Thursday, June 30, 2016

The Struggle is Real

For the last two weeks or so, I've been struggling with probably the second worst problem a writer will encounter.

I have hardly written anything and I wish I was only talking about writer's block. I know a bunch of ways of conquering that... and by conquering, I mean stubbornly forcing my way past it.

But, I have not been struggling against lowly, evil, simple, loathed writer's block.

Oh no.

This problem is one of my own making.

The lack of self-motivation.

Oh, the horror!

I am one of the first people to say that you have to write regularly and protect your writing time from those who would steal it from you.

From That One Girl on Jet
Filthy Hobbitses
But I am also one of the first people to complain about how hard it is. Regular life is not made for writers, especially ones like me who have always struggled with motivation.

It's true. Just ask my old boss.

Or my parents.

Well, that took a depressing turn.

Anyway, I think there is a fine line that writer's have to tread (don't ask me for advice on it, because I have yet to find the line) between forcing yourself to write because it will help in the long run and turning writing into a chore (don't turn it into a chore though, it is far more fun than doing dishes or cleaning out the litter box).

There are days that I treat writing like a reward: "I cleaned the bathroom and earned myself an hour of writing time" and there are other days where I cringe and whine (internally of course, my roommates don't need to hear that) about needing to get some writing down.

I wish I had some advice other than: stick to it and good things will happen (which I'm pretty sure came out of a fortune cookie somewhere).

But I don't.

Sorry.

Sometimes that's okay, though. Sometimes it's just good to know there is somebody in the world who feels your pain.

And I feel you.

Not literally, though, that might be illegal depending on your age and is definitely all around creepy.

From some person's blog, no idea.
Did you seriously think this was not going to happen?

Monday, June 20, 2016

My Uneventful Beginning

I wasn't lucky enough to be one of those people who always knew what they wanted to be and I definitely wasn't lucky enough to always know that I wanted to be a writer. In fact, I'm a little jealous of the people who have been writing since they could hold a pen.

The first time I remember really enjoying writing was when my middle school English teacher, Mrs. Scheele, had us write what we thought happened after the selection from Dandelion Wine that was in our books. Beyond writing assessments, I had never written anything except research papers so this turned into an interesting activity.
Cute dragon trapped in the school room,sometimes how I feel.:
From Elfwood.
Just wanted you to see a cute little
dragon sitting on a book.
You're welcome.

Wish I could remember if it was any good but I guess that doesn't really matter. I enjoyed writing it.

But I kind of attribute this assignment to being the beginning of my writing, even thought it wasn't until college that I started writing for fun.

I had always had a good imagination and I was always coming up with pretend people in pretend scenarios. I guess you could say that instead of my imaginary friends going away as I grew up, they morphed into the characters in my books.

I took a creative writing class in college for my English requirement and really enjoyed it (except for the poetry since I suck at writing it). The moment I realized that I could be good at writing was at the end of the semester when the teacher had us read something we had written to the whole class. While most people read a poem or two so they weren't standing for very long, I read a section from a story I had started for the class. Most people zoned out like college students do, but there were two or three people who were enthralled. One even asked me if I was going to finish it. Made my day.

I should find that and see if it's worth finishing.

Well, that class got me going and I even started writing a novel just for the fun of it. It is a historical romance set in Medieval England. I was really into historical romances at the time and wrote it how I thought historical romances were supposed to be written.

It wasn't bad, it just wasn't groundbreaking. And it took me about six years to write because, even though I enjoyed writing, it was kind of a hobby that I picked up once a month or so when I was bored.

I think it was about halfway through my novel that I began to think I could actually do this.
Thank you Google.
All true.
Sadly.

Become a writer.

The realization didn't come on a lightening bolt or in a sudden moment of clarity. It just sort of crept into me.

Probably brought on by the question:

"What the hell am I going to do with this book when it's done?"


I had my mom read some of what I had written (she liked it, and she swears it's not just because she made me), and I started taking the whole project more seriously. I promised to write at least once a week,

I was going to finish it.

Pretty much just to see if I could.

I'm not very good at finishing projects so it surprised me more than anybody when I declared it done.

Well, by then, I had an idea for my next novel and then things spiraled out of control in the following years. I now have so many projects that my head spins just thinking about them.

#ThingsiTellMyself #GetYourWritingGrooveBack:
From Mrs. Laffin's Laughings

I definitely wouldn't say that I came to writing late in life (22 isn't exactly over the hill, and neither is 30 thank you very much) but it wasn't even considered when I thought about my future. I majored in history and English because I enjoyed history and reading. Now, I can't imagine being anything else...

Except published by one of the big houses but that's more of a dream than a plan.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Top 15 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Became a Writer

There were a lot of things I didn't know when I started writing. Which is understandable because I didn't know any writers; I had only spent most of my life reading the books they had produced. I knew I had a lot to learn. What caught me off guard was that there were even more things I didn't know I didn't know.

"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - W. Somerset Maugham #quotes #writing:
Thanks bro.

15. This is not an "overnight success" business.

But, when I first started writing with the idea of being published someday, I thought it was. In my mind, my first novel was good enough for the first agent to snatch it up and immediately get it to a publisher and I would see it in bookstores in just a few months. Boy, I was so far off.

Now, I know that it would be a miracle to go from query letter to publisher in less than a year.

