Lost in Translation....? | Sofia Speculates (5)

Contrary to popular belief, this discussion DOES NOT surround Taylor Swift 

Sofia Speculates is the name for any and all of Sofia's ramblings over here on Loving the Language of Literacy. Lately, I've been struggling slightly with discussion topics, but I came across Smartling, which is an organization that is translating websites into various languages, and I wanted to talk about how passion could be retained in various works of literature when translated. I had never even considered this an issue before (mostly because I'm monolingual and don't have to worry about reading anything more complex than a bathroom sign in a different language), but it a very real one that I want to address.

Justine Manzano who provided a well-written, informative, and concise article on the matter. What you're going to hear now is the impassioned, frenzied perspective primarily surrounding young adult books  also known as a fangirl.         

Before getting into the discussion of translation, I think we need to zero in on what makes the Young Adult genre special to me. YA is a special stage because it's written from the teenage perspective at a time of a person's life that is most-tumultuous, fantastical, devastating, ever-changing stage in a person's life. In my opinion, it's an art for an ADULT author to write from a teenage perspective. Things never seem so big and important as they do when you're a teenager because you're just trying to figure everything out while simultaneously discovering who you are. It has nothing to do with word-choice or the texter dialect that is often used out of laziness. Tone and mood for a teenage perspective is key and what I believe should be worked hardest on retaining through a book's translation. 

I speak/read/write English fluently (it would be pretty bad if I didn't considering I'm a book blogger), and I am in the midst of learning French. Sadly, I don't personally know what it's like to read a real book/piece of text in another language. I would imagine that someone fluent in both languages, who had read (and preferably enjoyed) the book in it's original language so that they could compare and contrast the two. 

Books have helped me and been my anchor since I began reading them. Whenever my life seemed boring, I could escape into the new worlds between their pages. Whenever my life seemed too hard to handle, books put it into perspective, or whisked me away to a completely different place where everything going on in real life doesn't matter anymore. I'm able to connect with characters and experience and learn so many things I wouldn't have otherwise through all of the books I have read. 

Even though eBooks and the digital world is rapidly taking over, I hope the printed one and physical books never go out of style. As a bibliophile, I cannot even express who much I value stories and the written word as well as the power it has over our society. 

Sometimes it's hard for me to rate a book. What tips the scale between a 4 and a 5 star rating? Hands down, 9 out of 10 times, it's because of a little thing fangirls like to call....

Hands down, even if I hated a book, if it made me feel something, the rating automatically goes up. ANY time the written word evokes emotion from me counts as a book I feel good for spending my time reading. From anger, to sadness, to excitement and any other emotion on the spectrum marks the sign of a well-written book.  

Justine brings up the idea that no matter how the message the author wants to give readers is retained, it does't matter what language a book is in. I completely agree with this fact. One of my best twitter friends Jackie @ Jackie's Book Shenanigans recently wrote a very personal posts on Why She Buys Books. Despite the fact that she's blind, she absolutely adores reading books, blogging, and contributing to the bookish community. Braille is, in a way, another language, and I don't doubt for one millisecond that she gets the same message, feels, and excitement that ANY other reader out there does.

What do you think?

What would be the most important aspect you would like to remain consistent between languages? How does the language of the piece bring the story to life?
What is the value of literature and the written word?
What aspect of writing would you want to be preserved from language to language?
How can language translation allow literature to be shared with the world?

My Conclusion About Slumps | Sofia Speculates (5)

Let's see, it's almost one in the morning on Valentines Day, the person I would want to spend this day with is leaving for his winter vacation, I haven't felt like blogging/YouTubing/reading for weeks, and I should really be asleep right now. It's the perfect time of day to compose another Sofia Speculates!

Did you know that February is classically the most unproductive month of the year besides December? I totally just made that fact up, but you believed it, didn't you? I think after all of us work our butts off in January saving the world (or just completing new years resolutions), we get kind of burnt out. I know I am. This happened last February as well (but I actually had a good excuse back then), and I think it might happen every February for the rest of my life. I was on fire in January, if I do say so myself (which I am). I was productive, created new features/series, and overall was loving life, my blog, and books. 

