Monday Musings 3.18.19

I think sometimes it seems easier in this world if one’s dreams are slanted toward a visual platform. Singers, dancers, artists. All these can be easily portrayed in video and picture form, and it’s a platform built on who those people are.

Writing is similar, yet entirely different.

When you’re a writer, it isn’t your job to promote yourself, but to promote your books. That’s where it gets frustrating. Because how are we supposed to get people to understand how unique and amazing our characters are? How are we supposed to get undying fangirls (and boys) to pick up everything we write and love it all? Is it all up to a stroke of luck?

Most writers, in their own heads, are extroverts. We think “If I just had a decent platform, I could…”

The thing is, most writers aren’t given a decent platform. Some, even after they work to try to build their platform, don’t get anywhere. Writing is a work of love that doesn’t always end in benefits. And that’s tough on everyone.

If we wrote just for ourselves, we wouldn’t have these frustrations. However, writing as a whole is meant to be shared.  We’re terrified of putting our “babies” out there for the world to see because the world is harsher on our plots and characters than any song or artist or choreography that’s out there. No one can live up to that level of perfection.

Writers want love. We want our characters to find a home in the hearts of many, many people. We want them to love our characters as much as we do. And when we’ve done all we can do and know to do, it’s hard when that isn’t enough at the end of the day.

But don’t be too discouraged. I’m still there too. I have hopes and dreams that one day people will care about my characters, my books, and will invite me to events. I have hopes that more than seven people will buy my books one day. (And that someone I don’t know will actually pick up a book of mine and love it.)

If we really love what we’re doing, we shouldn’t give it up, no matter what. If we can’t live happily without it, why would we consider walking away?

I hope I’ve been an encouragement to someone today. Keep fighting and keep writing.

Monday Musings: January 21, 2019

At this moment, you can tell what the kiddos I’m watching had for every meal just by looking at my shirt.

Seriously. I have oatmeal on the back of my shoulder, yogurt on my sleeve, and ketchup somewhere in the vicinity of my midriff. No joke. I’m walking proof. (I’d add pictures but I have none.)

However, these traces of food got me thinking. (Go figure)

Shouldn’t the way I write be something like this? Instead of completely hiding something, or saying too much too soon, shouldn’t I leave traces in my story to let the reader start to theorize?

“Oh, what’s that stuck to her sleeve? Is it juice? Ice cream? Maybe yogurt? Did the kids have yogurt for breakfast?”

I think it’s an essential part of drawing in a reader, leaving a little to the imagination. I think each part of a backstory or tale we’re discovering should leave us feeling like we see the world in a whole new light. It should complicate things as well as clarify something in a way that makes us go “That means ____ had a whole different meaning behind it!”

Maybe it’s just me, but wouldn’t you read a book that has this going for it?

Today, let’s try to complicate and clarify. Let’s leave traces so our readers stay hooked and let’s discover what our characters are hiding. After all, you never know what they hda for breakfast until you look closely.

Monday Musings: January 14, 2019

There are a few things that annoy me in my writing. One of them is the way I write first drafts. Should every sentence begin with a “he”, “she”, or a character’s name. It seems terribly uncreative to me.

The problem arises when I start revisions. Let’s be real here, I hate revising as much as the next person. It is a necessary evil. However, as I go through my (usually splendid) writing, I find this common thread. Stupid names and pronouns.

I’m trying to find coping mechanisms, but it’s difficult when a small child clearly conveys his opinions and stories better than I do.

I know we’ve all been through it, but in reality it still hurts. I’m trying to be better, but feel as though I’ve regressed.

How about you? Do you have any weird writing habits you wish you could kick? I’d love to hear your stories about them.

As time is short today, I’ll leave you with one last thought. What fun would writing be if we didn’t grow during the process?

Hmm… I know I’ll be pondering that one all night long.

Why You Should Hide Fluff Inside Action

Something I have learned recently: hide fluff inside action.

Let me clarify. It isn’t exactly “hiding”, but rather inserting in the middle. Still confused? I’ll explain.

I have recently fallen down the K-Drama wormhole (don’t judge, we all have one quirky obsession), and it has actually been very good for my writing. Being a writer, I watch with an eye toward what the writers were thinking when they pieced the story together. One of the first things I noticed is how hard I began to ship characters. (For those of you who don’t speak the language of “ship”, let me know and I’ll write you a post.)

I digress. When I started to realize how squeal-worthy these shows were, I (naturally) began to dissect WHY. I discovered something particularly interesting.

Generally, when you learn to write, you start to break down what needs to happen into scenes and the like. You ask, “what is the purpose of this scene?” and break it down into Action, Love, Filler, Plot, etc.

But what if you didn’t have to? What if one scene could serve multiple purposes?

