Tag: blogger

Memoir Sample – The Aid Office

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Our family survived off welfare and from that end I know it to be helpful. It was however, a possessive lover. In Robert Taylor, no one’s father was present since their mother’s couldn’t receive welfare with them. But not that men weren’t present; their existence was obvious since the projects themselves overflowed with innocence. Thousands of children the byproduct of casual sex, and drive by love pieced together somehow between the cracks of the doors left open by the ladies from the welfare office, who searched everywhere but the crack of your buttocks to ensure it wasn’t present. So the men were around, fathers of children who knew them as nothing more than the Ray Ray’s and Big Mikes of the block. Men who sort of hung out on the corners or underneath the beds of open women, too filled with desire and dreams to deny a no-good-man a place between her legs. So the kids kept coming, the men kept leaving, and the welfare office remained packed. And if it, the Welfare, sensed anything positive had taken place, even if it was a new hairstyle, they needed to know from where the money had come, how much was it and how often was it around so they may deduct that amount from the meager rations they were already giving out. It didn’t matter if it was a jar of peanut butter or a new hat, if it was expected to come from an additional money source, it would be calculated and deducted from the monthly government assistance.

If she was found to have a man living with her, whether he worked or not, she could lose her money altogether. Not only was my father not around, but my Uncle had to make a covenant with the closet when the social worker came by. You see, a man’s  presence was a threat to the relationship between a woman and her government. Thus the poor were required to remain so in the buildings if they desired to receive the little nothings they were receiving from Welfare. If they showed any sense of pride that required a level of discretion at what we commonly referred to as, “The Aid-Office”, it was as if the clerk had been instructed to repeat their business louder than the person obviously desired over the intercom so that the entire room could hear it; this made it extremely embarrassing to visit the office.

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If by any chance the women wanted a divorce by acquiring some fancy job, the government made sure to snatch away all its benefits so that she is better off to remain part of the relationship than to do away with it. What use is a “good job” when she can’t afford to pay the rent if it increases because of her salary? Or what use is a “good job” when she can no longer receive Medicaid for children who are constantly bleeding from the violence of their environment? This is a place where children used garbage dumps as a playground. What use is it, of a “good job”, when she can no longer receive food stamps as a means to feed her children? It is thus better for her to stay married, financially, to the system than to get a “good job” that leaves her just over broke and in the same situation as she started out as. Marriage? Out the question, she can lose her benefits by daring to marry her children’s father—she wasn’t allowed to have one in the home, let alone marry him. Needless to say, the system divided more than it brought together, and was quite jealous and possessive of its lover, the Black Woman.

– Concrete Children: Life Inside the Robert Taylor Projects

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I would like to publish a memoir one day. While I am still  in the infancy stages of understanding memoir writing, I have taken to writing down bits and pieces of my life story and publishing excerpts to this blog for practice. 

Lay vs. Lie (vs. Laid) and Lain

I know I am not the only one to have been confused between these words. I love writing, but grammar has not always gotten me very excited. It’s like running for fun (writing) but not wanting to exercise (Grammar). While I’ve always excelled in English, this is one confusing language! It’s the only one where a maybe, possibly, perhaps, and I’ll try exists. Everyone else just says yes or no! In any event, we must know these things as writers because our English teachers  said so. Sooo, below is an excellent breakdown I found online on the difference between Lay, Lie, Laid, and Lain by Brian A. Klems:

Lay
Lay and lie are both present-tense verbs, but they don’t mean quite the same thing. Lay means to put or set something down, so if the subject is acting on an object, it’s “lay.” For example, I lay down the book. You, the subject, set down the book, the object.

Lie
Lie, on the other hand, is defined as, “to be, to stay or to assume rest in a horizontal position,” so the subject is the one doing the lying—I lie down to sleep or When I pick up a copy of my favorite magazine, Writer’s Digest, I lie down to take in all its great information—and not acting on an object. In both these cases, you, the subject, are setting yourself down. Are you with me so far?

I Lie Down vs. Now I Lay Me Down (to Sleep)
To clarify things further, I’ll answer this question that you’re probably wondering: How can you be lying down in your examples while the classic nighttime prayer for kids clearly begins “Now I lay me down to sleep”? You must be out of your mind! It’s true, I’m totally out of my mind, but both the examples I used and the kids’ prayer are correct—and here’s why.

In I lie down to sleep, there is no object to the sentence, just subject (I). In Now I lay me down to sleep, there is a subject (I) and an object (me). Even though the subject and object are one and the same, the object is still present in the sentence, so you must use lay.

Laid vs. Lay vs. Lain
In the past tense, “lay” becomes “laid” (Last week I laid down the law and told her it was inappropriate for her to pick her nose) and “lie” becomes “lay” (Yesterday she lay down for a nap that afternoon and picked her nose anyway). Yes, “lay” is also the past tense of “lie.” And the confusion doesn’t end there.

To throw you for another loop, “laid” is also the past participle form of “lay.” So, when helping verbs are involved, “lay” becomes “laid” and “lie” becomes “lain.” Grandma had laid the chicken in the oven earlier this morning. The chicken had lain there all day until it was cooked all the way through and ready for us to eat.

