Active vs. passive voice: learn the differences

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The choice between active and passive voice is a critical one that significantly impacts clarity, engagement, and overall effectiveness. It’s something that I’ve struggled with personally, and I’m not afraid to admit that. I’m constantly pushing myself to recognize it when I see it so that I can be the best editor that I can be.

Knowing when to use active or passive voice can significantly enhance a piece’s clarity. While both have benefits and usage, using them strategically is vital to convey a message clearly and engage readers.

You can create a sense of action and directness by using active voice, while passive voice shifts the focus or evokes a more formal tone. The key is to be intentional and purposeful in your writing and always to consider your audience and the impact of your words. With practice and awareness, you can master the usage of both active and passive voice and enhance the effectiveness of your writing.

Here’s how I would define active and passive voice, and then I’ll discuss each form’s distinct features.

What is active voice?

The act of telling what a person or thing does is active voice when you’re writing it all out. The subject acts and typically comes before the action (verb).

The object typically receives the action and comes after the action (verb).

What is passive voice?

The process of telling what’s done to someone or something is what the passive voice does on the page. The subject acts and typically comes after the action (verb).

The object, who or what receives the action, typically comes before the action (verb).

16 examples of active vs. passive voice

  1. Harry (subject) ate (verb) six shrimp (object) at dinner.
  2. At dinner, six shrimp (object) were eaten (verb) by Harry (subject).
  3. Beautiful giraffes (subject) roam (verb) the savanna (object).
  4. The savanna (object) is roamed (verb) by beautiful giraffes.
  5. The critic (subject) wrote (verb) a scathing book review.
  6. A scathing review (object) was written (verb) by the critic (subject).
  7. The staff (subject) is required to watch (verb) a cybersecurity video (subject) annually.
  8. A safety video (object) will be watched (verb) by the staff (subject) annually.
  9. Stephanie (subject) will finish (verb) her final project (subject) by tomorrow.
  10. The project (object) will be finished (verb) by Stephanie (subject) tomorrow.
  11. The cleaning crew (subject) dusts and vacuums (verb) the office (object) every night.
  12. Every night, the office (subject) is dusted and vacuumed (verb) by the cleaning crew (subject).
  13. Not one person (subject) responded (verb) to my sales ad (object).
  14. My sales ad (object) wasn’t responded to (verb) by anyone (subject).
  15. Thousands of tourists (subject) visit (verb) Las Vegas (object) every year.
  16. Las Vegas (object) is visited (verb) by thousands of tourists (subject) every year.

8 benefits of a gratitude journal

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Thank you for subscribing to Whimsy, a weekly newsletter designed to help creatives sustainably improve their literary citizenship compiled each week by the Melted Ink Media team and friends for your consumption. Share the love and mention the newsletter to your friends and enemies.

Hi there,

I’m glad to be here, and I hope you are too. I’ve been publishing Raconteuse Radio pretty steadily these last few weeks, and it’s been a lot of fun getting back into editing and putting together the show notes and sharing it everywhere.

Did I mention I’m thrilled I have access to a professional level digital audio workstation, or DAW for short, at my local library?? All I had to do was take an Introduction to Podcasting class, and now I can use any of the podcasting studios within the district. The things you can do with a library card, for real.

Table of contents

  • Visual prompt
  • This week’s article
  • More from Writeropolis Media
  • Final thoughts

Visual prompt

Time to get writing! What does this picture evoke for you? Write about it, and if you’re so inclined, email me back and let me know if anything came out of it.

Photo by Guilliean Pacheco.

The power of pen and paper: 8 benefits of a gratitude journal

You might think it sounds too good to be true that writing in a journal can help so much. Research shows that there’s a link between gratitude and life satisfaction. With that in mind, keeping a gratitude journal every day, over time, can make a big difference.

1. Experience more fulfilling relationships

It’s so simple, but it can be hard to accept. You’re the one who makes yourself happy with your own choices. No one else can make you happy or grateful. Only you can do that. But something amazing happens when you express gratitude often.

