S. A. Crawford
Bio
Writer, reader, life-long student - being brave and finally taking the plunge by publishing some articles and fiction pieces.
Achievements (15)
Stories (218)
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15 Unusual Words to Add to Your Vocabulary
As a writer, I truly love words - written language is a flowing, living thing that never ceases to amaze me. When I was a child I would read the dictionary in stages, picking out words to pester my grandparents with. They were wonderfully patient, of course, but it must have become tiring. From writing my first book at 8 (it was about a vampire flea, and honestly I may re-write it as a childrens' book yet) to the present day, I've found great joy in discovering a new word - it's like meeting an old friend for the first time.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Lifehack
Third Person Narration: Strengths and Weaknesses
Third-person narration is by far the most common perspective found in contemporary fiction. There are a range of benefits to writing in a third-person narrative style. These benefits are distinct from those found when writing in the first person or second person, of course, but the status of third-person writing as the standard has more to do with industry norms (if you want an overview of POV in fiction, you can find it here). This status comes with a certain degree of respectability that the other main perspectives are not always afforded.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
Every Writer Should Watch The Simpsons
During the week between Christmas and New Year, I took some time off and regressed a little to my childhood by spending the mornings watching The Simpsons and eating cereal (and pancakes, on one occasion). It was while watching one of these episodes that I came to realise something important.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
Why I'm Writing 150+ Vocal Stories in 2022
I have committed to writing more than 150 vocal posts in 2022, or a minimum of 156 to be precise. What's more, I've decided to enter every fiction challenge that Vocal runs - if this sounds like a lot of work on top of my full-time freelance content and ghostwriting, I can assure you that it is, but I'm dedicated. Who knows, I might even top it all off by submitting articles and stories to magazines in the last quarter of the year.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
The Bronze Brooch
The ghosts in this story are real, but they are not monsters. In the shadow of the old century a businessman built a house fit for a prince - a monument to his glory, it was stacked with things rare and beautiful. Things that should not have been for sale.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Fiction
Restful Resolutions
"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." John Lennon Did you know that the human body can make a tent passably warm, like a comfortable yet fresh cocoon, even in the blistering cold of a Scottish night? Or that a foxes scream sound like a human child in the wilderness? Do you know that in the quieter parts of the world you can see by the light of the stars and moon quite easily - or that skinny dipping near Santa Monica pier is certain to end in a close call with the coast guard?
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Longevity
Sleeping Naked Will Change Your Life
I started sleeping naked out of necessity - my body runs at approximately the temperature of a small sun at all times, which is perfect for surviving the scottish winters (I rarely need a jacket), but a bummer when a heatwave hits. When the heatwave left, however, I just kept on doing it - even in winter. What shocked me the most was not the fact that my body temperature was more comfortable, that was a given, but rather that my body image, the condition of my skin, and the quality of my sleep improved immensely.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Longevity
Does Drinking Collagen Work?
The beauty world is a world of trending products and often spurious claims, both from the brands themselves and from the beauty influencers who are paid to market the products. Because of this, we're all becoming a little more careful when it comes to hopping on the latest trend (or at least we should be). These days, the big skincare and anti aging trends are retinol serums and edible or soluable collagen. Proponents of these trends claim that they help us stay looking youthful for longer. Whether this is true is still a matter of debate.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Longevity
How to Re-Enter the Craft. Top Story - December 2021.
Every writer has periods where the craft falls by the wayside for one reason or another. Mental health issues, family commitments, work, and even a simple loss of enthusiasm or inspiration - all of these things can cause writers to put down the pen for a while. After this kind of hiatus, it is common to find that your writing skills have become a bit rusty - the average pace of writing may have slowed, and more complex scenes could be clunky or awkwardly written as you try to readjust and get your writer brain moving again.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
Second Person Narration: Strengths and Weaknesses
While many authors are daunted by the first-person perspective, it is generally seen as a viable option. This is not the case with the second-person perspective. Seen as the unwieldy, unruly cousin of the first-person and third-person perspectives, second-person narratives are often treated as inherently lacking or unworthy by the general literary populous. In academic circles, there is even uncertainty as to what is classed as a second-person text.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
I Choose Life
It's 3 am and I want to kill myself. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to die - only at 25 did I start actively wanting to commit suicide. At 3 am on the day of my 25th birthday, I learned that there is a difference between wishing to die and planning to die. I learned as a child that self-murder is a sin. But when life is so incredibly hard there comes a time at which the hell of hell and the hell of the world seem one and the same.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Confessions
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Romance
Lust is about looks, love is about connection - romantic love, and romance, is somewhere in the middle. Creating this unique and potent experience as a writer is one of the most challenging parts of the craft (at least I think so). There are a million writing blogs, magazines, and gurus out there eager to tell you how to write better romance, but less information on how people most often go wrong.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