You see, that’s what I began to discover. I shipped these characters so hard because their lives weren’t dissected into different categories. Everything intermingled. Everything in their lives touched.

And the best part? The most squeal-worthy fluff scenes weren’t fluff scenes at all.

My favorite scenes began to take on a pattern. Anyone who knows me also knows that I LOVE ACTION AND ADVENTURE AND DANGER. Hands down one of my favorite things to read, watch, or write. It’s so exciting! So, naturally, my favorite scenes had danger and action. But then I realized, right in the middle, the writers would throw in a sprinkling of fluff.

A kiss before the hero runs into certain death.

A heroine reaching for her hero’s hand when she gets scared or injured.

A simple confession of “I like you” as they realize they may never get to say it again.

And then, right on with the action and adventure. As if nothing ever happened. (*Cue me, screaming at the screen* YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE US LIKE THAT! THAT’S CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT!)

Thus, they have created the need for more. As writers, I think that’s a cue we should learn from. Sometimes, less is more. People want to push characters into a relationship. We’re hard-wired to think two people in the story should end up together. If you give them an inch, your readers will take it a mile.

I personally believe — after much trial and error — that fluff as its own scene can be grating. However, if you give a taste of fluff inside a much richer, fast-paced scene, people will come back for more. They’ll crave that relationship and all it entails.

Raise the stakes, my friends. Let your purposes intermingle and bleed into each other. Life is messy, so why can’t our character’s lives be a little more realistic in that way?

Worries and Conclusions

Confession time: in the past, I have worried about a lot. I worry that I don’t have anything worthwhile to say. I worry that no one will want to listen to me or follow me or buy any of my books. I worry that people find me uninteresting.

The thing is, I don’t feel worthy or qualified for the giant dreams I have. I want to reach people and care for fans and do events and all that fun stuff, but how do those dreams come true without people or fans who care about what I’m doing? It’s a dilemma. A catch-22.

I know this is a lot more personal than I usually get on this blog, but I think it’s time for me to change. It’s time for me to show you the side of me that isn’t self-confident, who doesn’t know what’s she doing or how she’ll make it.

I strive to be transparent because I know people respond well to transparency, but if I’m being totally honest, right now there are no people to respond at all. And it’s difficult, throwing things out into the void and hoping someone finds them and cares enough to dig deeper.

I don’t want to be the person who lives two completely different lives. I want people to know that what they see is what they get. I won’t hide myself to please others or to keep myself from getting hurt by them.

Which is why I’ve taken some giant steps toward that in the last couple months. If you didn’t know (and you might not), I am launching a new book in a new trilogy on June 1st, 2018. I’m terrified, but it’s happening. If you want to support by pre-ordering, you can do that here.

I have also started a YouTube channel. It’s a work in progress and I’m learning as I go, so if you have something you want to see or hear from me, please let me know. If you want to help me out by subscribing and/or liking my videos, you can find the channel here. I hope you don’t find me annoying or uninteresting.

As always, you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, as well as Instagram! (That one’s new and I’m not great at it yet but I’m trying). You can also sign up for my e-newsletter to receive updates. That can be found on my website home page. Please help support this writer’s dreams!

Believe me, every time I post anything, I’m fighting my own fear. I want to overcome it all and be strong and supportive for you guys. For everyone who wants to read for a living or write for a living OR if you just really love books and writers. I want to meet you and hear your stories and keep bringing you all kinds of spectacular product and content.

With all that said, I’m going to try to keep this blog up way better than I have been. I’m intent on bringing you along with me on the journey to authorness. Stay tuned and join the tribe!

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What questions do you have about me? I’d love to answer!

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Did you like what you read today? Do you have questions, comments, or cat-killing curiosity about something? If so, please either comment on this post or visit the Contact page and drop me a note!

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Declaration Statements

I have recently rediscovered how much I love it when a character in a movie/book/tv show discovers who they really are. It’s either a breathtakingly tragic moment or a moment of joyous celebration.

With discovering who they are, almost all of them nail down what their purpose is, and we all know that we love to know what their purpose is. To prove my point, please enjoy just a few of the declaration statements I thought of as I thought through this.

“I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

“I am Loki. Of Asgard. And I am burdened with glorious purpose.”

“I am Moana of Motonui. You will board my boat and sail across the ocean to return the heart of Te Fiti.”

“I am a Jedi.”

“I am that hero.”

“I am Groot.”

“I am Iron Man.”

“I am the President of the United States of America, clothed in immense power. You will procure those votes.”

Those are just some of them.

You’ll notice in the case of Loki, I added in a villain. (Don’t argue with me, for the sake of the Avengers movie, he was a villain.) This is because it’s not just the heroes who can have this epiphany moment.