Your relationships simply open up and become better. By identifying those relationships that are worth pouring into, you start to recognize the less important ones for what they are and let them go.

2. Physical health improves

Being grateful for the ability to move and breathe will eventually lead you to want to ensure you can always do so.

Therefore, you’ll be more motivated to go on walks, eat right, stay hydrated, and live in gratitude for every aspect of your life.

3. Mental dexterity increases

The ability to take lemons and turn them into that sweet, delightful state drink of lemonade can be gained by keeping a gratitude journal.

The main reason is that you will learn, even on a bad day, to find the good in it. That requires imagination, creativity, and the ability to think on your feet.

4. Less aggression

It’s hard to feel aggressive if you’re happy and grateful. It’s okay to be angry about injustices in the world without being aggressive.

But if you feel angry a lot because of your life, it’s because you’re not finding things to be grateful for. There’s almost always something for most people.

5. Gain empathy

As you write more and learn to forgive yourself as you seek to fill your mind with thoughts of gratitude, you will start seeing others differently.

You’ll have more ability to see things from their way without judgment. It happens when you learn to forgive yourself.

6. Better sleep

If you go to bed each night feeling thankful for what you’ve experienced, or at least most of it, you’ll likely find it easier to sleep because you feel less anxious.

7. More completed tasks

When you feel more rested, less stress and grateful are bound to follow. You’ll have more energy to get things done each day.

Being productive can make you feel even more thankful as good things start to happen.

8. Feel better

You naturally start to feel better about yourself as you build positive qualities. Expressing gratitude for what your mind and body can do helps boost your self-esteem.

If you want to feel happier, accomplish more, and enjoy life, keeping a gratitude journal can help. Remember, thoughts shape feelings, and you control your actions if you accept those feelings. Realizing you have this control is a big step, and your journal will help you see it.

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Ghostwriting unmasked: who benefits from hiring literary phantoms?

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Ghostwriting can be both interesting and profitable for the right kind of creative person. The key is to possess the skills and interests that clients are willing to pay for.

What is a ghostwriter?

A ghostwriter creates work, like fiction or non-fiction, but their name doesn’t appear on it. Instead, someone else puts their name on the work and receives the copyright, allowing them to use it as their own.

Most ghostwriting is considered work for hire. The client and ghostwriter work together, but the client receives full rights to the finished product.

Assigning copyright matters, but there are other legal points to consider. Sometimes, a ghostwriter signs a non-disclosure agreement to keep the client’s idea private. They might also require the writer to sign a non-compete agreement, promising not to write a similar book for anyone else.

Also, payment terms should also be agreed upon and set out in writing. All of these agreements should be in place prior to the ghostwriter creating any substantial work. Payment terms will vary depending on the assignment’s length. For longer assignments, such as a book, a retainer fee that represents a partial payment of the agreed-upon fee is reasonable and helps retain the ghostwriter’s services.

Who hires ghostwriters, anyway?

Many different people hire ghostwriters. Sometimes, they’re busy website owners who need articles or other content but don’t have the time or skills to write it themselves.

Many people also want to “be a writer,” in the sense of publishing a book under their own name and hoping it will bring money and prestige. They might not have the skill to write an entire book, or the patience.

Some business owners want books published for promotional use. A ghostwriter is one of the best shortcuts for this type of person.

Famous people also often aspire to write a book, but don’t have the skills or time. They will usually give the ghostwriter materials to include in the book, and might be interviewed. Final approval of the hopefully flattering book will usually rest with the client.

Some clients are hands-off. They set the job requirements, pick a ghostwriter, and let them work. Others prefer to be more involved or even manage every step closely.

An illustration of a human dressed as a ghost, working on a typewriter.

4 tips to remember when selecting assignments as a ghostwriter

Since many clients outsource their content creation to professionals, ghostwriters can be a bit choosy. Popular freelance marketplace sites exist, such as Upwork and Freelancer.com, which are good places to start.

When diving into ghostwriting, it can be tough to decide what assignments to take on, whether you’re new to the field, or someone who has done it many times before.

