Read! Read Anything and Everything!

Last week I mentioned how I was at the lowest point in my writing. I felt hopeless and as if nothing could bring the spark again. To be honest, I almost gave up last week. There was a thought that ran through my mind and I'm ashamed of that thought now. But since we're all writers, I can share and I know you'll understand. I thought of deleting my novel from my files. Why? I didn't think it was good enough. I didn't think I had the greatness to hone the craft. I won't go on to explain everything again, you can read my past post and perhaps gain some encouragement from it. But I will tell you what I did to rekindle the fire within my chest. I read a book. Sounds simple, right? Well, read along and you'll sooner discover.

Last week Bethany House Publishers sent me one of their newest releases, asking if I can review this book for them. Of course I agreed and once the book came in I began reading. It didn't take long and my writing juices were back up, probably higher than before actually. I read and my eyes spotted great sentences, descriptions, dialogue, context, character development, and much more. I then turned back to my novel and skimmed through a few of the chapters I composed months ago. I read them and I was impressed. You must have a healthy balance of pride for your work because if you don't believe it's good, who will? You need to believe you can do something and even while you're doing it, don't ever give up. There is greatness in you and you can master the skill of writing a book. You can write a short story of 1,000 words, it's possible. You need to put your mind to it. Read books. Read anything to inspire you. Sometimes I'll search for encouraging quotes on writing and read those. Because sometimes all it takes is that little push to get us back on the road and once we're there, there's no turning back. If you have the passion in your heart to write, then don't fight against it, fight for it.

Reading helps bring out the best in your writing. It can establish new ideas for you or plainly encourage you that you too can write something. Yesterday morning was one of my days where I was discouraged, more like depressed. I have a birthday coming up and this whole thing is bringing me down. It has nothing to do with my writing actually. I told a friend of mine that I feel incompatible, wondering what have I accomplished in my life. When he shot back words, "Not many have written book in your age" I realized how true that is. We each have done something differently but have accomplished something great. And if writing is your strength, get out there and write. So I beg you to not give up. You will fall down as a writer and you'll hit the ground real hard but when you do, you must get right back up. Read something inspirational to get you started again and once you're back on track, don't get off. It's harder to stay on than to stray off.

Read, read, read. Writing comes from reading and reading comes from writing. They go hand in hand. Master the basics of literature and whatever you do with your life, don't ignore your calling. If it takes you to go the extra mile to achieve it, then do it. Don't stop now. Read historical, mystery, romance, adventure, contemporary, Christian, how-to, articles, testimonials, and whatever else you can get your hands on. You've come too far to let go and forget you were a writer. Because if you really are a writer, you'll be strong enough to fight the deadliest words about your craft. You'll be brave enough to step out on your own. And you'll be persistent enough to finish.

Where Are All the Writers?

I have discussed the important elements of writing. What you need to do when the book is done and where to go. Find your market and make sure that publishing house will accept the manuscript to propose. As I mentioned last week, make sure you send your work to the right publishers. You don't want to send a book focused on a romantic theme to a publisher who avoids all sorts of romantic work. Find a publisher who shares your interest of writing and is willing to work with you alongside with your genre. So today I want to talk about writer friends and how important they are.

When I first started writing I was alone. I literally felt like those people in the movies who isolate themselves and create their own life away from society. I was in my room for hours writing. The first novel I tackled kept me occupied because I couldn't get my characters out of my mind. I had to keep the story going because I was curious to know what would happen. I know, it sounds so weird. I am in control of my characters and I set things in their way but oftentimes I don't know what will happen until I write. I start with a plan and then it goes out of the window. Besides that point, I was alone in the writing world. I would go to the library and check out at least ten books at a time and read them. I read on the craft of writing, gaining your writer's voice, writing fiction, the rules of novel writing, and so much more. Many times I would sit in the library reading and taking notes on this craft. I wanted to get the most information possible. But I was still alone. There were nights where I was up until past midnight writing. I would wake up in the morning and still write. Sometimes my mind didn't even shut down. Believe me, I've had plenty of dreams about my characters, it's actually disturbing, especially when something terribly happens to my protagonist. 