Then February came....

Nearly over night, the desire to be productive came tumbling down, kind of like the stock market crash that started the great depression. It's the 14th of the month and I have only read four books, which if you know Sofia, that means that I haven't read very much this month. Even though my last two reads All The Bright Places and The Walled City have been enjoyable, they took for FOREVER to get through. 

I have tried forcing myself to sit down and write. I have tried hyping myself up with too much sugar, then standing in front of the camera, not knowing what to say. I am currently reading five different novels because no particular one is holding my interest.  

Yet I have come to a conclusion that is life-changing, sensical, and lazy.... all at the same time. 

I'm not going to force myself to do anything.

I know for a fact that I will always love and be passionate about books. Since last February, I have never once seriously considered stopping blogging. It's what I do. It's what makes me different from others, and I have come to realize that I like being different. It has taught me so many life lessons about accountability, responsibility, and productivity. 

But I know sometimes you have to take a break, even if it's from the thing you love.

For now, I'm in a slump but I promise I am going to come back stronger and harder and better than ever before when it happens. It's tough that all three slumps hit at the exact time. Heck, it's tough that I even sat down to write this post.... that's how deep into this slump I am. Please don't even talk to me about what I'm currently reading.

However, the one difference I have noticed between this slump and previous ones, it that I'm okay with being in a slump. I would have been giving myself a heart attack this time last year if I had experienced the same feelings I do now. But I know the blogosphere will always be there for me when I'm ready to come back full force, raring to go. 

You probably saw the less than a thousand word-count for this post and wanted to faint because Sofia's posts are never this short, but there is a first time for everything. Feel free to tell me how you deal with productivity slumps and your solutions. Do you beat yourself up about it or do you just let it go? I'd love to discuss :)

New Adult Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read: Top Ten Tuesday (16)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and Bookish. I haven't done this kind of post in FOREVER and this week's topic is one I am particularly excited to participate in. Last Sunday, the 25th of January, I finished my first Colleen Hoover book. Anyone who reads New Adult fiction has read/loved Colleen Hoover and I see why. I am hooked on New Adult! I enjoyed the rawness and way Hoover handled mature topics so well and am looking forward to reading more books like this. So here is my TBR of New Adult Fiction I want to read. 

*New Adult is a tricky genre to label because, depending on who classifies it, books can be Young Adult, Chick Lit, or Erotica. If anyone has read the book below, can you tell me if they're actually New Adult and where on the spectrum they lie?*

The is the Colleen Hoover that EVERYONE talks about (besides Hopeless) and seems like a staple of the genre and the author. The premise sounds stellar and the addition of Slam Poetry is perfect. I've been wanting to read/write some Slam Poetry and this is seems like a fitting gateway.

I saw this as a recommendation from Lovely Like Laura and am now so mad at myself because it was a January Kindle Deal, and I wasn't able to snatch it up at the uber low price.

This book has been praised to the heavens as a #1 NYT Bestseller as well as an international bestseller, so it MUST be good. It sounds a tad riske, and this is one of the books Goodreads has deemed on the steamier side. 

After enjoyinging Never Never, a collaboration between Tamara Webbar and Colleen Hoover, I thought I would have to check out another novel by Tamara Webbar, and this seemed like the obvious choice as her most popular.

Jennifer L. Armetrout or J. Lynn has been praised constantly by both the Young AND New Adult Bookish communities and I have to confess that I haven't read any of her books, so I look forward to giving this one a go.

I've seen this at Barnes and Nobles multiple times in the Young Adult section, so I'm guessing that's the side of the spectrum it leans on. It sounds like it's a classic good-girl-meets-bad-boy situation, and I enjoy reading that dynamic from time to time.

I recently purchased Losing it and All Lined Up, as eBooks because of their great prices ($2/$1) if that deal is still available when this post goes live, you should definitely check it out. This sounds like an awkward/embarrassing situation that should be entertaining to read about.

This sounds like an interesting premise and I've heard there are two spin-off series as well, so if I end up liking Abbi Glines, I am definitely set.