In the case of Groot, it’s less an identity statement as it is that’s all he can say, but hey I couldn’t resist.

Declaration statements often come out in the heat of battle, or when they need to know who they are most. In the case of Inigo, he talks about saying that to the man who killed his father, but he never says it with as much conviction as when he finally meets him face to face.

The same goes for Moana (who eventually comes to the revelation — in song, no less — that “I am Moana!”). She needs to know that who she is, is enough to help save her people.

Declaration statements are fun and even more fun to use. I’m going to go try some in my newest WIPs. What about you?

Journey On

Y’all.

The writing journey is a long, arduous process fraught with snares and many, many hours of tears. Blood, sweat, and tears. The writer sits at a keyboard for hours and pours out her heart and soul into a series of stories. She gives her everything to make them come alive.

And she doesn’t even know if anyone will want to read them.

Some days it can seem like no one out there cares at all. Like no one will ever like your writing. Or read one of your books and say “I want to write like that one day.” Or internet stalk every blog post or interview you’ve ever done. It can be hard to believe that’s even a possibility.

Some days you write until your fingers hurt and that troublesome bug bite on your wrist itches like crazy, just so you can look over what you put down on paper and know that those two characters may be fighting now, but they’re going to be crazy happy together later.

Some days it’s drudgery to type each letter, to put them in a line and form a word, and to put words in a line to form sentences, and to put sentences in a line to form paragraphs. You don’t feel it, but you know you have to keep pressing on.

All for the sake of a story.

You see, writers do one very important thing day in and day out. We write.

Rainer Maria Rilke said it so beautifully in “Letters to a Young Poet”

“If, when you wake up in the morning, you can think of nothing but writing . . . then you are a writer.”

Dreams can become reality, but the journey is a huge part of that. If you don’t press through, how are you going to know just how close to your life goals you were? You don’t know when that wall will give out and someone will show your work to just the right person. You only see a little bit in front of yourself.

Never. Give. Up.

Three words that will always follow me when I sit down to write and when I have to search for paper to write down that stellar new idea. Someone once asked what the most important thing is for a writer, and in one word I decisively answered. Perseverance.

Do you have it?

When Disaster Strikes

We all know the feeling, right? That little moment of panic when something doesn’t work right or… you know… at all.

Guys, I have to tell you because I promised to be open and honest. I totally panicked last night. Why, you ask? Let me tell you a little story.

It was a normal Monday evening. I had prepared myself to head downstairs to fetch dinner, and everything was going swimmingly. I had written 1,500 words (my goal for the day) and clicked save on the 53,000 words (or so) of my current WIP.

Then, it happened. I set the computer down and it slid from the edge of the bed. With a cry of “No!” That would have made Luke Skywalker proud, I snatched for it. But, alas, it was too late.

This would not have distressed me so, except for one little detail. When the computer landed on the floor (mind you, it did not fall more than six inches, the bed is just a mattress on the floor), it landed on the side I keep my flashdrive in. Yes, folks, that’s right. The drive I use to hold ALL MY WORK bent.

It isn’t funny, and it isn’t fixable. When I plugged it back in, it would not pull up. At. All. That’s when I panicked. Years of work, all my finished projects, everything I need for my upcoming Kindle projects (more on that later), all reside on that drive.

There is exactly a 50/50 shot that the computer tech will be able to pull the data off of it.

In normal writerly fashion, after I freaked out for a good hour to two hours, I sat back and thought about how I felt at the moment of panic. “Not good” was the first thought that zipped through my brain, but then I took the time to psychoanalyze myself. (Yeah, I do that. Blame the writer thing.)

I realized that, if I ever get the data back (and I’m praying fervently I will), I will possibly be able to accurately write a moment of disaster even better than my previous attempts.

Why?

I’m so glad you asked.

Writing is all about the emotion, and any writer will tell you that in order to write emotion well, you have to experience it. Loss, panic, fear. Take your minuscule situation and amp it up a hundred-fold.

That, folks, is how you make a reader feel the story. How you make your readers cry. Honestly, who doesn’t dream of writing something that will evoke emotion from their fans? I know I do.

Emotion comes from experience and, sadly, experience happened to me yesterday. I need that data back, guys. When the story is complete and I have my answer, I will be in touch with the (hopefully) good news. Thanks for listening to my rant, all!

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UPDATE!!! We were able to retrieve the data from my flash drive. WIPs not lost. Praise Jesus!

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Biggest disaster and panic moment you’ve ever had. I want to hear about it!

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Did you like what you read today? Do you have questions, comments, or cat-killing curiosity about something? If so, please either comment on this post or visit the Contact page and drop me a note!

It was good to have you as a visitor today! Please drop by again, or become family by following the Write Knowledge. Thank You.