Eventually the word got out that I was a writer. People began talking about it and spreading the word that "Vanessa is a writer." Now, I always chuckle when people say that. Some will say it with such enthusiasm whereas others will say it with this query sound in their voice, almost as if I'm not doing anything. I'm sorry, I might be bias on this but being a writer IS NOT easy. You struggle against criticism all the time, a foggy brain, nonexistent characters who want to live but only live in your world, and of course the snide remarks from the outsiders. But somehow we still keep writing. We ignore the critics and know that in the end if we just write for ourselves, it'll still be rewarding. But yes, writer friends. Where are they? Believe me, they are out there and there are plenty of them. And once you find a writer friend, you'll have so much to talk about. I found my writer friends at a conference I went to. I remember one night I was up until past midnight discussing the amazing aspects of writing. There's this special connection with writers. There are many things that are related and the similarities are incredible. You can bounce questions off of each other, ideas, inspirations, complaints of course, and insights. I remember having a two hour conversation with another writer. We talked about our characters as if they were real people. We discussed the setting and even though this writer composes fantasy, talking about her fictionalized world seemed so real. 

I encourage you to find writer friends. Those who understand the many toils you experience with honing the craft of writing. There are many English lovers out there, the ones who find enjoyment and relaxation in writing. You are not alone in what you do. Believe me. You ought to go on a little scavenger hunt and search for them. Look for them just as you looked for your passion in writing. But the importance of having a writer friend is for your benefit. You can go to this person and cry when you're rejected and they will understand. You can ask them questions and hear their opinion. You can be weird with them and talk about your characters and how you can't sleep at night because they are running in your mind. And once you find your writer friend, I encourage you to not let him or her go. Just recently a writer friend asked me to look over her novel. We all need each other. Sharing your writing isn't easy at first, but once you establish that friendship and trust, it'll become easier and easier. We all go through the same things. The insecurity and shyness of presenting our writing. So search. And once who find that strong friend, keep him or her around. You will grow from each other and eventually, it might lead into three, four, five, even ten friends. 

Keep pushing your creative juices this week and go beyond the limit you did last week. 

A Writer on Writing

The past few weeks I've been talking about different aspects and avenues of writing. I've discussed the many roads you can take and various things you can write and how it all starts with one action: write. I talked about writing a book proposal and staying consistent with yourself. But today I'm going to talk about myself. What am I working on what right now? I think it's always encouraging to hear from other writers and know what they're working on, it helps perk the brain a bit. To be honest, today is one of those days where I'm struggling. I can't think of anything, my mind is foggy and feels a bit overwhelmed. I know the cause of this though. I have a terrible test for school today so this is definitely taking up my entire mind because I am worrying about it. Anyway...

My writing. What am I currently working on? A novel. Yes, I have tackled writing another novel and currently I love it. I'm not sure if I love it more than my past novel but it's definitely a favorite. I know I have said this many times already but it doesn't hurt to say it again. I love my characters in this story. My goodness. I have fallen in love with my protagonist because in many ways she's just like me, except for being overtly emotional.  There's one scene I wrote a while back and I can barely read that scene without feeling the hair on my arms stand up. By that motion, I know I composed an amazing scene because I was moved. I once heard that in order to move your readers you yourself have to be moved. I one hundred percent agree with that. You cannot expect to move your readers if you weren't by the least touched with what you wrote. There was one scene I wrote where I grew angry with a character. I was upset, torn, and disappointed with this move he made. By the time I was over my little fit I realized I wrote that scene and am the only one to blame.


So, yes I'm working on a 95,000 word novel right now. My goal is to complete this book by the fall and then get it into the whole publishing ordeal again--honestly I hate that process. But yes, I write every day, no matter what the day brings forth. The weekends tend to be a bit up in the air at times so I normally give myself some room on those days. But throughout the week I write up to 6,000 words in five days. I don't stop until I've reached the 1,000 word mark on any given day. Once I've reached that point, I'll stop. I'm also reading a novel this month. I make myself read a novel a month. This month I'm reading one from Karen Kingsbury. Last month it was Francine Rivers. I have a friend who endeavors sharing his novels with me and I have to admit, they are very good. I read novels to get ideas and open my mind with reading that I write. You cannot expect to be a novelist and hate reading novels. With that said, I'm always working on some sort of writing. If I'm not working for a publication I'm working on my own kind of work because I have anticipation to work with a publisher when I'm done. Set reasonable goals for you day. I plan my month with big goals I need to accomplish and then break it down into weeks and then days. Set your goal. Write as many words as you can in a day or go for time. 

• BUT ALWAYS WRITE.

Another thing I do that you might find helpful or not is not look back at what I just wrote. I will write and write and write and won't read what I wrote until the entire product is done. Now if I'm working on a short story I do a total different approach. But with my longer pieces of work I take my time and write until the certain word count (usually 95,000) is complete. I then take two or three days of a break before I get into my editing mode. Once I go, I don't stop. This is my way. You might have a total different approach, something that works for you. If so, leave me a comment, I'm curious to know. 

With all that said, keep writing and enjoy what your characters are showing you and telling you!

