El Corazón Terco

Everything is About Finances!

I still remember when I was at my friend’s house and used to poke around by grabbing the paper to read the news, and show off myself by saying “my stocks in the market are doing pretty good”. Nothing to laugh about it, except that the only thing of value was my own bicycle that I used as a mean of transportation to go from home to everywhere else, and my own persona if a body could be counted as gold since my family was “poor” in the terms and conditions of that little kid from “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”.

Years passed by, and we do not know what the future holds for us, and one day at school I am supposed to write a blog for my Entertainment Business Finance about the things that I learned in class. Believe me I learned a lot, and now the real world.

Stock market? Google stocks or Wal-Mart stocks? Which one do I go for? It depends. Stocks in the market behave divergently depending on the sector, and even within the sector a share might be of high value, depending on the company performance such as its efficiency, liquidity, profitability, and stability. We should look at the ratios when we compare Google vs Wal-Mart: Return of Investment (ROI, which is related to the efficiency of the investment for the company) for Google 14.15; Wal-Mart 14.31; Return on Equity (ROE, how much profit a company makes with money from shareholders) for Google 15.55 and Wal-Mart 23.30.

  Negotiations? Big deal in business finance when making a contract with an artist. 120 millions deal for Madonna in which she is getting 90 % of the concert sales, and also 50% of licensing money? In the top of that, LIve Nation is releasing $17.5 million to the artist in advance, plus another $50 to 60 million dollars when she delivers the music for some CD’s.!!!?????

What!!??? Are you crazy? She is going to steal even the clothes that I am wearing on! There should be a point where the artist knows when enough is enough! Do not worry my son- it seems to me that the CEO, Mr Rapino from Live Nation is telling me- everything is about finances! “We got the Madonna 2014 tour at 2008 prices… We project that Madonna will gross over $1 billion in this 10 years. She's working to generate the $1 billion, not the $100 million schedule that we're going to pay her over time. That's just the appetizer.” Everything is about finances; the money that you spend in the present time will grow in the future because “time is money”. It is like buying a house at $100,000 at the present time, and within 15 years that same house will value $140,000.00 because of the rate of inflation, interest, and time value of money. You see? I take off my hat for Mr. Rapino. Nice move, and above all, a whole concept about finances and time value of money.

Decisions in business? How would you know if an opportunity for business is good at the present time, and will be good in the future, taking into consideration the different rates associated for that loan?

R: By analyzing the profit that will be made in the future minus the cost at the present time. Formula? NPV= PVB-PVC

How would you know if an investment of $100,000 would return, at what rate, and within what time? Payback= C/ATB

I could go on, and on presenting a lot of variables and formulas that show us how taking business decisions is about critical thinking and finances.

  As I said before, and I repeat it again: everything in business is about time, rate, money and finances, specially finances which is the key to analyze proposals to get the best deal that should be represented in profit, profit, and profit.

What did I learn from this course? Finances, is the most important key to make business profitable

    REFERENCES

  http://www.reuters.com/search?blob=google

http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=WMT.N

https://assethub.online.fullsail.edu/assethub/Disc-LiveNation_f423bde6-646a-4a15-8a27-0cca269e8a6d.pdf

https://assethub.online.fullsail.edu/assethub/Disc-livenationCEOinterview_bafe6c0b-19ef-465e-8dd6-56fa1eab2982.pdf

Para pensar un poco.

De verás Patricia? De verás piensas que un hombre que ha producido cantidad innumerable de artículos, videos, audios, no tenga una noción de las audiencias?

De verás piensas, que no hay un propósito en todo lo que mi persona desarrolla, paso a paso, punto a punto?

No piensas que debe haber algo que va más allá de la lógica del pensamiento?

Piensa afuera de la caja, Patricia! 

Cómo un ser humano que maneja muchas cosas, y hace muchas cosas, esta cegado acerca de las audiencias? En verdad, estoy cegado?

Piensa afuera de la caja!

Muchachos, amigos todos, Sol, Vero, Quacula, Fito, Momis, Brenda, Sandra, Rocio, Rosy, Sogo, Alex, Sandra, Juan? Volvamos al salón de clase, abramos nuestras mentes que eran prerequisitos para comunicar nosotros,  si queríamos entender?

Qué había detrás de las audiencias?

CAPITULO 1: LOS CAMINOS DE LA VIDA Y ELLA

Quien de vosotros no ha recorrido caminos desconocidos, alejado de sendas antiguas, y decide dejarse llevar como bola de billar, con fuerza en el primer impulso, y luego al chocar en una esquina voltear con la otra, y recorrer por rugosos caminos de calles peraltadas y anchas, para al final llegar al ultimo impulso, agotado por la inercia del primero golpe, porque las fuerzas del esférico se acabaron en la ultima danza, que le dio el taco del billar con su tiza?

