Camp Nanowrimo

National Novel Writing Month is an annual event that spans the entire month of November. If you've ever been a participant, you know that, for writers, November is a month full of lack of sleeping, overcaffeinating, and basically having no life outside of your own mind and word processor.

I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time in 2012, and I got realllllly close to completing 50,000 words, but I didn't quite make it, to my own disappointment.

That's not to say I didn't take anything away from the experience. I learned to just write, and having a goal and a deadline really helped push me to the next level in my writing. And now that NaNoWriMo is over until November 1, 2013, I'm finding that I'm getting less and less done as I get stuck, overanalyze, and constantly critique myself before I've even finished a scene. I find that I need to get back to just writing.

I tell myself this, and I set goals for myself, but it's so awesome to have that support system through NaNoWriMo along with tips, articles, and inspiration. It gets you riled up, inspired, knowing you aren't alone in your writing endeavors and the road blocks you face when writing.

So, joy to the world, I was so excited to find in my inbox an invitation to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo! Heck yes! You set your own goal, have "cabin mates," and have all the basics of NaNoWriMo at your fingertips. If anything can set a fire under my butt, it's this. All I'll need is marshmallows.

So, if you need that extra boost between now and November, swing on over to Camp NaNoWriMo and sign up!! Donate!! Get some sweet merch!! Plan your novel and rough it with the rest of us :).


Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)

From a Reader's Perspective

Not too long ago, I wrote a post as a "Perplexed Reviewer," as I was reading a book that had great qualities but also harbored noticeable weaknesses. I had really hit a wall in how I was going to review this book, because while I loved the premise, the writing style, and the whole concept of the storyline, there were elements that I felt could have used a little tweaking.

I don't believe any book deserves a wholly negative review ~ a novel is probably one of the more difficult creative jobs to accomplish, and I believe every book has something to be desired. So, I changed my system, rating each element individually. Now, all these aspects create the story as a whole, but as a character-driven reader, the most important and essential components for me include character development and the growth of the relationships between those characters. They are the reason the story is being told ~ the driving force ~ the catalysts.

I bring this up because reading teaches you more about writing than I think actually writing does. From a Reader's Perspective, you are on the outside looking in, you are the one the story is being told to, and the way you perceive it is way more important than what the author intends. Which is why, I'll say again, a novel (worth reading) is a difficult thing to accomplish.

I can't say enough how important it is to have well developed characters and believable/relatable interactions between them. As a reader, I want to get to know the characters; I want to hear their individual voices and personalities, and I want to see them grow. I don't want to be "told" who they are and what little quirks they have; I want to be "shown" through their dialogue, thought processes, and actions. The most impressionable characters are those who we learn about little by little as the story progresses - as we read about their reactions and how they handle themselves. There's nothing more irksome than a character having an inner monologue with themselves in the very beginning, bearing their soul about who they are, how they react to certain situations, and what traits they possess. I don't want to hear about it! I want to see it for myself.

In regards to relationships, being expected to believe that "love at first sight" exists is just ludicrous. I can believe in instant attraction because, hey, we've all come across those beautiful people that we'd like to get to know ASAP. But as far as true love goes... That's something that's earned by both parties and strengthened through time and trust. As readers, we need to see why one person has fallen in love with another ~ what has led this character to feel this deep-rooted emotion? And that leads us back around to character development, because honestly, the readers need to fall in love at the same time the characters to, and in order to accomplish that, writers need to create tangible and relatable characters.

It's a vicious and beautiful circle, but probably one of the most important mountains to climb when writing a story that will leave readers reeling. People don't relate to stories ~ they relate to people, and when you're writing a novel, I think that all starts with character development which, ultimately, leads to that breathtaking and dramatic relationship growth that we all love so much.

Maybe I'm just blowing smoke, because I've never finished a novel, but I am working on one and I have read a lot of them, so I like to think I have at least an idea of what a good story needs to maintain in order to reach someone on an intimate or personal level. It sounds a little extreme using those words, but reading is a very personal endeavor - writing, even more so.

So note-to-self and other writers: When you're bearing your soul, pouring your heart out while creating a black-and-white work of art on a once blank page ~ think of your characters first and foremost... Once they are alive and kicking, they are the ones who make the story happen.


