Tag: Accomplishments

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Personal Narratives

New Goal Achieved

An invitation to the launch of the 27th title of Collection Maurice

It’s the 15th of December, at 5.50 pm we enter the Hennessy Park Hotel parking. “Let’s go back home. I don’t want to go inside. I am not in my element,” I then said to my husband, with a stirring sensation in my gut. I was simply emotional, overawed, not quite sure what was going on. Is it a dream, perhaps a prank, or am I hallucinating, I then thought, with those butterflies still swarming in my tummy. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with the type of feeling that made me want to run away, because that thing seemed too grand for me, too impressive, and I, I have felt so little for all of these years, practically invisible, paving that way all alone, trying to prove to myself that I can, again, and that my mental fragility can’t rob me of the person that I have always been before my fall in the pit of depression; and now, this, now, my name alongside the greatest name of the Mauritian literary circle… I just couldn’t believe that I was there, and that I was writing a new positive chapter of my life.

After that my husband reassured me, we went inside, and a lady welcomed me to the author’s table; there she gave me the book in which my story has been published for the 27th title of Collection Maurice, a trilingual book (French-English-Creole) that has as English title ‘undercover’. Now I can… can I you think? Be at ease with calling myself an author; would they now understand what I really do, what is my passion, and how writing saved me from the obscurity so as to lead me towards the light… can you now understand?

A trilingual book (French-English-Creole) of short stories written by Mauritian authors

I was sitting there amongst the great, those enlightening minds of the literary community, and I just couldn’t believe that I was in the same room, as well as in the same book anthology as those whom I often see on television, read in newspapers or magazines, hear on the radio – those respected authors whose writings are wonderful and enlightening.

I was so awestruck that I completely forgot that I am a creative writer’s lifestyle blogger, and that taking photos for this blog is a must for me; to record and share my journey as a self-taught writer is my mission. I’ve completely forgotten to capture that important day of my writer’s life, so much I was in a dumbstruck catatonic state, paralyzed with a high dose of wonderment, but also, of fulfillment. Sadly I haven’t been able to make the most out of this opportunity; on the other hand I kept worrying about whether I’ll look good on their photos or video cameras😅.

Nothing is won yet, but I can add this experience and accomplishment to my bio and curriculum vitae. Somehow I feel that I have upgraded to the next level of my journey as a self-taught writer, which was on my plan all along the way.

It boosted my writing confidence

Lately, since going through the nightmare of re-editing Darcocyte, I had lost all confidence in my writing abilities. I was stuck with thoughts that I was a mediocre writer, and that my blog was only fake pages written by a clown. I was unable to get myself out of this failure, and my mind was again a horrible place filled with angst, where destruction was taking over because I felt that I was not good enough to create fiction and poems. My morale was very low.

I had challenged myself to build organic SEO based on Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), but when this all happened, when my grammatical errors and bad syntaxes unraveled in front of my eyes, deep inside I felt that I had compromised my own trustworthiness. I just couldn’t take it.

But then my story has been chosen for the publication of Collection Maurice, after I have taken part in the writing competition organized by immedia. I am amongst three other new authors whose story has been chosen, and where we were all invited for the launch of the book collection. I listened happily and emotionally as summaries of the short stories written by ‘new authors’, including mine, was being read; and I was overwhelmed with joy when I took the group photo alongside the other authors, though I didn’t know which camera I needed to face😂; but I was also stunned and a little bit panic when I was asked for my first autograph🤗.

Though it all seemed impressive to me, I love that game for it has boosted my writing confidence. I want to continue submitting to the various Mauritian writing competition; and I hope that next time I will be more at ease, more present, and more active to take photos for the blog, or even to connect with others.

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Personal Narratives

My Two Manuscripts

In the night-time, I dreamed that I was at a wedding ceremony on the celestial plane. The bride was beautiful; she had a wreath of flowers on her head, and she wore an ivory lace dress. On the other hand, the bridegroom was a gigantic energy being, same as the others that were present. During the whole ceremony, I held my two manuscripts tightly against my heart. And after it was over, they all surrounded the blue planet, and they showered blessings, hearts, fruits and vegetables, money, flowers, and lots of petals; as for the mortal bride, she threw some very big roasted meat😂… but the celestial beings didn’t seem to care at all. And I, I was still holding against my chest the manuscript of Darcocyte and my book of poems, all the while good vibrations beamed out from the hands of these celestial beings. Afterwards, they all receded into darkness, perhaps, so as to obscure their presence.