These four tips can help writers decide what assignments to select.

  1. Clients who submit easy to understand proposals. If the content brief is something that you know you can take on, based on the client’s demands (time frame, length, topic, etc.), then dive right in. The more you can show what you can do, the better chances you have of building up a body of work to show future clients.
  2. Clients who are easy to communicate with. That sounds easy enough, but think about it for a moment. Some clients might naturally want to micro-manage; it will be their name on the product after all. Some clients might not even know what they want until they have a completed manuscript in their hands. So, if something feels amiss while you’re getting to know the client, don’t be afraid to disengage.
  3. Clients requesting a reasonable due date. Working for someone else sets up specific expectations, but this is something to keep in mind for a reason. If you know that you can’t generate X amount of pages by a certain date, it’s best to either skip the assignment or see if the client is amenable to accept a different deadline.
  4. Clients that match their topics of expertise and interest. For example, technology writers probably shouldn’t accept an assignment for a health and wellness book.

Episode 32: Coloured Glory in Parameters

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Stream the episode now on SoundCloud or your favorite podcast player, and read along with the author.

https://soundcloud.com/writeropolis/episode032

1. Colour the world

Highly regarded but only to us
A musical catalogue that stretched decades 
The warbles of his voice remain
On cassette tapes and magnetic reels 
The familiar chords 
The only ones 
he could play 
On the family piano
Those moderate chords
The four-four beat 
Minor keys, step down
Stabbing the chambers
Of my diseased heart
As I listen to the flute kick in 
means more To me now
in my poetical persona 
Because I played the flute
In middle school band 
The breath control 
To keep the beat 
Looking for signs
In between the notes
Listening to the questions I can't ask 
Seeking honest answers 
In every measure.

2. GLORY DAYS

What are these glory days
Of which they speak
Are they 
In the room
With us
Blink once
For yes
Blink Twice
For no 
Let me know
When the glory days
Return like jesus
From the sky
That Remedios ascends
Purely out of spite
Make me your
Suicide blonde
Let me call you
My Maker, Oh Maker 
Ice cold rosary 
Slithers down my skin
Into the muted darkness
Glory Days is not available
Please leave your message
At the sound 
Of the beep.

3. Parameters

There are none
They march
Two by two
Left – right – left 
Pock-marked wall 
Tin roof rusted 
Broken arrows 
Plastic milk jugs 
Cascading water
Lush blue sky
Fountain pen survives
A blatant cry
From down below
And somewhere to the right
You think you heard a truth
You heard a drip 
Buried deep 
In a balikbayan box 
I would give the Truth to you 
If I had it
Til the soles of my feet 
Bled Purple
The manuscript 
Lined up nicely
Unearthing 
Yet another puzzle.
As I hang up
My weapon of choice

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How to stop being a perfectionist

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Thank you for subscribing to Whimsy, a weekly newsletter designed to help creatives sustainably improve their literary citizenship compiled each week by the Melted Ink Media team and friends for your consumption. Share the love and mention the newsletter to your friends and enemies.

Hi there,

How is it the end of February already? I feel like the time is flying by. I’m still looking for a job, so if you know anyone who is looking for a skilled, mid-level SEO specialist, feel free to mention me casually.

Table of contents

  • Visual prompt
  • This week’s article
  • More from Writeropolis Media
  • Final thoughts

Visual prompt

Time to get writing! What does this picture evoke for you? Write about it, and if you’re so inclined, email me back and let me know if anything came out of it.

Photo by SJ Objio for Unsplash+.

How to stop being a perfectionist, because you don’t need to be

Perfectionism is a curse that only causes you to work more than you need to. These tips and tricks will help alleviate the stress and pain caused by striving to be nothing less than perfect.

