In the modern day and age, a lot of TV shows are cancelled if they don't make enough money, however, there are three cancelled TV shows that I believe should be brought back. TV and movies are such a big aspect of entertainment and there are so many different varieties of series and films available to us. After all, we all have our own preferences when it comes to choosing something to watch. But the disappointing thing is that so many series get cancelled either after the pilot episode or after the first season. Now, this may be a controversial conversation, but this blog post is purely my opinion. Among the many cancelled series, there are three shows I would like to see back on TV and I'll tell you why. The first show I'd love to see come back is Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. This show is new this year and it's a prequel to the iconic movie, Grease. Whilst it's not everyone's cup of tea, I actually really liked the show. I previously wrote a blog post ranking the songs from it, which shows how much I love it, haha. But unfortunately, it's been cancelled after season one, which for me, is sad because I was hoping for more Grease original songs, a Jane and Ritchie reunion and answers after the cliffhanger the finale left us on. The cast has created a hashtag - #Savethepinkladies - in the hopes that the show will be renewed. I share their hope because Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies may be a bit cheesy, but it is entertaining, and enjoyable to watch and actually shows us the importance of friendship and sticking to who you are. The second TV show I would like to see back on our screens is Julie and the Phantoms. Now, I know a lot of people, especially on TikTok, feel the same way. Julie and the Phantoms was a Netflix show about a young girl, who rediscovers her love of music when she meets the three ghosts of a boyband. Again, the show only had one season aired before it was cancelled. Just like Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, it had original songs written for it, which probably to no one's surprise, I really liked. Julie and the Phantoms also ended on a cliffhanger, leaving fans waiting for the next season but it never came. Having Julie and the Phantoms back on TV would be great because it would give us more songs to listen to and tie up the storylines and give the audience more important life lessons, like season one did. Whilst the previous two shows mentioned were cancelled after season one, this third TV show was actually cancelled after season five. It was also a reboot of a show from the 90s. And it is MacGyver. One of the main reasons why I'd like to see MacGyver back on TV is because, throughout the whole five seasons, the producers teased us with a relationship between Mac and Riley - two of the protagonists. In season five, it looked like they would finally get together as the two of them realised they liked each other. But, before we actually got to see them get together, season five ended and season six never happened. I also, personally, want it to return because it's an action show that has comedic elements as well as useful in lessons in chemistry and physics and technology that would help you if you're ever in a sticky situation. There was once a petition to get the show back on TV but it sadly didn't do the trick. Now I understand why TV shows get cancelled and there's nothing really we can do about it, but I just wanted to express my opinion. You may agree or you may not - that is completely fine. These are just my thoughts. But a question to you all: have you seen any of the above shows? If so, what did you think of them? Until next time...

Have you ever set yourself a reading challenge for the year? Well, this year, I'm trying to complete two reading challenges, which means a lot of books. Every year, I set myself a goal on Goodreads of how many books I want to read. Last year, I set myself a goal of 100 books and I managed to read 128. For 2023, I'm trying to reach my goal of 115. So far, six months into the year, I've read 71 books and am 15 ahead of schedule. But my Goodreads Challenge isn't the only challenge I'm doing this year. A friend of my sister's on LinkedIn started a Reading Challenge of 30 prompts. The aim is to read as many books as you can that tick off the different prompts. Now this is both difficult and easy. Some of the books I've read have fitted into multiple prompts, allowing me to check off a couple at a time. However, some of the prompts are also quite tricky to tick off because it's not easy finding books that fit them. Out of the books I've read this year, not many were rated five stars. But there were a few that I thought were amazing and some of them are different genres as well. So as we're halfway through the year, I thought I'd give you a reading round-up of 2023 so far. My Reading Update of 2023 The most common genre that I've read this year is romance. Personally, romance is one of my favourite genres and I've probably read more in that genre because of the book signing I'm going to next week - RARE London. The sub-genres of romance, however, have built up. Since joining Bookstagram, I've discovered lots of new sub-genres of romance books as well as new authors. Small-town romance and sports romance seem to be popular on my reading list this year. But I have also read some mafia romance books and billionaire romance novels too. However, romance isn't the only genre I've read. As part of the Reading Challenge of 30 Prompts, I've actually read a couple of books that were written by Swedish authors. One of them was A Man Called Ove and the second was Geiger. These books both ticked off quite a few prompts of the reading challenge, so it was