Happy Reading Everyone :)

NaNoWriMo

LOL, that cartoon kinda says it all. For the life of me, I couldn't get myself to just friggin' write! I'd sit at my computer with my ideas and good intentions laid out before me, but I'd get so caught up in trying to make in perfect, that I'd lose the story and ultimately my inspiration.

This month, I've decided to participate in NaNoWriMo. It was a split-second decision, made about four hours before the thing was supposed to begin, and honestly, I was scared to death. How in the heck was I going to write 50,000 comprehendible words in thirty days? But then I remembered last year, when I'd heard about for the first time, and how, once I saw what everyone was doing and checked out the website for myself that I just had to participate in 2012. I clicked the "sign me up" button before I really chickened out, pushing myself to quit being such a weenie.

It's day five, and you know what? I think it's the best decision I've ever made when it comes to my writing. I perused a few of the "get started" articles, and most of them said just write. Don't worry about editing until December. Take your inner-editer, lock her in a sound-proof cage, and throw away the key ~ for now. I've heard this concept before, but it never seemed to work for me. Try as I might, I'd always get caught up in needing my novel to be perfect the first time around.

Turns out, that goal is simply impossible and I was setting myself up for failure every time I sat in front of my computer to write.

One thing that's a huge help is closing my eyes. If you can type without looking at the keyboard, I highly recommend it. Close your eyes, and just type. You can't see the screen; all you can see is the story in your head, and it just, surprisingly, comes pouring out of you.

And whattaya know, sometimes a little unexpected twist occurs. The character takes on a life of his own, says what's on his mind, and completely becomes out of your control. Sounds strange, I guess. He's a fictional character that I created. But as I've gotten to know him over the past four days, he's starting to feel comfortable with telling me how he'd react or what he'd say. It's crazy, and I find that I can't stop writing.

This has never happened to me before. Not getting stuck or completely frustrated with myself. Just write is a tool that truly works if you can find a way to boot your inner-editing out the door. I like the way one of the articles put it: "We're just making all this stuff up...Take your novel seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously." ~ something along those lines, but it's fantastic stuff.

With that in mind, I found that I might be able to go back over my few days of work to just get a better handle on where the story is going. I kept thinking don't take yourself too seriously, trying to maintain my focus on the just write philosophy. And it worked. If I saw something that didn't sound just how I wanted it to, but I couldn't come up with something on the spot, my exact thoughts were, "Fix it in December."


I just plowed through the words, made a few changes to smooth out the flow of the story line, and guess what? I came up with a couple pages full of ideas to work with.

Meaning, I have a crazy amount of writing to do.

What was it Nora Roberts once said? "You can fix crap, but you can't fix an empty page." I've gotten more done in regards to my novel in the past four days than I've ever done in the years that I've said I was going to do this. By just writing.



Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Feature and Follow Friday

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read in which we bloggers form new connections, make new friends, and gain more followers.

Q: What writing device or trick most irritates you when reading a book? For example, if an author employs an omnipotent narrator that is sometimes considered bad form.

There are a couple of things that peeve me... I wouldn't say they would stop me from finishing or even enjoying the book, but they'd definitely earn a few negative comments in a review...

• Insta-love ~ can't stand it. There's really no such thing in the real world making it very difficult for readers to relate to. Some slow, steady, steamy romance tops smashing two characters with a cupid's arrow and calling it love any day. 
• Artificial dialogue ~ You know, those strained conversations between characters that make you think, "C'mon, no one would actually say that." Comes across as cheesy and is a total turn off.
• Omniscient narrator ~ Not a good time for this reader. I don't feel a connection to the characters, or the story for that matter, when an author uses this tool. You can't really relate to the emotions of the characters because you're hearing about it from someone else. I usually feel outside of the story in these cases, when I'd rather be completely absorbed in that world. Not good.
• Gushing ~ I really don't know how else to put it. When a girl falls for a guy, usually the reader knows this. We don't need every other paragraph to be about how "his presence is god-like," "his chiseled jaw made her squirm," or "how his dimples instilled butterflies in her stomach." A little bit is good, because we are kept up to speed on the character's feelings, but everyone other sentence is complete overkill and I usually find myself skimming past most of the book in that case.