  1. Identify your “why”: First, ask yourself why you need to be perfect at everything you do. Maybe you want to impress your boss, or your family relies on you and one mess-up means a missed bill. Start to pay attention to the things you think about and focus on when you start to over-analyze and stress.
  2. Outline expectations: Make a list of what is expected from you. Highlight if they’re your expectations, expectations from others, or assumptions. In other words, you don’t need to do more than what is expected of you to get a passing grade, and the extra work you do doesn’t mean you’ll get extra credit either. 
  3. Ask if you’re being realistic: Search your mind and heart and ask yourself whether you’re legitimately realistic. Is this something you would expect from others without a bonus or some kind of perk for finishing the work?
  4. Lower expectations: Perfectionists often have high expectations and think others can achieve about anything. This isn’t the case. Anytime you approach a task like this, highlight the unreasonable expectations and work to eliminate them.

In the end, perfectionism is based on your perception of what it is. You’ll be chasing unattainable goals with everything that you do. The less you expect absolute perfection, the happier you will be.

Next time, I’ll share tips on how to complete unenjoyable tasks.

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I walked the world for you, babe, a thousand miles with you

If you feel like it, email me back and tell me your favorite character from “A Song of Ice and Fire.” I’m partial to the Targaryens, even from far back as Aegon’s Conquest. I live for the day that we might eventually see Visenya, her wielding Dark Sister, and riding Vhagar in a baby Westeros on the small screen. *fangirl squeal*

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Episode 31: Despedida Carries Daughters

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Stream the episode now on SoundCloud or your favorite podcast player, and read along with the author.

https://soundcloud.com/writeropolis/episode031

1. Despedida

The deconstruction of 
a wild family
Capricious and crusted with age 
These unfamiliar crimes 
Chime with every scrunch 
of the body 
My daddy is dying
No flowery words of comfort
Will dull that pain
Let this be a lesson to you
Be afraid, hide away and say goodbye
A bittersweet farewell – despedida 
Carve the canyons in the shape of a heart
Belabored echoes of laughter and fear 
They'll not remember you
But we will, and 
That's all we can do
We'll remember you
Your genetic stewards 
Of an unwritten future.

2. These Burdens Carry You

All I wish for you is the grace
To recognize and accept 
The earthquake faults 
Where you hide your guilt
The cross that splintered 
The tanned skin
Of His only son
I would wrap your sadness
That repeating letter of record
Into bundles 
And give them 
to a hobo of olden days
Alight on a train
I would buy you a new life
A rugged life by definition
The hardships of the past
Folded into my prayerful hands
Simply looking for a chance
To survive
Let me take your sadness
Into me so that 
you can find joy
The hardened shell 
Grows over the memory
Of your father
In your veins.

3. fathers & daughters

I had something clever here 
About how I was a lot like him
About how he couldn't sit still 
And then I had something insightful here
About our lack of emotional connection
About how we spoke to each other
Through music 
But I removed them in revision
A generational curse, that foul thing 
that clings so closely
To the memory
Of a man 
That I never really knew
But I see his smile
In the mirror 
When I bare 
my crooked teeth
At the glamorous monster
That looks back
At me.

Bonus content: Blooper reel 

No spoilers, but I ended up with a blooper reel for "These Burdens Carry You." Enjoy!

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4 warning signs of procrastination at work

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Thank you for subscribing to Whimsy, a weekly newsletter designed to help creatives sustainably improve their literary citizenship compiled each week by the Melted Ink Media team and friends for your consumption. Share the love and mention the newsletter to your friends and enemies.

Hi there,

Happy Black History Month! I’m glad that you’re here, and I spent most of January buried in job applications. Anyone looking to hire a starving generalist writer/editor? Hit me back!

On another note, it’s tax season again. If you’re getting ready to do your taxes, I highly recommend FreeTaxUSA. This isn’t a paid ad, but if you use my link, I’m in the running to win a fun sweepstakes. Thanks in advance if you do.

I was delighted with my experience there this year. Super easy to import last year’s data, even if you used a different company. To make the experience as smooth as possible, I recommend that you collect PDFs of your important tax docs, like W2 and the like, before you get started.

Even though my taxes are a done deal now, it’s hard not to feel nihilist while the world is burning down around us in so many ways. But, we can’t give up. Keep moving forward. All I can do is take care of what’s in front of me and within me, to the best of my ability.