a three-prompts-one-book scenario. Whilst A Man Called Ove was more literary fiction, in my opinion, Geiger was most definitely crime/thriller fiction. Another crime book I've read this year is Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanaugh. I actually read a book in this same series last year and was completely hooked by it, so it stands to reason that Fifty-Fifty did the same. Honestly, the writing is amazing yet terrifying at the same time. I mentioned romance being one of my favourites, and it is, but I also love reading fantasy/dystopian novels that are set in a world different to ours. This year, I haven't actually read many fantasy novels but the one I have read, Six of Crows, was very good. And again it ticked off a lot of the prompts on the LinkedIn Challenge. The prompts I've ticked off so far Now I haven't ticked off loads of prompts. In fact, I've still got quite a long way to go but I have made some good progress. Not all of the 71 books I've read so far this year match a prompt but a lot of them do. So, in total, I've ticked off 14 prompts, which are: Prompts about the book title: A colour - Ruby Red A number - Fifty Fifty and Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo The protagonist's name - Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Hail Mary and A Man Called Ove A profession - Professor Astor An animal - Six of Crows A season - Cruel Summer and A Cornish Cream Tea Summer A body part - Love on the Brain Prompts relating to the book: A genre you don't read very often - A Man Called Over A book set in your own country - The Staycation and A Cornish Cream Tea Bus A book set in a country you don't know very well - A Caribbean Mystery and Geiger A translated book - Geiger and A Man Called Ove Prompts about the author: European Author - Gustaf Skordesman, Frederik Backman and Steve Cavanaugh North American Author - Elsie Silver and Hannah Cowan Disabled Author - Leigh Bardugo I still have many more books on my TBR list, but there are still six months of the year left, so hopefully I can complete more than 14 prompts. If you like reading, have you read any of the books I've listed above? And are you doing a reading challenge this year - if not, give the 30 prompt challenge a go. Until next time...

As humans, there are always new skills and talents to learn and develop to better ourselves and maximise our potential. As many of you readers know, I'm an aspiring author. To be a published writer of novels has always been my dream for as long as I can remember. I nearly took a detour and became a doctor, channelling my inner Meredith Grey, but realised that that wasn't the right route for me. Instead, I returned to my passion for writing and decided to pursue that. But it wasn't easy. When COVID-19 hit and the United Kingdom went into lockdown, I was two months away from sitting my A Level exams. Being told that all exams were to be cancelled and there was nothing I could do was frightening, to say the least. On top of that, I was supposed to decide which university to attend. During lockdown, my friends and other people I know had one of the most relaxing summers. Whereas I decided to ponder my future, expand my experience and develop skills. I wasn't certain about going to university so whilst we were all stuck inside, I completed online course after online course, all with a focus on writing. In the end, when it came to results day, I declined my uni offers because I had found something better and something different. However, now, after three years of studying for my part-time degree, I have a little break before July due to logistics with my university. But when it comes to having a break or time to relax, I struggle...despite having lots of things I want to do away from work. So since submitting my final coursework for my previous module, I have kept busy. And one of the things I've done is complete a Freelance Journalism Diploma with the Centre of Excellence. It was whilst completing the diploma that I had the idea for this blog post. During the final section of the course, there was a part on being a freelancer in general and how we can maximise our potential and become better freelancers. However, I feel the tips it provided can apply to anyone about anything. Maximising our potential In our modern society, a job doesn't just require one specific skill. A multitude of skills and talents can be required because you never know what you may encounter. And it doesn't matter what industry you work in. For example, a swimming teacher has to be able to swim well, but they also have to have good verbal communication, patience, and be able to teach others how to swim, sometimes without even getting in the water. And a businessman has to have knowledge about the business industry, have good verbal and written communication, have good computer skills and so on. So when my online course mentioned making yourself more marketable and versatile, it really stuck with me. There are always more methods of improving our skills, honing our talents and learning new things. For example, because the course was focused on journalism, it suggested a good thing for a journalist to do is to learn and practice a new skill including: Editing Photography Video-making and Video-editing Social Media Doing online courses in any topic whether it be sign language, computer skills or health and wellness, will help maximise your potential because it gives you another skill to pull on and use. It is very difficult nowadays to get the job you want and to even get experience. So trying to learn new things and develop those you already have can never be a bad thing. So what's a skill you'd like to learn but never got around to doing so? Until next time...