This was actually read-a-long book part of my Goodreads Group (Obsessed with YA & NA) that I never got the chance to read and I'll get my hands on it someday. Nevertheless, it sounds like something I would enjoy in the NA range.

Despite the innocent cover, I *HEARD* there is mystery/murder, but I may be mistaken. Anyway, K.A. Tucker is always in people's favorites list and it sounds like a good choice.

And there you have it, my New Adult TBR based on the general consensus of the most popular/best authors in NA. I've only read self-pubbed aka self-dubbed New Adult previously, so I'm excited to make the plunge! :)

January 2015 Wrap-Up

Image From This Month aka. I have a LOT of reading to do:

Boxing Day Book Outlet Haul!

What did I read in January?

I read more books this month than January AND February of 2014 combined! 16 novels, 1 novella, and 2 graphic novels were devoured this month and if you would like to know more about each one, check out my Wrap-Up video! 

What Fun/Noteworthy Things Happened?

1. Writing Class | One of the biggest and probably best (in terms of an ongoing thing) events from this month and the next two will probably be writing class. At my local YMCA I am part of the Young Author's Academy. I've even been doing video recaps about what I've learned and written for that week. The very first of 9 episodes is Find a Place of My Own | A Progression in Playwriting. I have been having an astounding time making new friends and discovering the world of playwriting and it's so comforting to come to a place every week where people IRL are actually into the same things I am.

2. First Physical Publisher ARC | I expressed my overwhelming joy and appreciation earlier this month when I received my first publisher ARCs which were Mark of the Thief (Jennifer A. Nielsen) and All Fall Down (Ally Carter). I felt so giddy seeing the standard media mail package from Scholastic and am extremely appreciative.

3. New Lights | I finally got new, more intense lights in my room, but I still need to work A LOT on the perfect combination of intensity because they're adjustable. I have yellow undertones (or as I like to claim orange) in my skin that make me resemble a carrot with the wrong  lighting. Hopefully, I'll have this issue fixed by next month but I am absolutely in love with the intensity of them.

4. Started Exercising Again | While I have not succeeded with the rigorous workout regimen I claimed to in the beginning of the year, I did get a solid start with going to the gym again. February is an important training month because track & field starts in March. Call me ridiculous, but I'm planning on participating in the (I believe) 1500/800 meter even though I have never sprinted before. I'll have to get back to you on that how well this works out.

5. Content Editing Research Project | My entire grade is in the intense throes of a research project on future careers. We choose a career, then figure out what extracurriculars/goals for high school, the most ideal college, and then what the actual career entails. My school does this to help us figure out if we actually want to do it depending on the work it entails.

What music was I obsessed with this?

Jet Pack Blues - Fall Out Boy ~ American Beauty/American Psycho | I only recently discovered what "type" of song I like in terms of lyrically and instrumentally, and THIS is the kind of song I like. I was obsessed with Fall Out Boy's new album this entire month which was unusual considering the fact that I only liked one of their songs before. Sometimes they're a bit too rock/shouting, but this new album was a perfect blend that successfully got me pumped before filming most of the time.

5:15 - Bridgit Mendler ~ Hello My Name Is... | This is the "type" of song I was talking about and has a really nice rhythm that I can easily listen to on repeat. This was a total rediscovery because I'd listened to Bridgit when this album first came out YEARS ago and wasn't that into it, but I gave all of her songs a good listen-through and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Into the Woods | I listened to this album constantly on repeat since it came out. I watched Into the Woods opening day and actually didn't enjoy it for what it was fully. Then I listened to the soundtrack and gradually fell in love with the story. Some of my favorites are (of course) the Prologue, Cinderella at the Grave, Hello, Little Girl, Giants in the Sky, On the Steps of the Palace, and Last Midnight.

What was were my favorites books?

While I did have 19 books to choose from, I was unsure of what I could consider my "favorites" because I only had 2 ACTUAL 5 stars and three 4.5 star books. So I threw together a little pyramid. There was no competition with Ready Player One, and The Start of Me and You was definitely second best. I have no idea how to rank these books after that because of how different they are and the subject matter each book deals with. There was a rougher contemporary dealing with slut shaming, a Middle Grade adventure, and a cutesy contemp.