Después mirar donde lleva el inexorable caminar de la vida, y escanear donde quedaron las bolas principales en el tapiz, y mirar las esféricos que arrojamos atrás en las troneras de las calles sin sentido, y observar el efecto, que un movimiento de billar provoca, con el empuje de la primera bola e identificar después, donde quedaron las bolas principales que le dan vida al juego, y lo enriquecen con su presencia.

Después el cambio de dirección en calles y callejones hacen carambola, con el segundo golpe del taco del billar, y las avenidas en un solo sentido se convierten en dobles con carriles amplios de cuatro, cinco o seis carriles, y hacen carambola en los conductores acostumbrados a un solo camino, que se estrujan y se golpean,  para finalmente congratularse el jugador, porque las piedras preciosas quedan en el tapiz, relucientes y brillantes, y son las que pesan en oro, y su valor viene en sus movimientos y su gracia y vaivén, y tienen un valor apreciadisimo, que el jugador observa, por los movimientos y piruetas personales que hicieron en el camino, y como las carambolas y esferas preciadas, mandaron los bolas inservibles a las troneras del desecho. 

Ahora las bolas que pesan son las que  quedaron, son las que saben el valor que tienen, y las canicas inservibles quedaron en las troneras perdidas del juego, porque solo venían a hacer lucir las jugadas en la conquista de la vida, por un significado profundo, que trasciende a lo personal. Las bolas que pesan, expresan en el tapiz, cual es el juego del jugador, y no su valor propio, sino la encomienda que trae en el juego, y su triunfo expresa la maravilla de un quehacer que trasciende al jugador, y trasciende a los caminos de las calles, por cuanto los caminos que toca recorrer, son campos de entrenamiento en las jugadas que se dan al caminar, como son los movimientos de las bolas de billar, y su movimiento en el tablero para anotar. 

San Antonio, Texas. 🇺🇸

Writing Tips

Scene Checklist

Does your scene include everything it should?

「 note: this is for the editing stage; remember, first draft is for the writer & editing is for the reader; get it down before worrying about these things unless it is just for practice 」

✧

ACTIONS

↦ are the actions necessary?

↦ are the verbs as descriptive as possible?

↦ do the actions match the character? why did the character take those actions?

↦ are the actions clear?

DIALOGUE

↦ what is the purpose for each statement?

↦ does each statement move the story forward?

↦ are the dialogue tags as descriptive as possible?

↦ does the dialogue match the character? why did the character say those things?

EMOTIONS

↦ are each character’s emotions clearly stated or implied?

↦ are the character’s emotions justifiable?

↦ how does the character’s emotions affect their actions?

LANGUAGE

↦ are you showing or telling?

↦ does the scene have clarity & coherence?

↦ does the scene have the desired tone, mood, & voice?

PURPOSE

↦ is this scene necessary? (if removed, would the story still make sense?)

↦ are there stakes at risk in this scene? is there tension?

↦ has something changed from the beginning to the end of the scene?

↦ possible purposes: advance the plot? reveal character goal? increase tension? develop character? reveal conflict? react to conflict? explain backstory? foreshadow? build world? reinforce theme, tone, or mood?

SETTING

↦ will your reader clearly know the setting throughout the scene?

↦ room? house? city? state? country? planet? galaxy?

↦ time of day? season of year? weather?

↦ chronologically within story?

STRUCTURE

↦ is there a distinct beginning, middle, and end?

↦ is the chronological order of events clear?

↦ does the scene smoothly transition from one to another?

✧

DWIGHT SWAIN’S SCENE VS SEQUEL

↦ Swain believed scenes should repeat these sequences in order to keep the interest of the reader piqued

↦ Swain says “a scene is a unit of conflict lived through by character and reader” & “a sequel is a unit of transition that links two scenes”

↦ scene: goal, conflict, disaster

⟿ goal: character’s decision to do something for a purpose

⟿ conflict: something opposing the character’s ability to achieve goal

⟿ disaster: a disruption or turning point to keep the readers hooked

↦ sequel: reaction, dilemma, decision

⟿ reaction: character’s emotional/analytical reaction to the disaster

⟿ dilemma: what should the character do now

⟿ decision: what does the character do now

↦ does your scene have one of these three-part patterns?

DWIGHT SWAIN’S MRU

↦ MRU: motivation-reaction units

↦ these are for alternating sentences or paragraphs

↦ motivation: objective thing your character externally senses (what happens?)

↦ reaction: subjective response your character internally has (how does your character react? feeling, reflex, action, dialogue?)

↦ this is very difficult to follow, especially without practice, but it is a way to guarantee your reader’s interest & attention

Next Scene?

Please?

I don't like that one!

Can you pass to the next one?

If you don't mind! Cause it sees to me you are directing the scenes right now.

By the way, the next scene would be under the cave.

Also, look at the mirrors on the sides, when you drive.

Secondly, under the same circumstances than writing a story leads you to way too many paths according to the flow of writing, and the purpose of the story, and later on editing it, according to what makes sense within the story....