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies debuted on Paramount+ back in April and with 30 original songs in the series, it was only right that I ranked my favourites. Musicals is a genre of film and music that I love. Going to the theatre or watching musicals from home never fails to make me smile. When it was announced that there would be a TV series based on Grease, I knew I had to watch it. And I loved it! My mum and I both loved the original film so we watched the TV series together. Whilst we do admit some parts were a bit cheesy and sometimes cringy, overall it was a great show! For me, it summed up what musicals should be. In the series, there are 30 original songs written by Justin Tranter, specifically for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, as well as a rendition of the infamous Grease is the Word. As someone who has a whole playlist dedicated to musical theatre songs, it was only right that after finishing all 10 episodes, I rank the songs and decide on a favourite. So here is WriteWatchWork's ranking of the songs from the series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. My Ranking of Songs from Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: It is quite a difficult feat to decide on one favourite song from the TV series. There's a mixture of songs from ballads to dance numbers and I like quite a lot of them. I wouldn't be surprised if my Spotify Wrapped at the end of this year had the cast of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies as one of my top artists. Because there are so many songs from the show, I've split my rankings into groups. So let's begin. My favourite songs: One to Five: My top five songs from the show are ones I could listen to on repeat and never get bored. I say that because I have indeed listened to them on repeat and haven't gotten bored yet. 1. Think Pink 2. Take the Wheel 3. The Boom 4. Face to Face 5. Good Girl Act These songs are all quite fast-paced apart from Face to Face. But whilst I like the beat and the rhythm of the music, the lyrics are the things that grabbed my attention. My favourite songs: Six to Ten: 6. New Cool 7. Pointing Fingers 8. Brutal Honesty 9. Different This Year (Reprise) 10. Girls Can't Drive The five songs above are ones I really enjoy listening to but they don't quite make it to my favourites. My favourite songs: Eleven to Fifteen: 11. Crushing Me 12. Grease is the Word 13. I Want More 14. Same Sky 15. Girl Gang Now it's just getting more difficult to rank the songs. These five songs are ones I like but at the same time, I sometimes skip them when they're played because I'm that person who'll shuffle a playlist and then skip songs until I get the ones I want, haha! My favourite songs: Sixteen to Twenty: 16. Hand Jive 17. High Rollin 18. Different This Year 19. Finding My Light 20. Please Please Please My favourite songs: Twenty-One to Twenty-Five: 21. Sorry to Distract 22. Hit Me Again 23. Election Song 24. Land Don't Look So Bad 25. World Without Boys My favourite songs: Twenty-Six to Thirty-One: 26. Pulling Strings 27. Carelessly 28. I'm in Love 29. In the Club 30. Merely Prayers 31. All In I struggle with making decision in life, in fact if you speak to anyone who knows me, they'll probably tell you I'm quite indecisive. Ranking the Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies songs wasn't easy because they are all good in their own way, but at the end of the day, I do have my favourites. ? Have you seen the show? If so, do you agree with my ranking of the songs or do you have a different favourite? Until next time...