What was my favorite bookish quote?

“The events of your life are all crammed together one minute right after the other without any time lapses or blank pages or chapter breaks because no matter what happens life just keeps going and moving forward and words keep flowing and truths keep spewing whether you like it or not and life never lets you pause and just catch your breath.” --- Hopeless: Colleen Hoover

What were my most popular posts/videos?

How are you celebrating the month of love?
I am single (is this really a surprise?) and will be staring people down from the corner this entire month. Surprisingly, my TBR has a bunch of New Adult and Cutesy Contemporaries. On the actual Valentines DAY, I will probably be curled up with a Morgan Matson novel. Fun Times :)

Blog Design Recommendations Needed, New Happenings & Resolution Progress | Sofia Speculates - A Month In Review (3)

A Month In Review follows the same principles of Sofia Speculates, while covering more topics. Topics covered range from bookish to life to myself. So sit back, relax, and grab a cup of coffee, because rambling is to be expected! It wouldn't be Loving the Language of Literacy otherwise.

I Need Your Help!!!

I woke up the second Sunday in January, with this sudden epiphany-like urge that I should change my blog design. It's not that I dislike it. It's just that I've had the same theme for almost a year now, and I no longer feel like it's current with Loving the Language of Literacy's feel. I want something slightly more clean/modern, and I am now dealing with the issue all customers, of any type, deal with. 

Who the hell do I trust with the aesthetics of my baby?

I express my passion for blogging/YouTube in my most popular blog post (and the one I am most proud of) When Your Hobby Isn't Valid. I explain how much blogging means to me, and it's the closest (at this point in time anyway) I have to writing of mine published for the world to see. I take a lot of pride in the content I produce, so it's only logical of me to care just as much about how it looks. As we all know, your blog/YouTube channel content can be AMAZING, but no one will stay for more than three seconds if they don't like how you look (or sound, which is an added challenge with YouTube). 

I would appreciate it so much if you told me where you got your blog design, if you went with a custom or premade, company recommendations, price ranges, customer satisfaction, etc. I already interrogated one of my good bookish friends Alex @ The Book's Buzz whose used Butterfly-o-Meter designs and it sounds like a nice, affordable option and I simply ADORE Alex's design. So please help me out on this one. My budget for a new design is around the realm of $75 for a new header, social media buttons, signature, discussion/review banner, and post dividers. I would also like your opinion on what it should look like because no particular theme goes with the words "Loving" "Literacy" and "Language," besides hearts, which doesn't sound attractive.

Everything is AWESOME (I hate that song)

I had this moment in the middle of January where I just sat down in wonder of how great my life was, in the Blogosphere, YouTube Community, AND real world. I received my first ever print ARCs from Scholastic, which is a huge blogging milestone. I've explained about personal validation, and I never felt so... legitimate as when those arrived in my mail box. My YouTube subscriber count has been steadily growing and is now at 65 Subscribers which I am just flabbergasted at. Most importantly, I have begun making friends in my new school. At my old school, I had known everyone since Kindergarten and as any new kid knows, it's hard to slip into a the motions people have been going through for a long time. I'm getting to know my teachers better (which may or not be a good thing considering their unusual quirks) and my classmates. As I'm writing this post, Emma is showing me pictures of people from the previous year and BOY can 12 months make all of the difference in how people look.

ALL of the New Things

Back in October/November I was feeling extremely discouraged with my blogging, feeling as if my content was stale, but those feelings are mostly now gone.This month has been amazing for productivity, originality, and overall pride in myself and my blog. I started a three new series/original posts I am SO excited to continue on with. Such as Frames of Existence, Sofia Speculates, and A Progression in Playwriting. Of course, there's this new monthly series which is basically an excuse for me to extend my monthly wrap-up EVEN more. I have felt so much more creative and productive this month, and overall satisfaction with my life in general.  I would love to know what you think of these new features/series and how I could improve them. 

New Years Resolutions

New Years Resolution Progress - I posted LENGTHY Running, Blogging, Vlogging, Reading, and Living Resolutions on my YouTube Channel. Remember, any improvement, is progress. Don't judge me too harshly on some of these!