Whatever you do, don't stop!

When I was working on my novel proposal, I nearly lost my mind. My friends didn't know who I was anymore and my family barely saw me. I was as you can say, a *mad case*. I was frantic about it and wanted to make sure it would turn out perfect and to make the editor stunned when reading it and a proposal one would never forget. In other words, I wanted this proposal to be remembered for decades and looked upon as professional, precise, and welcoming. This doesn't mean I decorated the manuscript with various font sizes and boarders. I tried to keep things tight and neatly done. My main focus and concern was to grasp the attention of the editor in the first sentence. Okay, when I first read that I raked my hand through my hair (something I do quite regularly) and sighed long and deep. How was that possible? But even more important, how could I condense my entire novel into one sentence, a sentence so dominant and captivating? That project alone proved to be more challenging than any other aspect of the proposal.

I'm the kind of writer who will write and write and then stop. I tend to not go back and read what I just wrote--that's me. I met an author at a conference and she mentioned how she reads what she wrote yesterday and then will continue to write for today and read today tomorrow. I might have lost you in that last sentence, that's okay. Don't try to understand it. Figure out what kind of writer you are and then write to that style. But back to the book proposal. I was told over and over that composing it isn't that difficult. I don't know what made mine so difficult but it was. It might have been because I pressured myself to write it in three days and then get it edited from a friend who is a writer as well. I don't know and I won't worry thinking about it. Just make sure that proposal is neat, tight, to the point, and intriguing. Editors are busy people. They have a life outside of the office and their job. Many of them have families, probably most actually. You need to respect their time as well. They'll respect you if you respect them. I know, it almost sounds unfair but this is business. You both work together, but they have the better end of the job. So, when you're composing that book proposal or perhaps a book, article, anything you write, make sure it's interesting. The editor needs to be drawn into it from the start. If that's not the case, they will seriously drop your work and move onto something else. It almost seems as if they're not giving you a chance, but they are. They took time to read it but if it didn't catch them immediately, they have no intentions of it getting better. They have busy lives too.

• Keep it short
• To the point
• Neat
• Interesting!!

Now that we got that figured out, it's time to move onto the wait. I briefly discussed this last week but I would like to dig a bit deeper. Write. Yes, that's the only answer. Keep writing. Write whatever. I don't care, just don't stop. The moment you stop I promise you things will leave your mind, you'll get out of the habit, and you'll soon realize you have let a lot of characters down. Sometimes it's hard to forgive yourself for doing that too. So the key is to keep writing. I finished my novel on a Friday. The following Monday I started another one. I gave myself two days to rest, rethink, and give my fingers a break. Writing kills time and if the book you sent to an editor doesn't turn out as expected, there's always that hope the second one will. But that's another thing--goodness, there's so much. We all know rejections will come, it's a process of life. If that rejection comes from the editor, it's normal to feel despondent and to think the whole world is falling apart. But I encourage you to work on the novel more, tweak it, squeeze it, wash it, dry it, and resell it. Everything needs work, even your writing. I know, our writing often feels like our babies, but believe me, it should be treated like a child too--needing corrections. Revise, edit, revise, edit, and then through it back out there in the publishing world. 


But whatever you do, don't stop writing. Don't stop believing! You can break into a great publishing house.                                         

Third Person Perspective

To be honest, this is my favorite kind of writing. It's easy and comes naturally--or at least for me. The thing about third person perspective is that you as the writer are the narrator. You get to know ALL of your characters. You're stuck in your character's minds and you decide what to do, not the main character deciding or others deciding for you. If you want to kill someone today, then do it. I tend to just write in this perspective, just because I'm most used to it and find it the most enjoyable. This perspective allows you as the writer to have more freedom in how the story is told. You may decide to change a particular character's thinking a bit, but don't go out and change it drastically. Remember to stay consistent. I believe writing in first person and third person both have their advantages and one, more than the other, will have its place in a story. It depends on what your motive is. What are you trying to say? And will it sound better in the third person perspective?

• Third Person Limited--narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of a single character
• Third Person Omniscient--narrator knows all the thoughts and feelings of all characters 
• He, she, it, they 

If you want to know all of your characters then choose to write in third person omniscient. If this isn't a concern for you, then write in third person limited. Perhaps it's easier and more natural for you to just know one of your characters in and out. It might be confusing to know all of your characters, perhaps it's too overwhelming--understandable. Don't overwhelm yourself with your writing right away. Writing does get overwhelming the moment you're on a deadline, but if you're writing just for fun, don't stress out about it, have fun. 