Writing is a key skill in life but for writers and aspiring authors, practising writing every day is more beneficial than we probably realise. If you've read my blogs before, you will know I'm an aspiring author. My dream in life is to write a full manuscript for my novel, which I have actually started. But if there's one thing I've learned whilst studying Creative Writing and trying to accomplish this dream, it's that writing every day has its benefits...and probably more than we think. The other day, I took myself out for lunch to our local café and whilst I was there, I did some reading of my current book, Six of Crows. But I also did some writing in a writers' journal my parents gifted me. The writers' journal was created by an author whose books I love, Kandi Steiner. It features four different parts and each part includes different writing prompts. The first section focuses on non-fiction, the second focuses on fiction/prose, the third section is all about finishing off the prompt and then the final section is all about poetry. Whilst at the café, I used the third section and finished off the prompt: 'I woke to the sound of screaming.' For this prompt, I was actually able to write a scene from my novel using the two protagonists I've created. Now it's been a while since I've written some of my manuscript, which hasn't been all too helpful as I have found certain things to do with my story and the world it's set in aren't all that clear in my mind. So it felt really good to revisit that world and those characters and get inside their heads again. Since that day, I've made notes on my phone or saved pins on Pinterest that relate to my novel and its aesthetic. Making notes on my phone about it and writing a scene, even if it's just my characters getting up in the morning, has been really beneficial. Writing each day as an aspiring author has meant that my ideas are kept fresh in my mind. All my characters and their personalities stay with me so when I go to write a lengthier piece of my novel, for example, a couple of chapters, it's effortless when I'm trying to convey my characters' true selves. For me as well, the world my novel is set in is fictitious - it's a product of my imagination and nothing like the real world. Frequently writing from my characters' perspective about the world they live in allows me to remember important details but also discover new things along the way and therefore develop my ideas and better my writing. If you're an aspiring author, try writing every day and see if you notice any benefits for you. Until next time...

Another blog post in the mini-series of 'Life as an introvert' is here and it's all about the victory formula to help you communicate your true value whilst networking. If you've read the previous two blogs in this mini-series, you will know that earlier this year, I attended a virtual summit about being an introvert. During the summit, lots of guest speakers spoke about being an introverted entrepreneur and how to succeed in the business world when much of life is conditioned for extroverts. As introverts, we're generally more reserved people. This makes it harder to communicate with others and network as well. But during the summit, there was one thing that stood out to me. It was the Victory Formula. In general terms, it aims to help introverts convey their true value whilst networking, which can be rather difficult. Now because I am an introvert myself and found this helpful, I thought I'd share it with any other fellow introverts who read my blog. The Victory Formula Networking is one of the biggest challenges introverts face in the working world. We often don't like approaching other people for our benefit and intrusive thoughts can also creep into our minds. The universal idea of introverts being shy and not wanting to speak up is just a myth. Introverts often want to but don't have the tools to do so to excel in promoting themselves, not like extroverts. But the Victory Formula helps introverts use their own, personal methodology to promote themselves in a way that is comfortable to them. It means that introverts don't have to put pressure on themselves to show up in a certain manner that may not feel authentic. Instead, they can network for the right reasons and feel confident in how they do so. So let's get into what the Victory Formula really is. V - Visions and Values I - Intentions C - Courage and Confidence T - True Self O - Obstacles R - Rules Y - Yes, You've Got This! Visions and Values: The first step in the Victory Formula is Visions and Values. This means working out why you're networking, what the purpose of it is and how you want to be remembered. Think of the values in life that mean something to you and utilise them to convey yourself. Don't try to be what you think others want you to be. Intentions: This is slightly similar to Visions and Values. However, it focuses more on setting yourself some goals/missions that you want to achieve. For instance, if you're at a networking event, make it a goal to get three different people's contact information. Or perhaps hand out a certain number of business cards. Courage and Confidence: This step in the Victory Formula is one of my favourites. Networking and approaching people you don't know can be scary. It takes courage for you to be able to make the initial interaction. But once you've made it, your confidence will start to grow and the more you show up and network, the bigger your confidence will be. True Self: Life nowadays works in a way that carries expectations for everybody, whether it means we're expected to act a certain way or look a certain way etc. However, the best version of ourselves that we can be is our true selves. Show up to an event as your true self and do the things you want to do. Don't force yourself to be extroverted and speak to as many people as possible; follow your intentions and use your visions and values to be your true self. Obstacles: There are obstacles in every aspect of life and for introverts, there are definitely some in the working world. But if you can identify and understand what the obstacles are, what your typical 'wobble moments' are and how you can manage them, it'll help you in the long run. Rules: This step doesn't only apply to the working environment and networking. No, it can work in every aspect of life. As an introvert, create your own rules that'll help you overcome your fears and build that courage and confidence. For example, doing something every day that scares you, and it doesn't have to be a big task. It could just be phone calling someone instead of emailing them or sending them a text (I know I'm not a big fan of talking on the phone, haha!). Yes, You've Got This: Now this step isn't really something you can do. But it is something you can believe. Have faith in yourself and believe you can achieve your goals and what you set out to do! I hope if you're a fellow introvert, that the Victory Formula inspires you and can maybe help you in the networking industry. Let me know if you have any more tips on how to succeed down below. Until next time..