Seven years later – two books

Last night, right before going to bed, I watched the end of a movie, and as well as a mini documentary, which had for main theme spirituality – and I did this all the while tightly holding my two manuscripts against my heart. And I guess that’s from where stems this very weird dream. The strangeness of this ongoing peculiar time, I guess.

Thing is, yesterday I received the manuscript of both Darcocyte and my book of poems, and I couldn’t stop myself from being exhilarated, from expressing loads of happiness. And I held these manuscripts as if they were real babies, kissing them, and even having them on my bedside for the night… yes, I know, that’s a bit too extreme and crazy😂 but I tend to get very eccentric when I am overly happy.

I know that nothing is won yet, but I just couldn’t stop admiring, and thinking about these last seven years of hard work; of neglecting so many things, to the point of not wanting to go out, as to be able to finish these books. I poured all my heart, and what remains of my love in these two books, just to be able to find myself once more. I have shed so many tears, made so many mistakes, been so dramatic, and alienated, but I think that I did it, I think that I was able to find a purpose that passionate me enough to be again.

I feel that I am a little bit more emotionally prepared for whatever comes in my way. I am so excited that I am unable to focus properly while writing – my mind is stirring up, my thoughts are fuzzing in all directions. I am thinking a thousand things at the same time, and I guess that it’s making me physically and mentally tired. I need some good rest, and perhaps go out more.

Now that I know that it takes so much time and efforts to understand and to learn this whole digital thing, I want to focus more my efforts and energy towards making the necessary offline connections, for as an anonymous quote says: “The comfort zone is nothing else but a graveyard for your dreams & ideas,” where it might be true or not; for me it is somehow true, thus I guess that if these doors are closed for me, whether intentionally or not, it means that they are closed for a specific reason.

Darcocyte & Book of poems

P.S: I’ve written this post on the go, so if ever you find any type of grammatical errors or any other type of mistakes, please do comment below. Thank you.

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Personal Narratives

Darcocyte Has Been Published

Darcocyte book cover

“I’ve walked many miles as to find myself and finally be, crossed trillions of stars and experienced more than one existence as to finally learn, shed more than one tears and broke my heart more than once as to finally understand . . . that infinity and everything that is, simply stream through a pool of genes . . .”

This is the story of Eon Spencer — a normal Eaarthling who overnight learns from her dying grandmother that she descends from extraterrestrials that exiled on Eaarth to save their race from extinction. Her normal way of living is shattered and changed forever as violent deaths, heartbreaking revelations, and treason of the worst kind, blend within chapters of a melting love story, an unmatched friendship, strange and new encounters, odd discoveries, and rocambolesque surreal adventures.

Here we are, after four and a half years of researching, writing, honing skills, crying, alienation, and dramas of all types and sorts, where I’ve finally been able to self-publish Darcocyte.

I haven’t thought twice before making the ultimate decision of sending my metaphysical science-fiction novel of 71,000 words on Amazon’s shelves; because you see, after having written a whole novel, I am tired and too lazy to think properly about the whole aftermath of its life cycle into the world. And though I want what’s best for my baby novel, I am unable to think properly about the marketing strategies that would settle it high up in the sky with a crown and a throne, just like J.K.Rowling did for her captivating book.

I just needed to publish it now, because it was the right time, and that it needed to have a life of its own. Right now, all I wanna do is write, or create other things that pleases me as much as the writing process of Darcocyte.

My plan from the beginning was to finish the novel, and then publish it somewhere where I wouldn’t have to waste my energy publicize and all the rest, as to be able to do the next things on my list. And that’s why I’ve decided to test the waters of Amazon . . . after all, that’s where most readers flock to search for books . . . isn’t it!

Also I loved that the uploads of my manuscript went all very well, and that the procedures to do so were easily chunk down for non-tech-savvies to go through their procedures without a single stress. I can say that they are clearly the professional type, although that’s all very expensive in terms of Mauritian currency… loll.

But as I always say and think about — if I don’t try, how will I know. So, let’s try and see what adcomes of this whole new chapter of my new career as an independent author.

Right now Darcocyte is available on Kindle (you can download the kindle app and buy it from there), Kindle unlimited, and as well as in print.
I hope that you never abandon, I hope that you give everything you have to realize your dream, and that in the process of believing in yourself and the things you do, the universe unlock all of your potentials, and doors that might help you accomplish your dreams and goals.
Categories
Poems

By Eiravel, Made For The Romantics

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Love mugs, pillow hearts, and little red rose.

