is harboring). Up your intact of fruits and veggies if your bowels are reluctant to empty themselves on a daily basis. Just keep in mind that fruits have a lot of sugars (which aren't your friend). You'll have to find a happy balance between fiber and low-sugar intake.
So that's it!
I've been following this regimen for a couple months now and it is definitely helping. No, my skin isn't completely acne-free - but it never was even with the prescription medications. If I'm less than vigilant with any one of the above-mentioned items, I get breakouts; but my skin is better than it was.
Though this routine more or less works, I'm still open to trying different things so if you folks out there have advice - things you've found have worked for you - feel free to share in the comments! (Please don't do a "let me Google that for you!" and post links that you've found without having personal experience to back it up. There's lots of info on the interwebz and I'd really rather hear personal anecdotes than from helpful researchers.)
Has anyone out there tried the "Oil Cleansing Method"? What mixture has worked best for you?
Anyone out there treated acne with diet alone? How'd that work?
Any other off the wall treatments I've never heard of? Share with the class!
What followed were years of yo-yo wins and frustrations. Yes, the medications worked, but by the time I needed more (usually after two years or so), it'd been "so long" since I'd been to the office that they couldn't just call the prescriptions in, I'd have to come in again as a new patient. (Really?!?! Two years?) So I'd fill out fresh paperwork, have to go to the stupid follow-up appointments even though nothing had changed and then finally be left in peace for a year and half to two years till the prescriptions expired and we'd have to start the whole process over again.
I tried different dermatologists, hoping that I'd find one that wasn't creepy, or scatterbrained, or more aesthetician than actual doctor, or one who didn't have a waiting list of several months. I tried to explain that I didn't need countless followup visits or wholesale quantities of the expensive treatments they hocked. No go.
So within the past year or so I finally resigned myself to a life of endless acne (at least until menopause strikes in another 10-15 years); too fed up with the medical establishment to want to play their games anymore.
Problem is I'm getting married in a few short months and I'm still vain enough to not want my face to be covered in angry red bumps on my big day. Still unwilling to step foot in yet another dermatologist office, I was going to have to research home remedies.
Acne is a complicated condition, it's not just a matter of person hygiene. It has as much to do with your digestion (apparently), as your skin. Treatment therefore needs to tackle the issue from several angles. The following is a (long) list of things that have helped.
1) Wash your face at least twice daily.
Seems like a no-brainer. My skin is so freaking oily in the summer that I really could actually get away with washing a third time at noon (I choose not to though). In the winter I get dry scaly patches despite the rest of my face being fairly greasy.
In the morning I use a facial cleaner with benzoyl peroxide. This tends to irritate some people's skin, but it works great on mine. I get a cleanser with the highest percentage of BP I can find.
In the evenings I use a simple dye-free, perfume-free cleanser. I don't use a moisturizer (obviously) or any other skin-care product.
2) Change your washcloth with each use.
Your washing dead skin cells, bacteria, dirt and oil off your face (along with any leftover cleanser). Don't put that stuff back on your face again later. Buy some extra washcloths and change them out each time. Just do it.
3) Change your pillowcase every couple days.
Think about it: you're mushing your face into this thing for hours at a time. It collects all the stuff you're trying to keep off your face. As with the washcloths, you may have to buy more pillowcases if you don't do laundry too frequently.
4) Pepto-Bismol is your friend!
But you don't need to drink it!
Put that stuff on a cotton ball and dab it on your face a few minutes before bed. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so and then rinse it off. Pepto has two ingredients in that are found in common acne treatments: benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid and it's much cheaper than the prescription acne stuff.
5) Stay away from greasy, sugary foods.
If you have acne you probably already know this one, but it's worth mentioning just in case.
6) Don't drink ice-cold liquids.
This is a new-ish one on me. In researching home acne remedies, this is one that came up. The reasons were rather nebulous, but since fridge-cold water does trouble my stomach sometimes, I've taken this advice to heart and have tried to cut back on the cold beverages.
According to this school of thought one shouldn't drink anything colder than room temperature - which to me is actually right about the temperature I prefer cold beverages to be anyway; so win there!
7) Instead, drink "Seed Tea".
This is an Ayurvedic remedy I came across in my research. The recipe is pretty easy:
Boil 5-6 cups of water
In a tea ball, add 1/2 tsp each of: fennel seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds.
Turn the heat down to low and let the seeds seep for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and drink throughout the day until it's gone (I usually have it finished off by 2:00 in the afternoon, but I drink a lot).
This tea actually doesn't directly have much to do with treating acne. Instead it cleanses the liver and strengthens the digestive system so it's better able to deal with the bacteria and toxins that are bringing those nasty sores to your face.
I should warn that this tea can irritate your bowels. It takes about a week for your body to adjust to it. If you're noticing bloody stools, you can dial back the seeds to a 1/4 tsp of each for that first week or so.
Speaking of which:
8) Make sure you poop regularly.
At least once a day for good digestive health (again, it's so your body can handle that bacteria bloom your skin is harboring). Up your intact of fruits and veggies if your bowels are reluctant to empty themselves on a daily basis. Just keep in mind that fruits have a lot of sugars (which aren't your friend). You'll have to find a happy balance between fiber and low-sugar intake.
So that's it!
I've been following this regimen for a couple months now and it is definitely helping. No, my skin isn't completely acne-free - but it never was even with the prescription medications. If I'm less than vigilant with any one of the above-mentioned items, I get breakouts; but my skin is better than it was.
Though this routine more or less works, I'm still open to trying different things so if you folks out there have advice - things you've found have worked for you - feel free to share in the comments! (Please don't do a "let me Google that for you!" and post links that you've found without having personal experience to back it up. There's lots of info on the interwebz and I'd really rather hear personal anecdotes than from helpful researchers.)
Has anyone out there tried the "Oil Cleansing Method"? What mixture has worked best for you?
Anyone out there treated acne with diet alone? How'd that work?
Any other off the wall treatments I've never heard of? Share with the class!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)