Wow, it felt kinda good to get that off my chest :). 

Happy Reading (and HAPPY FRIDAY!) Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Writing, writing, writing....

Haven't posted one of these in a while.. probably because I haven't had the time to write a whole heck of a lot.. Unfortunate, but I've got two whole days to myself, so here we go :)

My book, which is totally in its infancy (practically a fetus), is a completely unorganized, chaotic mess. I'm trying, hard as I might, to form an outline, but my mind is just all over the place. One idea turns into fifty and I can't keep track of my own thought process. LOL. To all those aspiring writers, or even published authors

~ How do you organize your thoughts? ~

Here's a little teaser of what I'm working on...

I go through the motions, knowing full and well that every smile, every fake laugh is just a way to fit in, to stay under the radar. Don't want any attention drawn to the fact that I honestly don't give a rat's ass. Because that's inhuman, and being inhuman is… wrong.

I laugh at something the girl sitting next to me says. Not sure exactly what the conversation is about, but with people, all you have to do is smile and nod, and they think they have your full attention. Little does she know that I've got better things to think about than how she and her husband met, got married, hopefully I'll be as lucky as her one day... blah, blah, blah. Who would of thought the world didn't revolve around her?

Well aware that I'm moping, I excuse myself from the table and make my best effort not to drag my high-heeled feet towards the nearest restroom. I need a moment to fix my smile and maybe reapply my cherry-flavored lip gloss to the approval of the masses. I finally make it through the herd of cattle, close the bathroom door, and lock it behind me. Thank. God.

How do people live like this? Don't they know there's a whole hidden world out there full of danger? Death? Blood? No. Of course not. Why would they? All they have to do is sip their bubbly champagne in denial that anything exists beyond their bloated bank accounts, their biggest worry being a crooked tie or a run in their pantyhose. Ignorant sheep.

I once thought this was my world, but it all seems so small and insignificant now. How will I keep myself from drowning in this lie? This illusion?

Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Sunday Soul Baring

So, this little semi-annual meme is something I concocted out of the need want desire to share (or at least vent about) what I'm working on with other aspiring writers, and hopefully get insight and/or see what others are working on.

This week I've done a tremendous amount of thinking about my characters and the depth at which I'd like them to be. In order to write realistic characters real people I realized I need to know them inside and out first. Their habits, beliefs, flaws, tendencies... everything.. before I can truly integrate them and make them an essential element to my story.

It's not easy putting yourself into someone else's shoes, especially someone with a personality that might differ from your own. Authors wear soooo many hats, I'm beginning to realize, and they have to have such an open mind to be able to see dozens of different points of view in regards to a single situation. It's a talent that I'm working on acquiring, and although it's not easy, it's definitely eye-opening and an invaluable learning tool.

Where is all this babbling leading to? I was trying to think of how my characters would relate to one another, how they would ultimately feel not only about other characters but about themselves in relation to others. As a result, I have a little thought bubble from one of my main characters ~ something that, in a way, kind of sums up this person's insecurities and inner-battles. Here*goes:

"I'd like to think I would have found a way to this person on my own. To the one that cuts through all the bull-shit to see what really matters. Someone I would have never recognized before to be my true self. 'Truth is, I don't think I would have even survived beyond minutes without having known him."

Ahhh, the sweet feeling of having your thoughts put into coherent sentences... Thanks for listening :)

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely `

Sunday Soul Baring

Been a really busy weekend.. Had friends and family over, so, of course, all things reading and writing have been put on hold in lieu of life. :) ... It is nice to sit down in front of my computer with Trapt blaring through my speakers for a little visit to my blog and my novel... I'm a little stuck on it ~ not sure where to go with it next ~ having too many moments of self doubt... I guess it's what they call writer's block. :)

Anyway, here's something I scrounged up from the deep recesses of thoughts plucked from my journal.

“There you go, hon. You probably should have stitches, but I don’t think looking pretty is a priority these days.” I heard him scoff as he shook his head. She handed him two aspirin.

“Now take these, grab a towel, and go clean up. You need a bath.” With that, Gwen abruptly got up and moved on to her next patient.

“Would you like some water for those?” I asked, encouraging him to turn around. When his eyes met mine, I froze.

