Author: Marie Cyprien

Impeccable success, getting married to your soul mate, and going on breath-taking adventures around the world. These are a few of the many things we all tend to imagine in our minds during our lunch breaks or doing data entry.

There’s no denying that our imaginations tend to make everything seem perfect in our eyes, that’s why we sometimes tend to fall into la-la land for a moment before snapping back to reality. Especially in this Digital Age where dynamic illustrations and vintage photos are shared constantly throughout social media, it’s becoming easier to enhance our imaginations and place ourselves in different lives and perspectives.

Although your daydreams may be different from the next person, here are some common ones we’ve all had from time to time.

1. Being a celebrity. When watching Jennifer Lawrence rock it out on the red carpet, you’ve probably imagined yourself in that Christian Dior dress she’s wearing, talking to reporters and posing for the cameras. Although the lives of celebrities are quite hectic, we can’t help but daydream what it’s like to be in their place. Doing funny skits on talk shows and winning prestigious awards with the world watching you is something that’s quite appealing to the imagination.
   

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2. Being a rock star. When listening to Hozier, you can’t help but envision yourself on stage with a guitar and nice long hair, singing cleverly about worshipping the love of your life. Daydreaming about being a rock star can be so much fun because it’s like seeing a wild version of yourself, walking on a crowd while singing your heart out.
   

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3. The perfect companion. Admit it. They don’t call them the woman/man of your dreams for nothing. Whether it was while you were single or after a bad break up, you’ve spent some time molding the perfect spouse for you. Try not to indulge too much.
   

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4. Rewriting books and films we’re disappointed by. In order to deal with the rage of wasting quality time and money on that God-awful film you watched, you become its new director, re-doing the entire film and recasting pretty much everyone. The same goes for that novel you bought on Kindle. Even though it only cost about a dollar, you still want your money back. While reading repetitive sentences and card board characters, you can’t help but feel like Steven King compared to this author.
   

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5. Being better looking. Some of us are probably a pack of eye candies, but of course not all of us feel that way. We can’t help but mentally alter our body images every time we look in the mirror. You’ve probably imagined your gut to be a 12-pack, your red hair blonde, or your butt twice its size (no judgment).
   

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6. Having a better life. Sometimes the hardest thing to be in life is to be content, which is why you’ve dreamt of redoing your room, living in a bigger apartment, being promoted from your internship, or being more extroverted. But don’t feel down. Think of these daydreams as visions for your future, that’s why they’re so fun to think about.

“What did you say?” accompanied by a blank look.

That’s the most common response people with faint voices get whenever they open their mouths to speak. But it doesn’t stop there. 

People usually have to bend down or lean in whenever you speak. It usually doesn’t have anything to do with your height, although you wish it did.

People desperately wonder what you sound like when you climax. Yeah…totally not creepy.

Your best friend develops impressive hearing skills. On the plus side, they exercise their ear drums on a daily basis, which will be a life saver during times when they’re able to hear danger from a mile away.

You hate hearing your voice recorded. You cringe whenever mom puts you on speaker phone.

You’re a quiet person by force. You’d love to be extroverted, but having to compete with other, more worthy voices in crowded bars can be exhausting. It’s easier to keep to yourself and give your voice a break.

No one takes you seriously when you curse or yell. When venting to others, giggling is their first response.

Losing your voice is a daily issue. It’s why we have a water bottle with us at all times, especially at work or in class. It takes about four conversations until our voices leave us for good and we end up opening our mouths to speak and nothing comes out at all.

You sound normal in your head. It’s as if the only pair of ears that can fully hear you are your own.

“You’re the quietest person I’ve ever met.” No matter what, you’ll always be the gentlest human being someone has ever met and they’ll regard you as some kind of unicorn. You nod and fake smile in response while imagining them high-fiving a brick wall with their face.

You’re constantly being told to talk louder or scream. Don’t they understand that if you could turn the volume up on your voice, you would?

You consider yourself a decent singer. But in reality you make the same sounds as characters in Jurassic Park when they get eaten or stepped on by dinosaurs. But don’t let that discourage you, keep on singing…no one can probably hear you anyway.

People bow their heads every time you speak, the phrases “what did you say?” and “I can’t hear you” are all too familiar, and you’re probably a quiet person by force. These are just a few things people with soft voices go through on a daily basis.

But none of these struggles compare to the horror of giving a public presentation. Whether it’s reading a passage from Pride and Prejudice out loud or discussing new ideas at work meetings, having to present yourself without sounding like Mickey Mouse is quite the labor. So what are the frantic thoughts that go through the mind of a soft spoken person while they present their work besides intense irritation and embarrassment? They are the following:

*Before the presentation*

“No one is going to hear me.”

“I doubt anyone knows who I am.”

“They say talk from your diaphragm, but my voice only stops at my throat.”

