My First Love

My first love

Stories are what fuel me.

It should come as no surprise then, that one of my most favored pastimes is reading. From a young age, I was taught to appreciate the written word, and to always have a book nearby. These lessons have stuck with me to this day. At any given time, I will have an audiobook on my phone, a library book in my purse, and a notebook handy, just in case.

 

The following books have left a significant impression on me for one reason or another:

Classics

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Illiad and The Odyssey by Homer

Fantasy

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson

The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

Warbreaker, Elantris, The Mistborn series, and The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The Belgariad series by David Eddings

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Historical Fiction

Pillars of the Earth and A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett

The Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers

The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye

The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick

Fiction

The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer

The Tea Rose trilogy and Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

Non-Fiction

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristoff

Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

The Dentist of Auschwitz by Benjamin Jacobs

Surviving the Angel of Death by Eva Kor

Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane

Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis Majors

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

 

Since pursuing my writing, I have begun reading even MORE fervently. While creating does occupy more of my time, I know that I learn best from others, and I’m intentional about reserving time EACH DAY to read.

 

As Stephen King put it, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

 

A couple of my more recent reads and recommendations are:

Abundance by Shanna Swenson (Romance)

Hunted in the Valley by CR Pugh (YA Fantasy)

The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus (Non-Fiction)

*Currently reading* A Secret Place of Thunder by Patricia Adams (Christian Fiction)

What about you? What books have impacted YOUR life? Do we share any of the same favorites? I’m always open to book recommendations (of any genre).

 ***

If you’re an aspiring author, my greatest advice would be to GET READING… and then, GET WRITING.

And if you’re looking to mix it up, try Nav’Aria: The Marked Heir (now available in eBook and paperback formats on Amazon)!

 

My two cents on the writing process!

fantasy writer

Write it Down

There may be a story bouncing around in your head right now, that needs to get out on paper! WRITE IT DOWN. TYPE IT OUT. Plot, if you must. Whatever and however you can get that story written out is the key. It’s all part of the writing process— and to be clear, I mean YOUR writing process.

Now, yes, you may be thinking that is not what your professor, teacher, parent, favorite author told you, and that is fine. That is not what I was told either. And while sure, there is a method to writing compelling prose, and engaging readers with fascinating characters and settings which fit your specified genre and age group, you shouldn’t fixate solely on that- at least not initially, or else you run the risk of missing out on the creative journey.

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader” – Robert Frost

I spent countless hours researching the “how to’s” of plotting, worldbuilding, character development, editing, publishing, marketing- all of it. I think research is good, and ESPECIALLY important if you plan on trying to publish this beast, but don’t get overwhelmed over the next steps before even taking the first step!

The first critical step is to WRITE IT DOWN. You can’t do any of the above until you get the project started. Too often, we read about someone else’s process or work, and then compare it to our own. I don’t have an office like he does. I don’t have time to write like she does. I don’t have an English degree. I can’t afford to go to writing conferences. I can’t turn a phrase like _________. Sanderson is a writing machine; “I’m not worthy” (ok maybe that last one is just me… Brandon Sanderson is my hero).

The truth is: We all write in our own way.

If you can write what you want—even if that breaks from the norm—your passion will shine, and with it, your authenticity as a writer.

“So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.” — Neil Gaiman

That is what makes new works so refreshing. I’ve read interviews where J.K. Rowling shared how she wrote the ending of Book 7 first–on napkins!–and then unraveled the story back to the beginning. I watched an interview with Nicholas Sparks who explained that he writes every day. I read that George R.R. Martin is more of a free-flowing writer, while Brandon Sanderson is an advocate for outlining. (He’d have to be, to make his whole Cosmere universe make sense!)

Brandon Sanderson Fan

Though it is important to remember, that what worked for them, may or may not work for you.

Despite their differences, these writers do share one commonality however—they wrote their stories down. Their process, timeline and overall writing journey may vary, but they did it. They didn’t vacillate and let the fear of the unknown or the fear of rejection deter them from putting words on the page. Their ideas made it to the page and were then shaped into great stories.

“Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself.” —Mark Twain

You have to start with page one. Word one. No title? So what?! It will come. Start writing. Don’t think about if and how you can get to page twenty, or if you could ever reach 50,000 words or 100,000 words. Don’t even worry about the ending, or if it all flows together! Just start with one word. Form a sentence, create characters, and build a story. Eventually, your words will flow into chapters, and soon you will have a first draft. Way to go!

***

Not the Traditional Way—And That’s OKAY!

I have learned a lot throughout my writing process. I started Nav’Aria: The Marked Heir eight years ago (see former blog post My “Why”) and did everything wrong according to most “writing tips”.

  • » I started writing/creating without an outline one day while working as a substitute teacher.
  • » I shared it all with my dad chapter by chapter.
  • » I took huge breaks in between writing, sometimes years while teaching.
  • » I edited and revised each chunk of content before moving on to write more.
  • » I hand-wrote large portions of it in a notebook, before typing. You see my point….

 

I didn’t write this book in a traditional way, and that is ok with me. Honestly, that is better than ok with me, because now when I look back at this book, I can honestly say, “look how far we’ve come!”

Honing My Craft

Moving forward however, I can use what I have learned to better improve my craft… and process.

  • » I have a new home office dedicated to writing. (It sure beats a composition notebook in a classroom full of teenagers!)
  • » I am keeping this project (sequel) more private by writing the first draft BEFORE sharing it with anyone… my dad included! Read some great writing advice here.
  • » I have an end goal, but I still do not use a traditional outline or know exactly where I’m headed chapter to chapter. (I write the first draft and then go back through to make the connections, make an outline, then add rewrites/revisions).

 

As I said, what works for me or other writers, may or may not work for you. That’s alright. That’s the beauty of being the one doing the creating. 

 

I can’t wait to see what works you come up with! Happy Writing.