It is the same way, with the thinking process in sicology. Sicology might be able to build all those scenarios according to a process. Really, the only thing you need is an image, and present that image in the context of the meaning, and you can lead from there. 

What are your images? Would be the next question, on the other end of the rope, not only because also the patient and the professional get attached into a situation, but also because that will express the thinking process of the professional in that regards. There is a process, an action and a reaction in terms of a process.

What is the thinking process in a tight? On the other side of the rope? Would be awesome to talk about it.

You Guys are Too Hard on Yourselves

Sometimes after I post a piece of advice or a suggestion for improving your craft, I see a lot of you guys in the reblogs talking about how you wish you could be a good writer and take said advice, or that you feel like a failure for not already doing it.

Now listen here, look me in the eyes, you are doing enough.

The last thing I want is to discourage anyone from writing, so I need you to internalize this. You are doing enough as a writer. Yes even if you haven’t written in a while, even if you’ve never been published, or have been rejected a million times, or have never finished a draft. You guys are enough for even trying, and I need you to start recognizing yourselves and being proud of the work you do and/or the ideas you have.

At the very least, start practicing not getting down on yourselves when you hear advice or read someone else’s work. You will only ever get better, don’t start doubting yourself now.

Let’s do a little exercise. Reblog this with three things you think you are totally nailing as a writer, I’ll go first:

                I have a keen sense of pacing.

                I create interesting dynamics between complex characters.

                My ideas are weird and fun and reflect me as a person.

Now go forth with positivity!

How To Write Friendships Pt. 2

🦢        ―        &. FRIENDSHIPS . ( steps to develop friendships )

4) Give Them A History That Shines Through.

By no means do you want them to seem like they just met each other yesterday, if your two friends have known each other for a while now. What you need to do is throw out hints that these friends have known each other for a while ― you need to make the readers curious about these two friends and their history with each other.

And even if your characters meet within the timeline of the story, sneaking in hints that these characters are learning more about each other is a great way to develop your friendship.

Here are a few ways to show that:

1) Give Them An Inside Joke.

2) Give Them A Silly, On-going Argument.

Friends aren’t always going to agree on everything and their points of conflict don’t always have to be some dramatic issue ― they can be arguing over which one is better: Star Trek or Star Wars, they can argue over whether pineapple belong on pizza or not or maybe they argue over who is the taller one.

Giving them a silly, ongoing argument will make the characters feel real and simultaneously reveal different shades of their personality. Not only that, but it also offers a window into how they handle arguments between themselves. Who is the one that gets really worked up? Who is the one who makes all the great points?

3) Utilize Nonverbal Communication.

When you can start communicating with someone without words, that's when you really know someone. For example:

Let your characters be comfortable sitting in silence with each other

Use gestures and facial expressions to convey meaning to each other

Give them an unspoken rule

One friend asks a question, the other answers with silence

They can predict what each other are going to do

5) Create A Glue.

What is keeping your friends from parting ways? Without something to keep them together, your characters might grow apart. What is the glue that keeps this friendship intact? This can be a character, a goal, or the two of them are just thrown into a situation where they can't get away from each other.

One friend is the gardener of the other

The two of them must deliver a secret message to a Jedi

They both go the same extracurricular club 

They are toys who both have been captured by an evil kid who likes to torture toys

One friend can't  achieve his story goal without helping the other friend win a cart race

6) Create Meaningful Scenes.

Now that you have all the key components to an amazing friendship, it’s time to develop it through your story. Insert a few key friendship moments in your novel and show your reader the power of this relationship. 

Here are some ideas:

One friend gives the other a gift

They play a game together

They share a jacket 

They eat food together

They teach each other something

One friend gives the other a foot massage

7) Don't Make Their Relationship Perfect.

People aren’t perfect, and your friends can’t get along together all the time. But that doesn't mean you should stuff in a bunch of contrived conflict between your friendships. Instead, set up situations that will naturally occur because of who these characters are, and what they believe.

Maybe their differences get the better of them, maybe they react differently to a pivotal event in your novel, maybe one of the friend's internal demons gets the better of them, and the other friend has to call them out on it. This only results in more tension between them. This is an especially brilliant method to enhance a character arc.

Or simply make their friendship a more complex. Perhaps your two characters look out for one another, but they are always being compared to one another, and they need to overcome their deep feelings of jealousy for each other or they work well together, but one friend is keeping a lot of secrets from the other.

These complications and character differences not only add to your story, but watching these characters overcome these obstacles and still come out as friends makes your friendship feel more real, deep, and deserved.

Writing Affirmations, submitted by Camp NaNoWriMo participants. (Text reads: “I will not let fear, frustration, and perfectionism stifle me. I will show up at the page and try.” By NaNoWriMo user Crizma)

the elusive 7 act Structure

There's plenty of reason to be thankful...