Have you ever read a book and loved it but when you've gone to reread it, you like it less? Or perhaps it's been the other way round; have you gone to read a book but couldn't get into but when you've tried it again, you've really enjoyed it? I was at my book club the other day and we were talking about all the different books we've read recently. Now there was a variety of books discussed from A Man Called Ove to several romance books At book club, I introduced them to Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster novel, which was her debut and has recently been turned into a movie on Amazon Prime. I first read Beautiful Disaster many years ago, I think when I was in my final years of high school. At the time, I absolutely loved it! It was recommended to me by my sister and I enjoyed the cliché bad boy romance. Plus the fact that the female main character had the name 'Abby' spelt that specific way made me like it even more because that's how I spell my name and I rarely ever see it that way. But anyways, enough about my name. When reading Beautiful Disaster, I liked the college aspect of it, the thrill of an enemies-to-roommates-to-friends-to-lovers trope. Also, I remember Travis Maddox being one of my favourite fictional men. However, now I'm rereading the book before I watch the movie and I have to say, my mind has changed. I don't know whether it's because I'm older and have different views on things now. Or if it's because I'm studying Creative Writing and aspiring to write my own novel that I notice things about the way Beautiful Disaster is written that I'm just not a fan of anymore. Beautiful Disaster is still a good book, don't get me wrong; one could easily read it and be swept up in the romance of Travis and Abby. But I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to. Which is a completely different story to the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. This dystopian series spans six books and I remember the first time I bought book one. It was mainly because of the cover, pictured below, but also because I love dystopian novels. But when I came to reading Shatter Me (Book 1), I felt disappointed. I actually think I didn't finish it the first time. If you know me though, I rarely ever get rid of paperback books that I've bought. So fast forward a few years and I tried reading Shatter Me again. And this time...boy was I impressed. I devoured the whole series - once I'd ordered the rest from Amazon - and it is hands down one of my favourite series of all time. I was telling my book club about these two experiences and it's weird how over time books from your childhood that you loved, can become ones you never read again; but similarly, books you disliked can soon become your favourites the older you get. Have you ever had a book or series that you liked and when you reread, you found you liked it less? Or vice-versa? If you have, let me know in the comments below. Until next time...

Movies are key in society's entertainment in the modern world and they have evolved over time as technology has improved. And I for one, love a good movie. If you've read some of my blogs before, you'll know that I love movies. Every week, my family and I try to have a movie night where we spend ages deciding on a film to watch. But lately, due to social occasions and the Formula 1 calendar, we haven't been able to add many to our 'Movies Watched' list. However, so far this year, since January, I have watched 29 movies. I've even watched a couple of them twice because I enjoyed them so much. So with us nearing the halfway point of the year, I thought I'd share my top movies of 2023 so far. Top Gun: Maverick It's no surprise that Top Gun: Maverick is at the top of the list of my best movies of the year so far. The action-packed movie is also one of the films I've watched more than once this year. I could talk about Top Gun: Maverick all day, but I don't want to bore you, so I'll point you to my review of the movie. For me, this sequel has everything one could want in a movie and I'll never get bored watching it. Hamilton One thing to know about me is I love musicals. I have a dedicated playlist on Spotify to my favourite songs from musicals and I can probably recite a few as well. Hamilton is one of my favourite musicals after listening to the soundtrack on repeat during lockdown. Since then, I've watched it numerous times and I watched it this year whilst I was isolating with Covid. Lin Manuel Miranda's musical about American history is amazing. The story, the acting, the lyrics...everything about it, to me, is so good that it's one of those musicals everyone should watch. Ticket to Paradise This film I actually only watched last weekend and I have to say, it was really good. Ticket to Paradise is a romantic comedy where two parents, who are divorced and seemingly hate each other, work together to stop their daughter's wedding. Whilst watching I found this film very funny and was laughing a lot. It's a heart-warming romance that will definitely make you feel like booking your own trip to Bali, swim with dolphins and enjoy sunsets