Breaking Free: Becoming The Person You Want To Be

Recently I've felt very torn between my passions and what's considered "acceptable" in society

around me. We wake up, we check Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and we see dozens of the exact

same things, images of perfection, whether it be a group of girls partying decked out with the latest

fashion trends (black everything, chokers, and dark lips) or perfectly clean workspaces or coffee

shops displaying an image of productivity and success.


Things like this have stopped me from expressing my true self upon the platforms I use. My entire

life I've felt the need to hide the parts of me that aren't considered "cool" a.k.a my love for A Song Of

Ice And Fire, my vine channel where I posted short video edits, and most of all the novel I wrote

which I poured my heart and soul into.


Personally, I see myself as somewhere between a "typical girl" and a flat out nerd. I can tell you off in

High Valyrian if you get dirt on my Kate Spade bag. But for some reason, the image I always chose

to put forward was the one that was much more socially acceptable; the one that I knew wouldn't give

me weird looks or have people talking about me behind my back saying "wow, that girl is a lot

weirder than I thought. She thinks she's an author."


What broke me completely free from this mentality was a recent (unfortunate) situation I went

through. I found out that one of my friends (whom I'd only ever been nice to) had been telling other

people to not be friends with me. At first I was completely crushed. Why would she say that about 

me? What did I do wrong? Why don't people actually like me? I spent some time mulling over it, and

one day it really started to depress me. It was then, like some kind of sign from above, that multiple

important things occurred to me.


1. I realized that even while being the person I thought everyone wanted me to be, people still

    wouldn't always like me.


2. I was so sweetly approached by several of my friends (who knew that I was upset) and they tried

    their best to make me feel loved and wanted.


3. I realized that I had a world inside me that wanted to break free. Why not just let it?


So I did.


I created a Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/emilybuck) and shared it on my Facebook and

Twitter. I let everyone on my personal networks know that I was really a HUGE nerd, and spent my

time writing a medieval fictional fantasy story. The response I got was incredible.



So many friends who I hadn't talked to in years liked my post, even shared my post to their own

page! I got several messages of people telling me how cool it was and that they wanted to read my

book!! Pinch me, is this real life??? And the best part? I can't even hear the people muttering under

their breath saying how strange I am, because I'm just too happy and preoccupied with being myself.

I also noticed through the response, that I inspired other people to do the same. Everyone wants to get

out of the vicious circle of posting the illusion of a "perfect life". People want to post the things

they're proud of but they're too afraid of being judged for it. But when they see other people doing it,

they then realize that they can do it too! I hope that this post inspired you to not be afraid of being

yourself, because you are special, unique, and talented in your own way.


Don't let anything stop you from shining!


Emily xx

10 Writing Tips

Writing is one of my passions. Creating a story in my mind and watching it come to life is one of the best feelings in the world. Writing can also be difficult at times, and a good story isn't produced without a struggle. I've encountered numerous road blocks while writing my novels, and through them I've learned several tips and tricks that I thought others may find useful. Some of these are simple things that might seem obvious, but can really help give your brain the extra creative boost it needs to write it's best. 

So here they are, my tips to help get you get through the trials and tribulations that come with being an author:

1. Find your writing space 

For some, writing can happen anywhere. Others need a more personalized and controlled environment before their minds are able to focus on the words to paper process. The key is to find your creative zone and take full advantage of your new optimal writing environment. 

2. Have everything you need at an arms length

Notes, coffee, tea, pencils, paper, laptops, printers, chargers, outlets, lighting; everything you need to access while writing has to be right next to you during the process. Getting up and down to fetch things you need will only cause unnecessary interruptions which can severely prohibit the creative process in your mind and mess up the flow of your writing.   

3. Create an outline

Whether you're writing a poem, a novel, a piece of work for your boss, or a scholarly thesis, outlines always help gather your thoughts and ideas in a clear form before the actual writing process even begins. This is a guaranteed time and energy saver. 

4. Listen to music

Some people cannot work with music on, period. But for those who can, music can be used as a valuable tool to help set the tone for what you wish to write. Listening to a genre or style of music that reflects the tone that you're trying to produce in your writing can help keep that tone consistent, and keep you in the frame of mind that you need to be.

5. Don't be afraid to take breaks 

If you feel like your mind isn't focused enough to produce the content you want, take a step back. Have a bath, make a meal, take a nap, do something that relaxes you and makes you feel refreshed. Writing on empty just means it's just going to be twice as difficult to edit afterwards.

6. Share your work 

Don't hesitate to share your work with other people, although it can be terrifying. Criticism and compliments are a writers yin and yang. A writer needs both to continue to grow and learn.  

7. Set goals

Word and page counts are super easy ways to track your writing progress. Set small (or large) goals and bask in the feeling of accomplishment when you reach them. It will make you more motivated to keep writing. 

8. Put your phone away

I know this is a difficult one, but similar to tip number two a cellphone is a constant interruption that prevents your brain from focusing on the single task of writing. 

9. Always edit

There are a variety of different methods people use for editing, but everyone should make a habit of editing their own work at least once before submitting it to an external editor. Critically assessing your own work is crucial, since we are often blind to our own mistakes the first time around. Learning from your mistakes yourself will prevent you from making them again. 

10. When all else fails, write 

Just let your thoughts wander. Let the ideas that hide in the deepest corners of your mind roam free. Repress nothing. You might just surprise yourself and find what you're looking for. 

- Emily