It’s done, we are the 14th of February, and it’s the last day of my challenge. Down below you’ll find all the love notes I’ve made. They are free; you can use them as you wish to. 

My Valentine, something vehement stirs my mind
      Arduously engorging my heart with thy
       Love; devouring my soul from the inside
        Etching thy face on every inch of my skin.
         Nectars dips from your lips, that
          Throbs the hum of a song of us
           Imbued of wistful constellations, where
            Nebulous images of our loving stars
             Elapse without time into the wild.

I have found my own kind of aesthetic visual

Being romantic to the core, I really loved making these e-cards. I can even say that I have found my own kind of aesthetic visual. I already knew that I loved flowers, trees, and ivies, but I didn’t know that I was to that extent fascinated by these plants, not until I included them in these love cards.

I thought that I would make these backgrounds with pages and journals, but it was not at all the case. Like-what! It is always through the course of doing that one knows their flares.

As for my love for this celebration, it stems back from the days I used to work in a gift shop. I remember preparing love bibelots; making them more attractive to the enamored, while cutting all types and forms of wrapping-papers vividly stamped with red hearts and other love symbols (all to make these buyers crazy about love and spending) for practically three weeks.

And somehow, having helped these happy, and madly in love strangers choose the perfect present for their significant other(s), forever stamped my mind with beautiful images of Valentine’s day.

That is why I think, that I took so much pleasure writing these little love-notes… perhaps as a beautiful reminder of a joyous past, and of all these now-nebulous happy faces.

Love Notes

Free. Use as you wish

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Personal Narratives

2018 Highlights Of My Online Activities

eiravelblognotes.png
Say Formulate your need and desires for 2019…

This year has been the year of all mistakes, challenges, changes, reflections, analysis, but also progress and rock solid self-determination.

Every end year I love to sit down and reflect on what I have been able to achieve for personal growth and advancement. And this year I can say that I am pretty proud of myself, which is something that I have not felt since long… you know, that feeling of self-determination that strengthen with each step made towards that dream or goal…

Of course, I had my loads of bad times, but I am not around to lose my time! I am here because I have a goal that needs to be achieved, so as for me to decide about what I will be doing next… the clock is ticking, and everyday the sound of it reminds me of the preciousness of each hour-time that’s lost.

So down below are some of the main points concerning my 2018 online and writing odyssey:

Deletion of my former blog ‘Lovelyricism’ on WordPress

Have to say that it is the stupidest mistake that I committed for this year. Almost 4 years of blogging and learning how to use this platform has been casted away into winds of oblivion.

Complete deletion of my former account ‘Christa Chn’

I don’t regret that I have deleted this account, I only regret my former Pinterest boards – lolll. Have to say that I was going through some mental disturbance during this particular period of time…

I have progressed a lot through the writing of my book

After I deleted my former accounts, I focused more seriously on writing my book, and I’ve been progressing through the bringing of my attention to those small details that I now bring out forth into my writings.

I had an urge to blog

Writing is a rather lonely act, where suddenly I felt an urge to blog, for I terribly missed this creative leisure.

New account: from Christa Chn-to ea.ki-to Eiravel

I wanted to change from Christa Chn to an alternative online name – one which fits my vision of the whole thing that I wanted to achieve, and thus I went for ea.ki. However I noticed that there was some kind of incoherence concerning the pronunciation and written form of the term that could confuse, and where in the long run this would not work in my favour into the bizsphere. Thus deletion and abandonment of ea.ki to the detriment of Eiravel – which is an anagram of my paper name.

I am also working on a poetry book titled ‘i-organel dreamscape’

I love to write poetry for a surplus of creative leisure, and all the bits of sentences I have written here and there happened to have taken the form of free-verses, so I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone (faire d’une pierre deux coups).

I feel a little bit more at ease in the digital space

Understanding geek and technical terms used across the digital-space has not been easy at all for me. I had to come back many time to the main points to be able to assimilate the contextualisation of what makes the basic of the web, where I now understand why this whole thing is coined as ‘web’ and ‘internet’. The way I personally interact with abstract representations has finally aided me more than I could have ever imagine. Perhaps it might appear odd to you, but my interest (not saying obsession) into the association of words and formulations, and as well as the abstract behind everything, has somehow help me through navigating more smoothly across the web-space.