This month, I’m going to look at procrastination, which would be my weakness if I were ever asked in a job interview, full disclosure. And, this week, I’m going to discuss how procrastination affects us at work, and what to do about it.

Table of contents

  • Visual prompt
  • This week’s article
  • More from Writeropolis Media
  • Final thoughts

Visual prompt

Time to get writing! What does this picture evoke for you? Write about it, and if you’re so inclined, email me back and let me know if anything came out of it.

Photo by Jayson Hinrichsen for Unsplash+.

Stuck in the slow lane: 4 warning signs of procrastination at work

Procrastinating at work is a red flag, and avoiding the reasons why can hold you back professionally.

This might be a common scenario for you, fellow procrastinator. You’re feeling frustrated and anxious, rushing to finish your work assignments every week. Even if you promise yourself that you’ll do better next time, you might end up in the same situation by next Friday, missing another deadline and working extra hours to try and hide your poor output.

Here are some common reasons people might be procrastinating at work or at school, along with tips to help you overcome them:

  1. Overwhelmed by a task: The work can feel overwhelming even if you know how to complete the project. When you identify this challenge, try breaking the tasks into smaller steps. Save the tasks you enjoy for last, and start by dividing the ones you dislike into even simpler parts.
  2. Fear of judgment: The fear of getting the job done in front of coworkers or disappointing a manager is all too real. If this is the case, share those concerns with your coworkers or manager. As long as you demonstrate you want to make sure you’re doing the job correctly, your manager might be more receptive than you think.
  3. Zero passion: Often, not caring about your work can cause problems such as poor quality, missed deadlines, and creating more work for your team. If you keep putting off completing the work, it might be time to think about why you’re there. Ask yourself whether you like the work, feel connected to it, or could easily walk away from it.
  4. Dislike working: There will always be things you might not enjoy doing, even if you like the work. Consider finding ways to make it more fun and give yourself breaks after finishing each task. Rewards, such as stepping away from your desk for 10 minutes or treating yourself to a sweet treat, can help.

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Gotta dance the pain away, can’t go to sleep just yet

If you struggle with perfectionism, watch for my next email. I’m going to share some insights on letting go of the need to be perfect. See you then!

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Alien Crush: A Mixtape

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  1. King Kunta – Kendrick Lamar
  2. ALIEN SUPERSTAR – Beyoncé
  3. If it Isn’t Love – New Edition
  4. crushcrushcrush – Paramore
  5. The Boy (featuring Omero Mumba) – Samantha Mumba
  6. Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
  7. 2 On (featuring ScHoolBoy Q) – Tinashe
  8. Don’t Trust Me – 3OH!3
  9. Always Up with You – Alphabeat
  10. Never, Never Gonna Give You Up – Barry White

Episode 30: War is Real Cold

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Stream the episode now on SoundCloud or your favorite podcast player, and read along with the author.

https://soundcloud.com/writeropolis/episode030

Hi there, welcome to season 3 of Raconteuse Radio! This is your host, Guilliean Pacheco, checking in from a very, very cold Las Vegas. I wanted to introduce season 3 as something special. I’m calling the season: “Murder Ballads for the Dearly Departed,” and the season is dedicated to my father, Daniel Pacheco, who passed away in April 2022, and also to my family, and the exploration of both. I appreciate your support and I hope you enjoy the next episode that I have for you and for the rest of the season. Thank you so much for your support!

1. War is my origin story

War brought you to my doorstep
And that's where the story begins
Civil War battlefields
Conflicts in Southeast Asian countries 
Wars in Middle Eastern oil fields 
Every footfall brought you here 
This understanding, a dance
Between the sheets
Of two people, in love 
Perhaps for different reasons 
Tall tales born horizontally
Nonsensical truth carved and hewn
Into a sad sack of genetic material
Love is always push and pull
Should you stay or should I go?
You're stuck with me forever
The Dance, you learn as you go
You live, you break down
You learn, you soldier on
May these wars continue
So that you can grow
Into the hero of your own story.