Read More Diversely - Genre Wise: As of writing this post (1/25), I have read 13 books (not novels), and 5 of them were NOT Young Adult. I read a New Adult - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, which I LOVED. A Middle Grade by one of my favorite authors - Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Nielsen which is coming out in February and you should DEFINITELY keep an eye out for it. Tina Fey's memoir was spectacular. I dipped my toes into the world of graphic novels with Art Spiegelman's (same author as Maus) In The Shadow of No Towers. And an adult novel, which was my favorite (so far) of the month as well as my first read of the new year - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Finish 20 Series: I read and reviewed The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, the third and final novel in the Mara Dyer trilogy. But, I started 6 new series.... so I have a lot of reading to do.

Workout 4x Week: I got back into working out after a 7 month hiatus. Unfortunately I only worked out 5 times in January. But like I said, it's progress that counts! I might even participate in the Reader's Workout Meme again, and share with you some of my workout out tips.

Focus On Photography: I have done so well with this one and have another Frames of Existence scheduled for the beginning of February. I went outside and around my neighborhood and some of the shots look AMAZING. I can't wait to share them with you.

Work Harder on Posts | Draft/Edit. Schedule 1 Week Ahead: I've succeeded in drafting my discussion posts/look over my reviews before pressing publish, which I consider an accomplishment. Maybe I sound like an intellectual person now.... or not. As of today, I am a week ahead in blog posts which I also pretty proud of. It's the end of the days when I scramble the day OF for a blog post!

Sign up for less blog tours: I haven't signed up for a single tour this month, and after my February tour stop on the 13th, it's the end of blog tours for a while *gives self applause*

Find balance between clean editing/over editing: After doing some serious reflection on the amount of effort/time I spend in editing my videos, I decided to be a little more relaxed so the videos are more fluid. I believe I succeeded with Finding a Place of My Own | A Progression in Playwriting (1). Because it was downright ridiculous how much I slaved over videos in the past to end up not coming out very good.

Networking: I've made new internet friends too! Via twitter, I have interacted with these lovely people who have AWESOME blogs and personalities - Jackie @ Jackie's Book Shenanigans, Alex @ The Book's Buzz, Xander @ Forever Bookish, Holly @ The Fox's Hideaway, Summer @ Miss Fictional, Amber @ YA Indulgences.

1 Neo-Classic/Non-Fiction/Month: I succeeded in this one (surprisingly) because I read the non-fiction memoir Bossypants (Tina Fey) as well as what I predict will become a neo-classic and it most definitely should be - All The Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr).

New Years Resolutions REVISED - because we all know life gets in the way

Post 4x/Week = Post 15x a Month/Every Other Day.

Upload 2x/Week = Upload 10x a Month/Every 4 Days.

1 Research Post/Month = 1 Research Post/2 Months.

New Years Resolutions Failed  - but there are still 11 months left!

Listen to More Audiobooks: Did NOT happen. 

Re-Read | Favorite Books: I am planning on re-reading a book in February because of memory loss purposes. 

Write | 5k/Week: No comment on my failure. 

Be Better @ Read-a-Thons: I TRIED with The Humiliation of Swimming in Gym | Bout of Books/Biannual Bibliothon Days 1/2 Update and I Should Be A Beauty Guru | Biannual Bibliothon Day 1 Update  

Run Goodreads Group Better: Didn't happen 

Comment More: *hides in shame*

Would you like to read some of my original writing?

Did any particular series/feature on Loving the Language of Literacy this month suit your fancy?

What videos/blog posts would you like to see in the upcoming months?

Would you like to see more personal posts from me?

I Thought I Was Heartless.... Alas If I Stay Gave Me The Feels | Sofia Speculates (2)

Welcome to the second ever episode of Sofia Speculates aka the feature I've been doing since I started blogging (rambling) that finally has a name. These speculations range from bookish to life to myself. So sit back, relax, and grab a cup of coffee, because I spend FOREVER sewing bits of my soul into the HTML brackets of this blog post discussing whatever topic is at hand.

