Alexis M. Collazo
Bio
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. An avid reader, writer and multimedia creator. Relocated to Pennsylvania where she is currently focused on writing, crafting and leading workshops online. Visit www.alexismcollazo.com for more info.
Stories (24)
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How I Stay Happy, Healthy and Writing
Dedication to your writing is important, but at times it can go too far. I’ve often found myself so absorbed in my work that I ignored my own basic needs. Which if kept up, not only jeopardizes my health and sanity but can also negatively affect my writing. To avoid burning myself out I have a few basic daily practices that I make time for in my schedule every day. Keeping up with these practices ensures that I take the needed breaks away from writing throughout the day and keeps me in tune with my needs. These five practices are quick and easy, so I can be consistent. There is a long list of health and self-care practices to choose from. These are the ones I have found most important and beneficial for me. Of course, I’d recommend giving them a try yourself, but everybody is different. You have to figure out what works best for you. What practices best fit your needs, schedule, and lifestyle?
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Journal
Writing 30 Poems in 30 Days
I'm going to start by admitting that my title is a bit misleading. I don't know if wrote an actual poem every day, but I certainly tried. I was lucky enough this year to find a daily workshop to keep me accountable. It was hosted by the organization Surprise the Line. Without it I would never have made it through this challenge. Every year as April rolls around I feel inspired and motivated, I tell myself I'm going to make the most of the month and completely immerse myself in poetry. I'm going to write and read as much poetry as possible. Next thing I know the month is over, I've written one maybe two poems and barely cracked open a book of poems.
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Motivation
Put Your Writing First
Over the years I’ve struggled to establish a regular writing routine. I was constantly adjusting my schedule to accommodate school, internships, and a variety of part-time jobs. But even once I settled into a full-time job with a steady schedule, my writing routine still faltered. I tried to squeeze time into lunch breaks and scheduled after work writing sessions. But I couldn’t stay consistent for very long, some excuse or another always sidetracked me. I had a long list of excuses: needing a night out with friends, watching a favorite tv show, distracting home environment or I was simply too tired. Finally, I realized if writing was important to me, I had to prioritize it by quite literally putting it first. I started writing in the mornings and have stuck with it for the last five years.
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Journal
Writing Better Dialogue
Dialogue is a major element in all stories, and it can be the hardest thing to get right. Natural speech patterns are hard to reproduce in writing. People don’t speak in grammatically correct full sentences, characters written that way would sound stiff and unbelievable. However, using fragments or other techniques to mimic natural speech can make it hard for readers to understand. Good dialogue needs to find a balance between the two while also serving the story in the best way possible. Here are couple of tips to help improve your dialogue writing.
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Journal
Trick or Tweet 2021
This past October, I joined in on the fun challenge of creating a tweet sized horror story each day, posted with the hashtag #trickortweet2021. I missed a couple of days but kept it up all month long. As I wrote, I imagined them all being connected, so I decided to collect them here to read all together. Enjoy!
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Horror
Five Writing Lessons From Salman Rushdie . Top Story - October 2021.
I was first introduced to Salman Rushdie in a college literature class where we read Midnight’s Children. His novels usually combine historical fiction and magical realism to explore heavy personal, political, and cultural themes. While Rushdie’s writing is not an easy read, he’s become one of my favorite writers. After reading his memoir, Joseph Anton, I gained deeper insight into his novels and his writing process. Here are a few tips on writing I learned from him.
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Journal
New to Poetry? Start with Verse Novels
Why Verse Novels It can be hard to find enjoyable poetry when it's a new interest. In school, they try to teach poetry that's outdated, complicated and hard to connect with. Even if it's not, they suck all the fun out it focusing on structure and interpretation. It's no wonder most people either intimidated by poetry or assume they won't enjoy it. On the end of the spectrum is contemporary poetry dominated by Instapoets. Not to say they are all bad, but I've found very few that stand out and include the depth, wordplay, rhythm and other elements that make great poetry; most fall short in one way or another. They also rarely include narrative elements.
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Poets
Building A Writing Habit
The most common advice writers give is to stick to a regular writing routine, whether you feel like it or not. Like most advice, this is easier said than done. Maybe you can’t set up a regular routine, or maybe you had one and life threw a wrench at it. For me that wrench was a sudden unplanned move that left me struggling to rebuild a routine. Sometimes no matter how badly you want to write, you still just don’t feel like it. It took me a long time to get back, here a few tips that helped me.
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Lifehack