Going Social again

After I deleted my former account, I lost many posts, so now alongside my blog, I will try to catch up again with my socials.
▅ So here were some main points of what I have achieved and also changed during this 2018, with high hopes that I am on the right track, while keeping my focus there where it should be. And where are you, digitally speaking… don’t hesitate to comment from wherever year this post reached you 😅 ▅
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Personal Narratives

A Self Taught Adventure

A stay@home mum, who is learning-by-doing online

When I stopped working – due to a pregnancy nervous breakdown – I knew for sure that I needed to rethink my whole life and set sail into another career direction. Though I had many options: I formerly worked in sales, I have a diploma in secretary, I worked in a diamond factory, I worked as a part-time land hostess and waitress, and with a Human & Social Biology college grade, I could have considered a course in nursery – yep! I consider myself as a work nomad, and that is something that I am proud of – but unfortunately, all of these careers did not match with my new family lifestyle, for their work hours were not at all in accordance with the time my children went to school in the morning, and as well as the time they came back home in the afternoon. Not saying that most of these works are submitted to many stress factors. So, it had to be a 180° total change . . . a complete reconversion.

Then one day, I fell on an ad, where a web-based customer service company was recruiting stay@homies for training, all the while giving nice allowance and a job placement after completion of different levels of training. So I interestingly thought, This is a new challenge that would enliven again my determination, and light up my spark of passionate work, a little pocket money is always welcome, and the aftermath of this training will be a job at hand . . . well, am in.

However – and sadly for me –, I did not make it through that first level, and it was a failure that I didn’t digested well; for failure had never been an option for me in anything that I had attempted before. Though back then I was not at all acquainted to technological terms and tools, in my head, it was not at all normal for someone like me to not have made it to the next level, and as a matter of fact, I had to admit that I was still way too mentally fragile to even consider taking up another job.

Nevertheless, this little elsewhere escapade helped me understand and see, that I needed to upgrade my skills in basic computerisation – for as a matter of fact, most modern work revolve around computer based jobs. So, all the while taking care of my babies, and as well as working through my mild depression, I decided to learn on the go while being online, so as not to lose more of my precious time. Afterwards, I searched online for every types of possible work that web-based employers might be recruiting for, and started to learn on the go about some of the basics, where, this is how I fell into the e-writing sphere.

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” -Aristotle-

Moreover, while being on WordPress.com – the most creative and supporting community I stumbled upon online – I came to be inspired to blog, write poems, and take pictures on my own, until reminder that I always wanted to write a book. Nevertheless, writing a book is not something that is easy to do; not at all. Though my head had always been prone to daydream symptoms, I was not a writer with the necessary skills and aptitudes to write captivating books, for I never took any creative writing courses, nor had any advanced level of grammar.

Nevertheless, I had, and still have ideas. I was, and still is an analytic reader of great books. I loved, and still love penning down my thoughts – thus, I persevered, and still continue doing so – self-determined learning, for the freedom of thought it generates. I was fond, and still is, of new challenges that would make me blossom – so I said to myself: why not and plunged without an ounce of hesitation into the writing of my actual science-fiction and poetry book.

So, many writing(s), and mistakes, and re-writing(s), and mistakes, and crying, and dramas, and re-mistakes, and anger, and re-re-writing(s) later, I am now learning to edit on my own, and as well as being auto-critical of my own works. And all of this has been possible through learning on the go, and of course, assisted by web materials (for quick searches, edits, vocabs, storage, organisation) (and yes! if you don’t have enough audacity to learn on your own online, then please, take the safest route of seeking mentorship, or even take a course, or else, learn about your digital working tool before going further).

“I don’t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.” -Natalie Portman-

However, though I am working hard so as to finish writing my book (s), I am also learning-by-doing online, to do other things that I consider helpful into my new work reconversion – which would more probably be into the independent sector – for it seems that the entrepreneurship fever craze has got me too. And though it is a difficult route, have to say that this adventure has turned out to be one of my most crucial challenge, for on it, rests my whole future.

Some important tips when learning-by-doing online

Throughout these years, I learned through the hard way that your computer might be subjected to viruses or any other kind of digital threats, but also that as a non-tech-savvy experiencing with computerlogy, while not knowing what you’re doing, might bring about minor/major accidents within your personal computer system. If I had not saved my document on a USB Flash Drive, I would surely have no books being written actually.