Third Person Limited: Janie Smith, she doesn't know a thing about her brother, Johnny. If she only had a single idea what was going through his mind, things might make it easier for them to relate. She wants to know, but he won't open up to her. Ever since papa died, the family died with him. Johnny is cold-heart and broken, the opposite from Janie. She is open, willing to work through the disaster and open a new door. Her papa always told her to work things out, if only Johnny understood. 

Third Person Omniscient: The house was too quiet without Mary and Joe. They were the ones who always brought it to live, even on the rainiest days. A single tear slid down her cheek. Susan peeled her coat off, resting her lazy and tired body on the sofa. If only Mary and Joe were still around. Fall always had a way of tearing people apart, that's what Mary always said anyway. 

Find YOUR aspect of writing. I have covered each perspective so now that you have this down, it's time for you to choose your alley and get writing. If you have been writing for weeks already, congrats. But if you're still waiting for that perfect moment, wake up, the perfect moment never comes. You need to write in order to find it! I'll start a new "mini" series next week. 

Keep writing! 

Block Writer's Block!

Pounding your fists on your desk! Pulling your Hair!
Welcome to Writer's Block!

"I can't think! I can't do this! My mind is everywhere else but here! I hate writing! Think...think...think...I need new ideas! The words were coming out so quickly, but now it feels like my brain is jumbled, a thick haze has settled over me." 

As a writer you know exactly where I'm heading...writer's block. You have faced this at some point and if you haven't yet, don't worry, it'll hit you quite unexpectedly There are many different kinds of writer's block that we can face, but first things first. What exactly is writer's block? I'm sure you have heard it and you may have even nodded your head in agreement, but what is it? Writer's block is simply that dreadful, annoying, irritating, sensation when we cannot think of absolutely anything. In simpler terms: we have hit a block in our road and it feels like as high as you jump over that block or try to move it, it's just there. Heavy and stubborn in our road. It feels like the inspiration we had moments ago is gone, lost.

There are many factors that lead to this wicked tie that stops our thinking process:

• Lack of interest in what you're writing
• Under stress
• Depression
• Lost of focus
• Having little information about the topic
• Too tired to think

These are just a few to name. Writer's block is a writer's greatest enemy. This terrible dilemma happens to suck all of our ideas away, eating our ideas and the inspiration that was there moments ago. Believe me, the moment my inspiration vanishes I begin to think what an idiot I am and how I'll never reach this deadline or write a page more in my manuscript. Those small yet convincing thoughts can either get real comfortable or can get uncomfortable. Writer's block is normal for all writers. It happens so easily, especially when we are on a roll. I always tell myself (and others) that when I'm on a roll and the ideas show no sign of stopping, I won't stop. It's not that I won't stop, I can't. There are too many thoughts and ideas running through my mind and if I were to push them away I fear my characters would hate me for it. 

Writer's Block....when my characters won't talk to me

So writer's block. Just like our ideas know when to bother us most, writer's block knows exactly when to irritate us and set us off. Recently I was composing a story. Blake was proposing to Emilee...or at least that's how it was in my mind. On paper it turned out differently. Why? I was blocked with the dreadful and painful, unwelcoming block that happened to fall in my path. I couldn't think. So instead, Blake turns to Emilee and expresses his feelings--not performing a direct proposal. What to do, I thought. I closed the document and walked away from my computer. I had to release some irritation, drink tea, take many deep breaths, and refocus. Once I did this, I came back and found a mind that was ready to tackle the rest of the story from the right end. 

We need breaks. Everyone needs breaks. Whether we are working a job from 8-5 or writing from 8-5. We need breaks. Writing is a full-time job and it requires the same amount of breaks that any other job gets. Having writer's block can make us crunch with frustration, irritation. It feels like we have hit a dead end and there's no way out. Don't despair, there is a WAY. Feeling this way is normal, but walking away from it and not nipping it the right way will weaken our ability. 

How will you know you have writer's block? Very easy.

• When you have been staring at a blank monitor or paper for a long amount of time. 

That's all. Don't walk away from your work forever, just for an hour or so. Come back to it. Tackle it, and if you are still struggling, reconsider what you are writing about. Understand that writer's block will come. It will always come, but don't wait for it. When it comes, try to fight it off. If that seems impossible, set your work down and come back later with a clearer and opener mind. It's not worth it to write senselessly for just a certain word count when eventually you lose track. Stay on the road, take breaks, and refuel your mind with great literature for a greater understanding. Reading selections from your favorite author is a helpful tool to consider. 

Write always. Write when it hurts. Write when it's inconvenient. Write to bring the writing juices back. And do not let the obstacle of writer's block stop you from the life you have chosen to take--the journey of writing!