*Giving the presentation*

“They can hear me, right?”

“I hope to God no one is recording this.”

“Wow, I sound stupid.”

*Looking at the professor or boss*

“Oh great, she’s signaling me to talk louder.”

“I feel like I’m screaming.”

“She’s still pressing her ear.”

“This is as loud as I can get and she still can’t hear me?!”

*Using a microphone*

“Why do I sound like I’m 12?”

“Wow, my voice is annoying

*During the presentation*

“This would be so much better if I was a louder person.”

“In fact, my life would be so much better if I had a normal voice.”

“Oh no, not construction, please no.”

“Thank God, they didn’t hear that bit.”

“It’s like my voice is in a bubble.”

“It hurts to talk.”

“Oh no, my voice is leaving me.”

“Now I sound like a zombie.”

“She’s still signaling me. Dammit!”

“Stop tumbling over your words, stop stuttering, quit trembling.”

“No one heard that, did they? Let me repeat myself.”

“Still didn’t hear that. Let me repeat myself again.”

“Still? Okay, one more time.”

“I give up. Someone is clarifying for me anyway.”

“FML.”

“I’m almost done talking.”

“Why is everyone staring at me like I’m an idiot?”

“Oh no, something when wrong on the computer. Now I have to explain what happened.”

“Well that’s a drop in my participation grade.”

“They didn’t hear that part, did they?”

“They’re tired of hearing me talk, I know it.”

*Taking Q&A*

“They’re asking questions already answered by my slide show.”

“They didn’t hear that part of it, did they?”

“There she goes, lecturing me about speaking louder.”

*End of presentation*

“I need a drink.

“Maybe I’ll get a martini…if the bartender can hear me.”

It’s safe to say most people around the world are avid fanfiction readers, but how many are brave enough to actually take the challenging task of writing fanfiction?

Due to the popularity of 50 Shades of Grey and the disturbed reactions of cast members from shows like Sherlock to some interesting fanfics by their fandoms, this once unknown phenomenon of rewriting novels, films, video games, and even the lives of celebrities has come to the full attention of mainstream society. Of course, the result is the pigeon hole that fanfic writers are overly-horny teenage girls who have creepy obsessions. But I think I can speak for every fanfic writer out there when I say that’s not at all the case.

We’re simply people who have a passion for these things and love to write about them. Like most writers from other genres, writers in the fanfiction genre go through common struggles when writing their stories. Here are fifteen of those unique flounders:

1. Fandoms. It’s no surprise that creators and actors fear fandoms for many reasons including angry backlashes and disappointing Youtube rants. So imagine how fanfiction writers feel, especially when they start writing stories within their own fandoms. Yeah, we’re pretty petrified…
2. Summaries. Take a look at random fanfic titles on Fanfiction.org or Archive of Our Own and you’re bound to find that 50% of the summaries are summaries about how much the author sucks at writing summaries. That speaks for itself.
3. Suppressing the urge to insert your own reactions to your story. Believe it or not, fanfic writers have gotten the urge to insert their reactions to certain parts of their stories in parentheses. Some actually do it making the fanfic painfully awkward to read.
4. Keeping your characters in character. As a die-hard fan of Harry Potter, you think it’d be easy to accurately portray Harry and his friends since you know them so well, right? Not exactly because by the time you get to chapter four of your fanfic, Harry is Romeo, Hermione is Juliet, and Ron is Satan.
5. Updating. “Oh, you love this fanfic? How about…I stop…updating it…” When we start writing fanfiction for the first time, we’re giddy with excitement. But soon that enthusiasm will fade when those scary things called jobs, school, kids, and distractions sneak into our lives, pushing away the motivation to write. It’s not too long before fanfic writers become every fanfic reader’s worst nightmare: the author who never updates.
6. To OOC or not to OOC. Out of character or OOC is every fanfic writer’s comfort device in which characters are written out of their usual characteristics, making it easier for us to write story. But the downside to this is the disappointment from some readers, decreasing the popularity of your story. So the next time you think of writing Sherlock as an optimistic extrovert…yeah, you might wanna rethink that.
7. When life gives you lemons, you make love scenes. Whether you’re a fanfic reader, writer, or both, you know that lemon is a code word for love scene. The funny part of this is how insanely creative fanfic writers get when it comes to lemons. Pleasure turns into burning like hell’s fire and tongues turn into snakes.
8. Reading reviews. Although most writers don’t have to read or concentrate on reviews of their work, fanfic writers thrive on them as well as follows and favorites. Though sometimes, reviewers get a little weird with their critiques.
9. The art of the OTP. Writing fanfics focused on one true pairings or characters put together romantically by fans is a complex genre all on its own with subgenres such as fluff, lemons, and the ever popular, smut.
10. Feeling like you’re living a double life. You’ve probably read a bio or an updated message from a fanfic writer only to find out they’re married with 3 kids. Even though most fanfic writers all have different lives, we can’t help but feel like we’re living a double life due mostly to the ridicule we get from mainstream society.
11. The Alternate Universe. Loki as a high school soccer player, Sherlock as a Middle Earth princess, Bilbo as a movie star, oh my! Writing characters in an alternate universe (AU) is quite the ride and can either make a successful story or the failure of the century. There is no between with AUs.
12. Ending a story. Once you get to the end, there’s that strong relief of “I finally finished it!” But in addition, there’s a bit of sadness at the fact that this story you’ve put your heart in is over and your readers are heartbroken. At the end of the day, you don’t regret it.  