on the beach. Plus, George Clooney and Julia Roberts played their roles exceptionally well. Shotgun Wedding Shotgun Wedding is one of the films I've watched more than once this year. I first watched it with my sister and then we forced our parents to watch it because we found it hilarious and loved it. This movie is an action comedy about a wedding in the Philippines between Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel that is taken hostage. The action aspect of this film as well as the comedy had me smiling and laughing throughout. Purple Hearts Whilst the previous two films are comedies, Purple Hearts is not. I would say this movie is a contemporary romantic drama, with a hint of musicals, and oh wow...is it emotional. If you want a good cry or to watch a touching, emotional movie, this is definitely the one. I love this film because it isn't a typical romance movie, it has layers and deeper meanings to it than two people just falling in love. Up Now I love Disney and Pixar films and Up is probably one of the best they've ever made. I actually watched this movie as research for my degree and also read the script. Having a deeper understanding of screenwriting and how a script transfers to screen has made me appreciate Up more. The way the story is conveyed with the animation is just perfect. It's heart-warming, light-hearted but also emotional. Have you seen any of these films before? If so, what did you think? Until next time...

It is Mental Health Awareness Week with a focus on anxiety this year. Since Covid-19 locked down our world, levels of anxiety have increased so I thought I'd share some top tips to improve your mental health. This past week, I've seen lots of talk about mental health and anxiety, really driving the message of Mental Health Awareness Week. I've also seen posts on social media about anxiety as well; on LinkedIn, there have been top tips for freelancers and those in the business world. My sister, who is a Spanish-to-English translator, shared some great posts on her LinkedIn about different sorts of anxiety. She included income anxiety, anxiety about marketing and also imposter syndrome, which I have felt before in my life. Whilst I have shared a blog post about Mental Health Awareness, my sister's posts inspired me to share some of my own top tips to cope when you're having a poor mental health day and are not feeling quite yourself. So here are some of WriteWatchWork's top tips to improve your mental health: Dance it out Now, this technique I've technically stolen from Grey's Anatomy. In the show, Meredith and Cristina have this process of dancing it out whenever they feel down or stressed or confused about something. So when your mental health isn't where you'd like it to be, put on some music and dance it out. It can be to any song of your choice, personally, I find rock music to be the best when I'm stressed and songs from musicals to be the best at cheering me up. Once you've danced it out, hopefully, you'll feel better with a rush of endorphins. Let it out Whilst the stigma around mental health has decreased in recent years, it is still present. As a result, there are still a lot of people who hide their emotions and put on a front for others. But it's not good to bottle up all your emotions. So to make you feel better and release some tension, let it out. Scream, shout, cry, find a punching bag, whatever will make you release your emotions, do it. Then once you've let it out, you can start fresh. Journaling I actually wrote a blog on how journaling can help your mental health last year when it was Mental Health Awareness Week. As a writer myself, I can understand how writing out our thoughts and feelings can help us and also allow us to think clearer. I know that I can be writing out what I'm feeling and even end up with a new story idea based on what I've written, so if you like words and writing, give journaling a try. Track the positivity A lot of the time, it's easier to feel negative feelings and have a pessimistic view of the world. Whilst that may be the less challenging route through life, it doesn't mean it's the best one. Everyone at some point will feel a bit down, have a 'meh' day and also feel like they're not good enough. However, one way to improve these feelings and turn to optimism is to keep track of the positivity. Make a note of compliments you receive, of positive feedback in the workplace, of achievements you've completed. If you remember the positive things in your life, it'll make it easier for you to focus on the good and feel better. Be you My final tip to improve your mental health is to be you. Don't try to change for anyone or fit into others' expectations of the person you should be. Embrace who you are, do things that you like to do to feel better whether that be going out with friends or staying in under the covers to watch a movie. Don't be afraid to be yourself. Today is the last day of Mental Health Awareness Week. I hope these tips help you improve your mental health and if you have any more of your own, feel free to let me know in the comments below. Until next time...