This Is So Weird.... The booknerd has never cried because of a book. I feel almost as if this were a violation to who I claim to be. A book has never given me such feels that illicit tears. I'm a heck of a lot more likely to go around the room ranting and jumping than crying. It's Sofia nature (because we're still waiting on test results to see if I'm human or not). 

Yet that has all changed.....

Because of a book-to-movie adaptation.

I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but it's pretty popular

One of my earliest reviews on Loving the Language of Literacy was a Series Overview of the If I Stay Duology. Although I wanted to, I never got around to watching the book to movie adaptation. I actually remember coming home from school on a Friday and sitting in front of my computer to watch the trailer. I had goosebumps and literal chills running up and down my spine (in the most clichely realistic way possible). I KNEW the movie would be good, but I never guessed it would be as effective. 

Book-to-Movie Adaptation Mini-Review: While If I Stay wasn't even my favorite novel in the duology, I gave it a solid 4 out of 5 stars for a creative concept, I felt as if I couldn't connect with the characters the way the author intended me to, didn't care at all when the parents died, and did not receive the feels. The movie changed ALL of that and was a successful 5/5 stars.

Initially, I felt taken aback because of how unrealistically they portrayed Mia and her life. The idea of her watching all of the event of the hospital unfold around her seemed extremely "WTF?" whereas with the novel, I went along with it, no questions asked. Yet, by the end of it, I saw a brilliant story pieced together and got such a better feel for the character and the story. Hats off to the picture AND sound editing team. 

What Does An Automatic 5/5 Stars Need? The surest way to get Sofia to like your media - whether it's television, movies, or books - is to make her feel emotions, get her invested enough in the story to make her feel. Crying, something I never do, was what made this such a good movie.

Let's Have the Actual Backstory.... I flew with one of my parents to Los Angeles for a day (even longer backstory I won't divulge into) and the lovely airplane was playing If I Stay. 

Even though I wanted to read/be productive, it was If I Stay. 

The movie is 107 minutes long, and it wasn't until around the 85 minute mark that the first tear arrived. I thought it was from the high altitude that my eyes had gotten watery. Then another tear came.... then another.

Ten minutes later, the tears were just streaming down my face in great rivulets of being. I hadn't even felt this way with Where She Went. I don't know what was going on, the movie had just been so emotionally moving and the buildup was so surprising. For once, I actually felt sorry for Mia Hall and her life. When her relationship with Adam wasn't going well, when her family fathered in the waiting room and came to visit her, and then when we saw how truly awesome her parents were.... I just lost it. 

And there we have it, the story of how Sofia's heart grew three sizes over the span of two hours. 

Let's Discuss:

Do you have any embarrassing stories about when you cried because of a movie/tv/book?

Are you like how I used to be and never cry because of a medium?

Have you seen/read If I Stay and had the same feelings?

When Your Hobby "Isn't Valid" | Sofia Speculates (1)

Welcome to the first ever episode of Sofia Speculates aka the feature I've been doing since I started blogging (rambling) that finally has a name. These speculations range from bookish to life to myself. So sit back, relax, and grab a cup of coffee, because I spend FOREVER sewing bits of my soul into the HTML brackets of this blog post discussing whatever topic is at hand.

I am here to discuss what it's like being Sofia Li and to reinforce the fact that I am not normal. I mean this in my usual blogging cadence but also with candor. I am a teenager, without a boyfriend, many friends, or organized sports/activities. That about sums of the GENERAL definition of having no social life.

This is me!

It's Friday night? The average teenager is probably getting ready to hang out with their friends, chow down on junk food, and relieve the stress of the week with cliche rom-coms everyone secretly loves. I'm getting ready to film a video telling people (I've never met) my opinions. I have the benefit of living with my best friend (there are posts to explain this - I'm not going off on this tangent) and I am 99% okay with this. I have a roof over my head, good food, a loving family, and the resources (such as the internet and the library) at my disposal to do the things I love. Do I wish I was a social butterfly with a ton of engagements and people texting me every moment of the day? No. Would I like to have a few more friends since moving to New York? Definitely.

Today, I am here to debunk all of these all of these myths, answer all of your questions, and generally explain how genuinely happy I am with the life I am living right now.

What Do I Get Out of Blogging/YouTube?