I’m Back!

That title could be taken as either creepy or awesome, and I choose to believe it’s awesome!

After a super long hiatus (guys, so much stuff can happen in six months! Or so…) I am back to blogging on here with a slight twist. Yes, I’ll still be sharing writing tips and asking for advice (I have a captive audience, who wouldn’t ask for advice?), but I’ll also be discussing my writing journey. I hope it will be inspirational for aspiring writers and lend a sense of hope. It’s hard for everyone, and I hope to show you guys that you’re not alone.

I stopped writing on this blog a while back because I felt like I didn’t have anything more to say. I thought I was getting repetitive and everything that I could say had been said. And then I realized I haven’t been sharing my journey. I haven’t been writing down the nitty-gritty, day-to-day junk that happens.

So, from here on out, you guys are my accountability partners. I’m going to be brutally honest about my week in writing, and you’re going to either be supportive or tell me to suck it up. There really is no third option.

Some days, we might all sit down together to have a good cry and eat an entire cake. Other days we may celebrate and throw confetti. Such is the life of an aspiring author. Sometimes it’s painful, and sometimes it’s downright FUN!

To start off, let me be honest about why I stopped writing to you guys. I was discouraged. It took me a long time to get over this discouragement. Thing is, I almost had a literary agent on the hook, and then I got a rejection letter. Again. Those things will throw you for a loop. Lesson learned: my worth is not found in how many rejection letters I get. I know I’m going to make it one day. Will you be here with me when I do?

Thank you so much for being supportive, and thank you for reading this. I hope to make this blog enjoyable, but also educational. I hope to be personable and open. We’ll see how it goes, but I’m ready to share my COMPLETE journey with you. I hope you stick with me.

What Writers Can Learn From Dancers

Yes, I’ll admit it. I’ve been on a research spree. This time, it was on dancers — specifically ballerinas. (Don’t ask, you’ll find out later when I come up with some amazing story idea.)

While on this research spree (Okay, so maybe I’m still researching while I write this…), I found myself staring intently at some similarities between these two creative careers: writing and dancing.

Similariy #1 – Flexibility

You know what I’m talking about. Those leaps where they do the splits in midair. The back-bends. The extensions. Dancers have flexibility that other people just don’t have. But, you know what?

They had to work VERY hard to build that flexibility. It didn’t happen overnight, nor were they born with it. Oh, sure, they may have had a talent for it, but that talent had to be exercised with hours in the studio.

Writing is the same way. You have to be flexible. Your WIP will always throw things at you that you weren’t expecting. You have to learn to roll with the punches. Just like a dancer didn’t develop crazy flexibility overnight, neither will you. You have to keep building your flexibility muscle. Keep stepping out beyond your comfort zone. In time, this will become a strength for you.

Similarity #2 – Passion

Have you ever heard a dancer say “I’m doing this for the money”? How about “It sounded like fun”? NO! Why is that? Because dancing is difficult and sometimes painful. The true dancers, the ones that make it far and dance for large audiences, have passion.

Just like in dance, passion keeps a writer going. A true writer HAS TO WRITE. There is no other option for them. They couldn’t stop if they tried. This is passion. Passion drives you. Passion keeps you going. Passion makes you care about what you’re writing and about what others will think about your writing. Which brings us to number 3…

Similarity #3 – Perseverance (AKA Stick-to-it-iveness. Or Persistence.)

You think a dancer got to their position in a ballet or other production with ease? Think again. They worked hard every day of the week. They perfected every step in their audition. They overcame their fear of rejection and danced in front of judges. And some of them still didn’t make that cut.

Sure, as writers we may not have studios or practices or auditions… Or do we?

A writer’s studio is anywhere there’s a paper, pens, or a computer. Any time we sit down to write.

Our practices are everything they learn and write and do habitually every single day. It’s building those muscles in hopes that one day you’ll get your dream.

Our auditions? Yeah, you guessed it. Those dreaded query letters and proposals you send to every literary agent or publisher who will take them. I would even wager that you got rejected. Multiple times.

Never fear! That just means you haven’t hit your prime yet. Their production didn’t need you this time, but that’s not to say they won’t cast you next time. Keep at it! Keep going! Don’t let discouragement and frustration keep you from another audition.

And another.

And another.

Your passion will push you through all of this. If you’re really a writer — if you REALLY HAVE to write — you’ll keep going despite the pain.

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Any other similarities you see? Let me know in the comments!

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Did you like what you read today? Do you have questions, comments, or cat-killing curiosity about something? If so, please either comment on this post or visit the Contact page and drop me a note!

It was good to have you as a visitor today! Please drop by again, or become family by following the Write Knowledge. Thank You.