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (May 15th - May 21st) and the topic of conversation is anxiety. To spread the word about mental health and also to help others, I thought I'd share some feel-good movies that you can watch when you need a pick-me-up. In the modern day and age, mental health is much more widely spoken about than it used to be in the past. Celebrities are talking about it, there are books on it and people are learning to share their experiences with it. However, there is still a certain stigma surrounding it. Many still don't fully understand exactly what it means to have a mental health crisis or a mental illness. Yes, there is information out there for us all to read, but it can be quite confusing. Many people I know struggle with their mental health, even I have low moments throughout the week. But by doing things that make me feel good and make me smile, I can overcome those tough moments and improve how I feel mentally. One way in which I overcome feeling down and having poor mental health is by watching movies I love and know will make me smile. And because it's Mental Health Awareness Week, I thought I'd share some of these movies with you all in case you ever need them. Mamma Mia I am a big musical lover and love to see shows in the West End and binge-watch musicals; in fact, I'm currently watching Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies on Paramount+. But nothing will ever beat the movie version of Mamma Mia. Everything about this film, and even the sequel Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, makes you just want to embrace your inner dancing queen and sing-a-long to Abba. I could probably recite the whole film and definitely all the songs, so it's no surprise that this movie makes my list of feel-good films to improve your mental health. If you're feeling low, give it a watch and have a little dance to Abba! Harry Potter Franchise The Harry Potter franchise will always be one of my favourite movie franchises. All eight films give you something different and for many, including me, they're actually comfort films. Harry Potter is iconic and timeless - it's for any and all ages - so if you want to feel a little better, immerse yourself in the fantastical and magical world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts. Just out of curiosity, if you like the Harry Potter movies (and books, of course), which one is your favourite? The Holiday Dubbed by many as a Christmas film, The Holiday is among many people's favourites. Yes, it takes place close to Christmas and it involves snow and hot chocolate, but The Holiday is a heart-warming romance that'll make you laugh and smile along with the characters. Also, if you need to have a rant or a scream, you can join Cameron Diaz whilst she shouts along to Mr Brightside. Encanto The Disney musical Encanto rose to fame with its catchy songs and heart-warming tale. The movie is a comfort film for many, as Disney films are often, and it is one I wouldn't mind watching when I feel down and need a pick-me-up. The songs are all well-known, especially We Don't Talk About Bruno and the familial feel of the movie works its Disney magic and will be sure to make you smile. Top Gun: Maverick Now, I like a lot of different movies in all genres and Top Gun: Maverick has to be my favourite film of all time. I can rewatch it and never get bored. Whilst an action film may seem a bit strange to be on a list about movies to improve your mental health, I can assure you it's not...trust me. This film has everything a film needs: great actors, a fantastic plot, good music, comedy, romance, action (and plenty of it), a bit of sadness, and a happy ending. So if you're having a dip in your mental health and aren't quite feeling yourself, give some of these a watch and hopefully, you'll feel better. Also, if you have your own movies that are your go-to choices, let me know in the comments below. Until next time...