With the current spike in mental health disorders over the years, it’s not surprising that our self-esteem has dropped. In fact, a study suggests that 85% of the world’s population is affected by low self-esteem and when we look at how much faster our society is changing as well as the many high standards we set for ourselves in terms of body image, this should come as no surprise.

If you’re suffering from a drop in self-esteem, you’ve probably already searched for ways to improve on it. But since low self-esteem isn’t as extensively researched as other mental disorders like bipolar or anxiety, it can be hard to find specific ways in heightening it. Experts believe some characteristics of self-esteem include great social skills, setting solid goals, and easily adapting to change.

So here are six simple ways to raise your self-esteem:

1. Take dance classes. Whether its beginner’s ballet, modern, or even freestyle, dance is a great way to express yourself while keeping your body healthy and toned. Even if you’re not much of a dancer, learning something new and exciting can take away your fear of being more outgoing.
2. Cook an exoctic meal. Maybe you’re a microwave chefor el like you should be on the Food Network. Either way, trying out a new recipe for the first time can help you feel accomplished. Plus, you get to impress your ramen-eating friends with the correct way to make noodles.
3. Change your style. Always wanted to try purple lipstick? Perhaps you’ve wanted to wear more brightly colored sweaters and jeans. Go for it! Changing up your style can give you a boost of self-confidence and even make you a more approachable person.
4. Start a blog. Doing a daily blog can be a great way to set up an identity for yourself in the internet world. Websites like wordpress or tumblr allow you to choose your own themes for your blog, in which you can attract an audience of followers who may share your opinions or passions.
5. Spend more time with people. Easier said than done, I know. Especially when you have a low opinion of yourself. But spending time with close friends and family who support and encourage you can be the push your self-esteem needs.
6. Volunteer. Social justice, poverty, domestic violence, education reform, etc. you may have a passion in one or more of these issues and if so, why not take the first step in change? Doing volunteer or internship work for non-profit organizations is the perfect way to not only get to know your community as well as the world around you, but they can help give you purpose in life.

“Hello? Is anyone in there?”

If your friends say this to you often, accompanied with the snap of their fingers, you may be a daydreamer. In today’s fast paced world where we do our best to be more productive than ever, it isn’t the most appealing identity. Daydreaming is usually considered a vapid activity characterized as your head floating to the clouds like balloons do.

But what if a wandering mind is a great mind?

Psychiatrists are starting to believe this to be the case, with studies that prove daydreaming may be a benefit to the brain rather than a setback. So if you’ve zoned out while reading this, chances are you’re a day dreamer. But if you’re still doubtful, here are 10 signs to help you out:

1. Your mind wanders during conversations. You can’t help but have conversations in your head while conversing with your friends…if you can focus on them, that is.
   

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2. You pace while you think. There’s something strangely comforting about walking back and forth in the comfort of your own room. That’s because…
   

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3. You have thoughts that stimulate you the way caffeine does. They usually come with vivid images along with a nice soundtrack, courtesy of your ITunes.
   

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4. You love to people-watch. From listening to the saxophone player street perform to watching how a couple interacts on their first date at the movies, most of your daydreams are inspired by those around you.
   

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5. Long walks in parks is your favorite past time. There’s nothing like a nice walk along a blooming garden to enhance your daydreams as well as your creativity. Which means…
   

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6. You’re creative. With awesome dreams like yours, it’s almost impossible not to express them through stories, songs, or paintings.
   

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7. You have insomnia. You try to sleep, but that awesome dream of you being a global punk rock star just won’t leave you alone.
   

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8. You always think outside the box. With perspectives almost no one has ever considered, you’re likely the most innovative person in your group of friends or even in your workplace.
   

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9. You have the perfect romantic partner. They’re everything you’ve ever dreamed of…literally. But don’t be ashamed, it helps to know what you like in a person.
   

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10. It’s the perfect escape on a bad day. If you’ve gotten the stink eye by the Starbucks barista or had to pick up a Fedex package in the middle of nowhere, chances are you’re going to take a well-deserved vacation in la-la land.