2. Realism is the least real thing 

My daddy's legacy 
Begins in the wilds
Of Michigan.
The Civil War saber
Sits pretty on the mantle
Gleaming, vibrating with history
The stories it could tell 
His grandfather, Merchant Marine 
Good work if you can get it 
Do they know it's the Roaring Twenties?
He fell for Emilia, unmarried
Their daughter, my grandma, unmarried 
Locked in the convent
Little did they know
Eldest born in forty-three 
My daddy's legacy is his family 
The one he built from the ground up
His legacy seeps through the words 
That sputter to life
With a swipe of my broken pen
A horse with no name
Casting shadows without shame.

3. The Coldest Summer Ever

If my daddy's dying
Does that mean I am too?
Without seeing the sun rise
Over the ocean blue?
Do I have it in me
To question the lies 
That the birds sing
Every morning
The sweet nothings 
that hop In my ear 
during lockdown
With a side of French fries
A fragmented heart
Shuts another door
Saying intention's unclear
The deluge of bloodied tears 
Speaks volumes of coincidental tears.

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8 tips to light the passion within

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Thank you for subscribing to Whimsy, a weekly newsletter designed to help creatives sustainably improve their literary citizenship compiled each week by the Melted Ink Media team and friends for your consumption. Share the love and mention the newsletter to your friends and enemies.

Hi there,

This week, we’re talking about setting goals. Setting goals isn’t a one and done task; they’re organic and should move and grow with you. The article will give you some food for thought. Let us know what you think; send us feedback via email or the star feedback at the very end of this letter.

Table of contents

  • Visual prompt
  • This week’s article
  • More from Writeropolis Media
  • Final thoughts

Visual prompt

Time to get writing! What does this picture evoke for you? Write about it, and if you’re so inclined, email me back and let me know if anything came out of it.

Photo by Daiga Ellaby for Unsplash+.

From dreams to reality: 8 tips to light the passion within

Goal setting is more than choosing something to aim for and going after it. While picking a goal matters, it’s as important to make sure you’re choosing the right goals at the right time.

To help you do that, consider these tips:

1. Realistic

You need to do some research to make sure your goal is realistic. If you’re unsure whether it’s possible, you probably need to look into it more. Once you know your goal is realistic, describe it clearly so you can plan the steps you’ll need to reach it.

2. Multifaceted

Focusing on only one part of your life is a bad idea. People live multifaceted lives and need to set goals across all areas to feel successful. Something will always feel as if it’s missing from your life if your goals aren’t inclusive. Therefore, make sure your goals include something from each aspect of your life.

3. Scheduling

Once you create a schedule to reach each goal, think about whether it matches your real life. If your schedule doesn’t fit your actual routine, it can be frustrating and hard to follow. Setting aside only 30 minutes isn’t realistic. You’ll probably need to set aside an hour to account for getting ready, as well as cooling down or getting cleaned up before going back to work.

4.Continuous learning

You might find that you need to change your goals and schedule as you go, and that’s completely fine. Many people think failure is always bad, but if you never fail, you probably aren’t learning much or challenging yourself enough. Use what you learned to adjust your schedule and make it work better for you.

5. Self vs. others

Many people set goals based on what others want, not what they want for themselves. This can lead to frustration and resentment, and it can throw off even the best plans. It’s fine to do things for others, but be honest with yourself about it.

6. Checking in

Having a schedule is key to reaching your goals. A detailed calendar of tasks is much more helpful than a simple to-do list. Check your schedule each morning and night, and notice where you’re following it and where you’re not. Spotting patterns can help improve plans and stay on track.

7. Positivity

When you write a goal, try to phrase it in a way that feels good to you. This can make your goal feel more motivating.

8. Drowning in goals

Setting too many goals at once can be as tough as setting too few. We all have personal and work lives, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you try to tackle everything at once. Try focusing on one personal goal and one other goal at a time. Once you reach them, you can add more. Remember, you don’t have to do everything right away. Taking it slow and steady is often the best approach.

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I was always able to write my way out, the song always made sense to me

What’s your favorite song right now? Reply to this email and let us know.

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