Living and working as a writer means that your work will, most likely, at some point be shared with the world. But the concept of having your own words, your own writing, out there can be rather daunting. Most of my life revolves around writing. As a Creative Writing student, writing is what I study in various forms from prose to screenplays and as a journalist, writing news articles and feature articles is part of my day-to-day routine. My experience of writing means that I have some of my work in the public domain. For instance, WriteWatchWork - this blog - is free for anyone worldwide to read; my journalism for FormulaNerds and Debut Media as well as my poetry anthology are also in the public domain. When it comes to my journalism, I'm not anxious or scared of it being read by other people because a lot of it is based on facts and is news. However, when sharing my prose, poetry or scriptwriting, I become nervous and I don't like others reading my work because it's my own ideas, my own creativity that's on the page. As an aspiring author (and now scriptwriter), I know that having my work read by other people is non-negotiable. Readers, directors, reviewers and alike would eventually read my manuscripts. But it's only recently that I realised the full benefits of sharing my work and receiving feedback on it. With my degree being online, I don't have the typical lectures that other students do. Instead, I have workshops and group work seminars. Most recently, I attended a group work seminar where each student sends in some of their work - either prose, screenwriting or poetry. Everyone in the group reads each other's work and provides feedback on it - both positive and things to improve/work on. I had attended a couple of these before but the most recent one was only myself and one other student, plus the tutor. This actually worked really well because we were able to have a lengthy discussion on both our pieces of work and provide a thorough analysis. From sharing my work, I was able to see how others interpreted my writing. Receiving their feedback was not only insightful but it made my writing stronger because we each had different opinions and aspects of my work that we would pick out and highlight. As a result, I was able to edit and redraft with more confidence, making my writing even better. It is daunting at first and can be rather nerve-wracking because when writing fiction, the words come from inside - that sounds cliché and probably a little bit cheesy but it's true. When we write, we write from within, we write what we know and what we want others to read. So having that on display and available to others is scary because we never know how one might react. Everyone has different preferences on what they like to read; some love light-hearted romance whilst others prefer gruesome, dark and twisted crime thrillers. Not everything will be for everyone. But taking that leap of faith and showing your writing to other people can be really beneficial in making you a stronger writer but also more aware of what others look for. I know that the first time, I was so nervous. I spoke really fast, my heart went crazy and I was hesitant to speak about others' work. But now, I love those workshops because I get to help others and they get to help me. So if you have some writing you want to share but are hesitant to, trust me...it'll be worth it. Even if you get feedback on things you can improve, it could help you. As someone who has shared their work and also is a beta reader, who critiques others, having fresh eyes and fresh opinions can be incredibly helpful. Let me know in the comments below if you've had a similar experience of sharing your writing. Until next time...

Many people think introversion can be a negative thing in today's society, but it is in fact something we can embrace and utilise to our strengths. In a recent blog post, I spoke about what being an introvert actually is and the different types of introverts. During the Quietly Influential Summit for Introverts, those who ran the seminars also spoke about the strengths of introverts. In my opinion, a lot of people think that being an introvert means that you're shy and reserved and also a weakness. And whilst introverts may portray themselves as shy, it is most definitely not a weakness. Both extroverts and introverts have their own strengths that benefit them in life. So for today, I'm going to share some of the positives of being an introvert because it can be difficult to accept being an introvert in today's society when so many people are expressing themselves on videos and photos online and a lot of things are catered to extroverts. For me, I've always thought identifying as an introvert is something good. And I want to share why with my readers, so keep reading for the strengths of introverts. Strengths of being an introvert Reflection and Introspection: Being an introvert means you spend a lot of time in your head and in solitude. This means you have a lot of time to reflect on yourself and life. Introversion allows you to analyse what's working for you and what's not, giving you the opportunity to better maximise your potential. It also means that you can grow as a person and, if you're a business owner, you can grow as a company. Great Listeners: Being an introvert means you're less likely to speak your mind because you think before you speak. It also means that you're really good at listening to others. Introverts tend to be rather observant people and being observant means you speak less and listen more. We're more perceptive people who listen to understand others. Observation Skills: As I mentioned above, being an introvert means you have great observation skills, allowing you to listen to others. Introversion also means you can analyse others, read their body language and pick up on emotions, meaning you can understand others better. This can help you form vital relationships with others and network well, all of which will help you succeed in life. Writing: As well as being good listeners, writing is also a strength of introverts. Introversion benefits people by giving them the ability to express themselves well through writing, whether it be blog posts, journaling or other such means. Being good at writing also results in us having good reflection skills (the first strength I mentioned). It allows us to reflect on both our business and personal lives together, making us a better version of ourselves. Sense of Calm: With introverts being more reserved people, we tend to have more of a level head in that we're used to regulating our emotions and keeping composure. This is a strength because it can help keep us calm in stressful or tense situations allowing us to think and organise our thoughts. Having read the above strengths of being an introvert, what do you think? Do you agree that these are all benefits? Can you think of any more? If so, let me know in the comments below. Until next time...