You Blog and YouTube? What does this mean?

Everyone from Christine Riccio's mother to Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner's now-husband, Will, to my very own parents don''t understand the freedom, the opportunities, and the salvation (to be extreme) that comes with putting yourself out there on the internet. Since the 10s began (I have no idea what to call this decade) YouTube and Blogging have begun seeming more and more like a legitimate career (not one I intend on pursuing professionally, but a valiant one for those who can make it). It's extremely hard to break into, find your personal niche, and all of that jazz. But I get something out of Blogging/YouTube that is unique and can't be found anywhere else because of its newness in the past years that no one (besides my generation) has ever experienced before.

Don't Lost Hope!

The Blogging and (more so) YouTube Cultures have become more and more of a an actual THING (to be as illiterate sounding as possible). The classic teenage response nowadays for why they are procrastinating is Tumblr or YouTube. You might think your content is crappy, but you HAVE to remember that SOMEONE out of the 7 (or is it 8 now) billion people on planet earth stood EXACTLY where you are at this very moment. Whether it's speculating as to whether or not you should take the plunge into one of these two of these communities, hanging on to the hundred or so followers you have and trying to grow your own brand, or being approached for a relationship between you and a company you have admired/loved since the very start.

Never Fear, The World is Big Enough For Us All.

ANYONE can be a content creator because EVERYONE is interested in something. If it's a common niche such as beauty or books, you are in luck. If you think you are the ONLY person in the world that likes something, the internet will most definitely surprise you. There will be people out there who will watch your videos/read your posts because no one else has experienced your life, no matter how boring it seems.

We Are Valid! 

I'm using Elsa.... THAT'S how strongly I feel about this

To others, especially in the 40+ range of adults (there are always exceptions ), this doesn't seem valid. They throw words like REAL and LEGITIMATE out there, wondering how GENUINE or HONEST either channel of self-expression could possibly be. You are basically selling yourself to the public, if not for money, but popularity or response. Yet, how different is that from an actor trying to land their first break-through role, an author attempting to query their 13th novel to reluctant agents, or a painter begging to have their piece displayed at a local gallery? Blogging and YouTube are daunting JUST because they're platforms with a possibly large audience and ANYONE with access to a computer can see.

Do you think I have earned a dime for ANY of this? 

The answer is the biggest, fattest, NO I can manage to type on this screen. This is 100% a labor of love. I'm going to spit out the usual disclaimer of "if you're Blogging/YouTubing to make money, you're doing it for the wrong reason." In future, there might be opportunities for monetization, and if it's something that helps me stay true to myself and the brand I have created, I will go for it. For now, every second of time I choose to spend or not spend on my greatest passion is my own.

The Best Part is.... I am my own Boss

You think I have a coach breathing down my back, ordering me to make my posts more grammatically correct (although, that would probably help)? You think my parents are telling me to churn out 4+ posts per week (when for the record, they have no idea what I talk about)? You think I'm letting down a team by deciding to watch Netflix instead of film (answering to myself is a lot harder of a job)? I make my own hours. I  carve out my own niche. I establish my own voice. I decide what I want to say. Basically, blogging/BookTubing is the best hobby EVER because I don't have to answer to anyone. The only people who are remotely effected by me not posting are my readers/viewers/friends.... who I have worked towards.

What's the point? 

Books, Reading, Writing, and Expressing Myself are my greatest passions in life. I will choose the bookstore over Barnes and Nobles ANY day of the week. I will blow all my money on BookOutlet, then go shopping at the Strand INSTEAD of H&M and Abercrombie. The point, is that this is ME. 100% genuinely who I am. I get to read books AND have people stroke my ego with views/comments in the process? Hell Yes! I get to talk to others who enjoy literature just as much as I do AND have thought-provoking conversations and learn different perspectives about the world? Yes, Please! (As Amy Poehler would say).

You cannot imagine how appreciative I am that I was born in a day and age where all of this is possible. With the move and the events of the past months, blogging/YouTube has been my life raft, my tug boat, my anchor. It's the ONE thing that never changes and will always be constant. We're of course disregarding the fact that people change and the internet is progressing every moment. But you catch my drift.