Sadly, it was not the same for all the rest of my works, but now, I have well understood the lesson, and as often as possible I save my work on an external drive. If you are not tech-savvy, please, remember to save your precious works on a flash drive, or else, always keep the contact number of a good informatician/ethical hacker at hand, otherwise, if you’re a passionate technophile, take a course on computer programs so as to know in depth about your tech-tool.

And as for you, how did your self-taught adventure happened?

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Personal Narratives

A Month Writing In French

During this whole month I was busy writing a short story to submit for a competition

Me and French grammar don’t get along very well

Two weeks before the end of July, I opened my newspaper, and found a call to submit for a writing competition—but it had to be in French . . . so, I said to myself, why not, because nothing is better than a writing challenge to test my capacity of finishing a work in time.

Though I adore very much French language; which sounds to me as the most romantic-adorable-beautiful language in the world, I still don’t get along very well with all the grammar rules that makes it up in the written form—which is why I have chosen to write in English right from the start. However, even though written English does not incur that so many grammar rules, I still have some hard time looking for the right vocabulary words that fit perfectly into the sentences I want to build. Moreover, I also have difficulties to format paragraphs into the written tonality of my own voice. I do think that I slug on the writing of my current book because of these issues I mentioned.

What I learnt during this writing phase

I love that this writing challenge has made me come to the realisation that I need to much more organise myself, and as well as finding the best formula that will help me balance both my stay@home and writing activities. Have to say that as to finish the manuscript, I have neglected some of my main house chores, and in the end, I found myself with a pile of clothes to iron.

Also, it came to my mind that perhaps I am too much into this—for I have not even made a cent from all of these efforts I made. Perhaps I am pushing myself way too much, and need to take some step back from the online world, to start thinking seriously about another method of promoting myself. But then again, it would be as if I have made all of these efforts for nothing. Moreover, I need to finish writing my book so that I can move on to other things.

I’ve learned to use Google Doc—which I find quite simple to work with, though not as professional as word (correction of sentences—which is good for non-English speakers), but heyy! Its gratos, its free, c’est gratuit (well, apart the fact that I pay for my internet and bought my smartphone and PC), so for me it’s fine to swim into these waters (perhaps when the internet infrastructure of where I live will get better, all of the issues I face will be over). Now, I can’t wait to continue the edit of my current book (which I have completely neglected for the competition).

I also learnt that I get bored quit soon when I edit my writings—as if I do everything I can so as to runaway from the hassle of editing. For example, Googling for a word, and remain on the website so as to read more articles (of course those that interest me) than I should, afterwards, I would go listen to some music on YouTube, or else go on Pinterest (to find some extra inspiration), and again, I will remain pinning for extra minutes. Yeah ! editing for me is a hard process, perhaps due to the fact that I have already written the story, knowing the content from start to finish, and where it doesn’t seduce me anymore to go further. I will have to seriously work on that processing part, for I lose lots of time.

That I will need help, for I can’t do everything all alone. If ever I make it, I will need to pay for the extra work that I don’t like doing, or that I am not good at. Though an autodidact, I don’t see myself writing, rewriting, re-re-writing, edit, re-edit, re-re-edit, and this–until finality. Nope, not at all. Because first and foremost I am a fictionnaire, and writing is only the most suitable medium I found that suits me. What I truly wish for is to lay down on a sofa while narrating the imageries that take place in my imagination, and this, all the while a writer writes the book and takes the sole responsibility of editing, formatting, marketing, and selling. Let me tell you that it would have been heaven for me—but again, that’s only fiction🤣.

And lastly, I am seriously thinking about integrating into my writings some of the rules of punctuation I’ve learnt in French. My process of writing incurs my own intonation, and as for that to be effective, the use of punctuation is very important for me. I don’t know if everybody read books or poetry same as I do, but I tend to write as if I was reading a book, thus, the importance of the good use of punctuation for me.

What’s next

Well, return back to writing my book, thing that I’ve missed very much. You should see the mess my baby became since I migrated. All of the former edits I made (whole paragraphs I have deleted) have merged with the polished one, and it’s a whole wide big mess that I will have to work on… *sigh*. Just looking at it makes me want to abandon everything, but then again, I can’t have done all of this effort for nothing!

Also I will be polishing my social accounts, and why not create new ones. Blog, blog, blog. I also have to start thinking about what to write for the next national competition; whose submission had its date limit till the end of this year.

To conclude, I have learnt things that will surely help me to ameliorate my writing skills, but above all, it has accentuated my rage and determination to finish my book.

And as for you, have you tried entering a writing competition? How did it went? Have you learned something interesting about your own writing process?