14. Everybody has a correct way of doing things.

And their way will be the only "right" way. Well, they're wrong. The key to this one is to find what works for you. You might have a different process from that person and their way will cause you to block so hard, a case of prune juice wouldn't move it.

But on the other hand, don't be afraid to try new things. Just because it has always worked for you doesn't mean it's the best way for you. And remember, if something new doesn't end up working, you can always go back.

13. You don't actually need an agent to get published.

But it does help. A lot of the big publishing houses won't accept unsolicited manuscripts (manuscripts directly from authors). They'll only accept manuscripts from agents they work with. But if you don't have your heart set on places like Random House, there are plenty of publishing houses that are open to submissions directly from authors.

12. There are so many different options for writers to get their work read.

When people think of publishing, traditional publishing (agent, publishing house, paper books, etc.) is what comes to mind first, but there is so much more out there for writers. The rise of companies like Amazon have made it more financially possible for writers to self-publish their work and get it into the hands of people all around the world. There are also hundreds of special-interest magazines both in print and online that accept submissions. There are dozens of websites like Wattpad where people can share their work for free and others can read it without charge. And of course blogs are always fun for writers who want to write for hundreds of people with very little limitation.
I think yesterday's writer was better than today's writer. LOL:
Preach!

11. The more you write, the better you get.

Surprisingly enough, your writing skills can get rusty without regular use. That's why everybody always encourages to write every day. Not only does it get you in the habit and forces you to get some work done, it makes you better.

10. Do your research.

Research who you are sending your work to. Some people might say that any agent/publisher is better than no agent/publisher. And those people are wrong. You generally don't have to worry about an agent/publisher stealing your work (Tip- "Poor Man's Copyright"- send a copy of your writing to yourself but keep the envelope sealed, the postmark proves when you wrote it) because agents/publishers make money if your book does well (there are the unscrupulous ones out there so beware). But you do have to worry about them stringing you on, company restructuring, no communication, or returning your calls/emails, bullying you into things you don't want to do, etc.

Also, research your material. If you don't know when the Great Wall of China was completed or how quickly somebody will stroke out after being injected with air, ask Google. Or better yet, head to your local library. Not only is there thousands of books close at hand full of information, being around books can be inspirational.

9. Covers are important.

This probably doesn't need to be said, but I didn't realize how important your cover art is when I started. "Don't judge a book by it's cover" doesn't mean squat. The more interesting your cover is, the more likely somebody will pick it up to read the synopsis. A member of my writing group said that my book sales might be lack luster for my rom-com because there aren't any people on the cover, even though the cover is pretty and I'm proud of it (it's the first one I did completely myself), I have to admit she's probably right. If you are multi-talented and can create art for your cover, DO IT! Or if you can afford to pay somebody to create a cover, DO IT! 

8. You never stop learning.

I can write an entire post about this one alone (and probably will) so I'll try to keep it short. A writer truly never stops learning. You're always researching topics that you would have never found interesting but because your character has that occupation, or lives in that town, or is affected by these events, you suddenly become an expert so you produce the best story you can.

7. Find a support system.

Not just friends and family who cheer you on, even though they are very important (plus, they're guaranteed to buy a few of your books). Find a writer's group or just one or two writing friends. They can hold you accountable, empathize with you, and offer advice. Plus, sometimes it's just nice to talk to somebody who has had the exact same challenges that you face and have made it through.
You know you're a writer when... - Writers Write Creative Blog:
No wonder I have back problems.

6. Have the proper tools handy...

As in always and everywhere. I can't tell you the number of times that I have had a story idea or even just a scene pop into my head and I didn't have any paper or a pen handy. That's why I keep a notebook in my purse and always have a pen close by because you never know when inspiration will strike.

5. Writer's block is very real and very painful.

As much as I would love to say that there is a sure-fire way to get through it, there isn't. Different things work for different people and sometimes a method that has worked in the past doesn't anymore. You just have to keep at it and never give up.

4. There will come a day where you hate everything you write.

Been there, done that. Don't give up because this too, shall pass. Plus, you might hate it because you've been with it from the beginning. You see where the smooth flowing narrative trips over a few bad lines. You see the tiny, insignificant questions that your audience will never notice. Take a breather and get back to it. You've got this.

3. You have to learn to talk about yourself and your work with confidence.

I am the first to admit that this is not my strong suite. I've never been good at talking about my achievements. It always felt like bragging and makes me uncomfortable. But in this industry, word-of-mouth is so important. You need to be able to talk about your writing in hopes of luring another reader into your fold. Convince them they can't go another day without reading your book. 

2. Get a thick skin.

Professional rejection isn't the only kind we have to deal with. Friends/family/acquaintances might not like your work either. And that is totally okay. Don't think that just because Aunt Ethel doesn't like your coming-of-age-werewolf-in-space-murder-mystery, doesn't mean you are a terrible writer. It just means that she might prefer something with Fabio or battleships on the cover.

Plus, for every person you know who doesn't read your book because "it's not their thing," there will be somebody close to you who will read it just because you wrote it and will potentially fall in love with your teenage werewolf astronaut Nancy Drew and because of you, be introduced to a whole new genre.
So true.:
This is not wrong.

1. Edit, edit, edit.

You never truly stop editing. Ever. I wish it would end, but there is always one more rough patch to smooth, one more name to change (for the 50th time), one more twist to throw in, or one more comma to add. 

And take out. 

Then add again.