Remember: Lay and laid both mean to set something down, while lie, lay and lain all mean the subject is setting itself down.

And now, I lay this question to rest. (Enjoy this totally awesome chart below to help you keep track of when to use lay, lie, laid, lain and more.

Lay vs. Lie Chart

Infinitive    Definition         Present     Past     Past Participle    Present Participle

to lay      to put or place          lay(s)      laid        laid                  laying
something down

to lie     to rest or recline     lie(s)            lay        lain                  lying

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OK, I think I got it. I think. 🙂

I am So Tired of Hearing About

Martial Law.

I have one request to ask of you: Stop Listening to Alex Jones people.

The man doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he’s just trying to sell books and documentaries and whatever else he’s selling. Be careful in your research because Alex Jones just does not have understanding of what’s going on in the world. He’s getting paid off conspiracy theories (not fact, theory) and people who are looking for the truth but unfortunately stumble instead upon info wars. Now, since we’re on this subject let me say this: What we need to understand about Martial Law is that it is real, BUT it is not the main event. Martial Law is implemented AFTER the catastrophe or whatever has occurred. It is part of the Aftermath of chaos. Watch any movie and they show you how this thing is done. Only after a major disaster do we start seeing the tanks roll down the streets and the soldiers stand at street corners.

Martial Law is real but that’s not the meaning behind every single thing that happens in the world. Don’t cough the wrong way or Alex Jones gonna say we under Martial Law.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Jean Jacques Rousseau

For this week’s installment of Writer’s Quote Wednesday, I take my inspiration from Jean Jacques Rousseau:

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There’s an ancient proverb that says that patience can cook a stone. What this means is that the impossible is possible with patience. You cannot literally melt a stone down into a cooking pot unless you intend on waiting for a very very VERY long time. Waiting, it is the bitter taste of patience. Not only is it sometimes stressful to have to wait, but to remain diligent while you wait is often our greatest challenge. Writing and producing takes a lot of patience but people who possess persistence are capable of achieving great things because they took their time preparing for it. Sometimes we get an idea in our head that is not meant to be acted upon right now. Sometimes these ideas are just there until it is time for them to bloom into that sweet reward that comes from hard work. Creativity then is also wrapped up in patience because waiting for the right time often nourishes our ideas; helps to organize them into realistic goals.

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That’s it for this week’s episode of Writer’s Quote Wednesday. Follow the links to see how you can read other amazing quotes from amazing bloggers.

4 Common Sense Reasons It Can Benefit You to Self-Publish

Crazy Woman Drinking Wine

Twenty years ago, a book followed a routine process: You poured your heart and soul into a manuscript, and when you finished it, you started calling agents and editors who most likely told you to send them a query letter. 

The next step is the book proposal and a few sample chapters. Then the waiting game started, usually ending with disappointment. 

On the other hand, the option to Self-Publish was there, but it had a certain stigma that, thankfully, has waned in this digital era. That stigma can be identified by statements such as, “Your book isn’t really published because you couldn’t get it accepted by a ‘real publisher.'”

However, being a Self-Publisher only means you are in charge of the direction of your book. The publisher (in this case, you) is the one who puts up the money. If you invest in your own printing, you are a Self-Publisher. If you begin to take in manuscripts, you are a small publisher. If you grow, you become a large publisher. Still, many Self-Publishers still wear this “badge of shame” for choosing not to go the traditional route, as if they were the scarlet woman or something.

This list can help clarify and simplify things for you.

4 Common Sense reasons it can benefit you to Self-Publish

• Ownership

Self-Publishing can be the road to your independence. Do you dream of being your own boss? Do you desire more personal freedom? You can turn that dream into a reality. You own all rights to your book as a self-publisher, whereas a traditional publisher would likely own the rights. If they lose interest in your book, you cannot print additional copies unless you purchase those rights. Traditional publishers often require you to purchase your book from them to do any promotion you choose to do for your book. As your own publisher, you print as many books as you need. Here is a dynamic, proven way to shape your own destiny.


• Timing

Traditional publishers work on a long production cycle. They often plan a year to a year and a half—or even longer—to get a book out. As a Self-Publisher, you can do it in a fraction of that time. It’s your material, your career move – you can take control of when you want to publish.


• Increased Income

Self-Publishing offers the potential for huge profits. When you use creativity, persistence, and sound business sense, money is there to be made. Most publishers require their authors to do their own promotion, but if you have to do your own promotion, why not Self-Publish it anyway and make more money? Even if you don’t make much, Self-Publishing allows you to get back what you put in. If you set a plan and work hard at it, you’ll be “making it rain” in no time. Or, you can work hard for some big-time publisher to tell you that you’re just not good enough.


• Control

Self-Publishing gives you the final say on the direction of your book. It reflects your vision and not someone else’s. You can personally guide every step or hire professionals to be on your team. You can choose the cover you like, the typeface, and the title you want. You maintain absolute control over your own book.

Whether you publish Traditionally or Self-Publish, completing a book is a great accomplishment. As to whether or not you’re making money from it, that’s up to you. So go ahead, finish that masterpiece, self-publish if that’s what you want to do, defy the stereotypes, and live happily ever after.