Why do I pour my heart and soul out if only a few people see it? 

The most FAQ question and IMMEDIATE impulse of people who I am discussing my blogging/BookTubing with is How many followers do you have? Out of ALL of the cliche, standard questions a person could ask, they question how many people follow or subscribe. I don't even need to mention that followers are the most crystalline sign of "legitimacy" out there.

Why is this so important?

For someone that isn't engrossed in this industry, it's a quantifier, a marker, something simple and easy to make a judgement on. This isn't even the most FAQ from peers my age, but adults. Plenty of my parents friends jump the gun and ask this question. Instead of "How did you get into blogging? What's the best part of it?" Out of all of the cookie-cutter questions adults have to ask, it's this one.

Obviously, the better content you have, the more followers you get. Someone filming with their iPhone against their living room wall obviously doesn't have the same quality as another with a DSLR, microphone, and ring lights. But, this doesn't mean that what you have to say, what you can give to people, is any less just because your following isn't as large. You can love something and be just as committed as the person with 100,000 followers versus your 100. It has taken me over a year to become more confident with my abilities, but every second of time I spend is worth it.

How do I know these people on the internet who watch my content aren't pedophiles?

Directed to parents 

This is the moment of truth for all the adults waiting and wondering what their children are doing on the internet. As teenagers, we don’t know. As adults, we don’t know. Internet safety is something extremely important and valued amongst the general populace. There are stalkers, there are bad people. What you really need to do is be responsible and make your own judgements on what you disclose on the internet. There are vloggers that tell us every aspect of their daily lives, and then there are people we love to watch, but don’t know a thing about other than the content they produce. It’s an entirely personal decision as to how much you choose to disclose. My number one piece of advice for parents is to trust yourselves that you have raised your children to be safe on the internet. 

Did you know that you can have friends online?

On the topic of interaction and “internet friends” it’s a lot easier to judge whether or not a person is who they say they are if you know of them through YouTube. With BookTubing, it’s impossible not to show your face or reveal at least a little about yourself. I consider book blogging a generally safe niche to be in when comparing to the beauty community or technology reviewers. With books, you actually have to read the darn thing and have general knowledge of books. I highly doubt a stalker is going to sit through Anna and the French Kiss, then compose a feels-filled review about Etienne St. Clair. Book Blogging is NOT the area you should be in if you want to be a stalker, too much work.

What's my experience with this?

I’ve never been contacted by someone illegitimate (that I know of) through my blog, youtube channel, or twitter account, but if I were…. it would become pretty clear pretty fast that someone was a faker. My twitter friends and I talk about books/book-related subjects 98% of the time and the other 2% is complaining about the weather and school. So to answer parent’s hesitation, no we don’t know…. but trust yourself that you have taught your kids good judgement.

You actually do things?

You want to come over here and tell me I don't do anything? You will get a one way ticket to the Arena, Erudite Headquarters, or the Batalla Hall prison cells (we’re just going to ignore the fact that those are all REAL places in America and going there will serve you no consequences). Blogging and YouTube are WAY more than filming, drafting posts, editing, and uploading. There is scheduling, time management, reading, prioritizing, networking, publicizing, responding to comments and emails, and sitting down in front of a computer to review a book is the tip of the ice berg my friend.

Looking at blogging and BookTubing with that perspective, the hours are truly endless, especially if you quantify them in comparison to a sport, instrument, or any other extra-curricular. I’ve heard a ton of bloggers say that its like a full-time job without getting paid. In the most literal sense, you’re running a business consisting of only yourself. *Ends rant* My point is not to put-down the value of what other people do as their past-times, but just to stake my claim that my hobby is 100% valid.

If you made it ’til the end of this blog post, I congratulate you! It took me way longer to compose than it should have and it’s a lot of work to read and take in all of my (caffeine induced) advice.

Now I want to know your opinions. Feel free to answer any of the points I make in the comments because I want to know your personal experience with this entire wonderful, crazy, tight-knit community.

Disclaimer: I used the typewriter image from FreePix on this website. All images, except for the parchment/quill are not my own, nor do I claim them to be.