Seeing him.. again.. was like breathing fresh air through stale lungs. How was he here? It was like my vault of old memories had opened and released its contents into this new world. I couldn’t speak past the lump in my throat and the adrenaline that was surging through my veins.

I finally blinked through my shock to see that he was just as surprised as I was. His mouth hung partially opened, and he was sitting at an awkward angle, as if he’d forgotten he was turning around to respond to my question. He cleared his throat.

“Sure, Rowan. I’d love some water.”

Join in if you'd like :)


Happy Reading and Writing Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Sunday Soul Baring

Sunday Soul Baring is a tradition in the making ~ each Sunday I push myself into my novel, rereading, editing, and, of course, writing. I really like to start out by picking a random page and reading what I've already written ~ it seems to be the best inspiration to keep moving forward. I don't have a lot of time during the week, and some days I totally feel the overwhelming task I've undertaken here, but that's what Sundays are for :).


Here's a piece of what I'm rereading and editing today:

I could hear the echo of birds singing all around me, a soft breeze moving swiftly through the branches, allowing the trees to whisper to one another. It was peaceful. Serene. As if the horrors I had experienced had never happened.

I was vaguely aware of a throbbing in my knee and a dampness coating my cheeks. I opened my eyes to the sight of blue skies between the leaves of the protective canopy above me.

“Michael?.” I sat up, looked around. I was alone. “Michael!,” I sobbed as the memory that was hidden by my dreams came flooding back to me.

His eyes locked on mine. I could see the desperation as potently as I could feel it. Run, he mouthed. Then the gun, the sound, that atrocious bang that signaled the abrupt end of my entire world.

Feel free to join in :).

Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Sunday Soul Baring

So, it's been a few weeks since I've done one of these, and I think it's way overdue. Sunday Soul Baring is a tradition in the making for me, a meme if you want to call it that, where I put it *all out there* sharing an excerpt of what I'm working on in the sidelines. { That means if you are also an aspiring writer, please, go ahead and share if you're up to it. :) }

"She took the deepest of breaths and braced herself. Steeled her mind as she struggled to let go. She could do this. She could join the humanity she once knew so well.

A group of three stood along the edge of where the trees grew thick. She heard their voices, but through the pounding of blood in her ears, she couldn't make out their words.

She mustn't lose herself in this. Even now as she determinedly placed one foot in front of the other, she tried to ignore her screaming mind telling her to turn back as her broken heart urged her limbs forward. How she craved the soft sound of their voices only a few yards away. Human touch. She wasn't so lost in her grief and anger that she had forgotten those things.

Sometimes, hidden in the deep remnants of her shattered being, she remembered what it felt like to be human with such clarity that after the moment passed, all she felt was a deep void in the place where her heart had once thrived."

So there it is, folks. I really, really, really hope it makes you want to read the rest :).


Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

My Personal Rambling: Character Development ~ Relationships

Writing a book is hard. It's also incredibly mind-blowing, absorbing, and a completely obsessive task that consumes hours of your day without your realization until your red-shot eyes finally glaze over and you can't see straight anymore. My life revolves around reading, writing, movies...- anything involving a solid-downright-good story. I keep my journal handy, mostly at all times, just in case I see something that gets my neurons firing. I'm quite obsessive in finding inspiration to push my book further into the story I want it to be.

Lately, my mild case of CWS (compulsive writing syndrome) has steered me toward focusing on the relationships between characters. Friendship, rivalry, romance ~ it's the essential human element of all stories - it's what makes us tick - and it needs to be believable.

I'm reading four books at the moment, and all of them have some form of romantic interest, all varying in intensity. Some are love attraction at first sight and others take a realistic amount of time to build. I have a slight problem with character relationships that suddenly appear, whether they are romantic or otherwise ~ they feel forced and completely unlike anything that would form a strong connection in real life.

There needs to be some kind of foundation, something that eases readers into the emotions the characters develop so that readers can feel the integrity of the growing relationship.

I read a lot of YA novels, and I understand the hype about the strong, gorgeous, mysterious guy falling for the slightly outcast girl and vice versa. These novels usually tell the story of a young person in the midst of a maze of trouble finding their way to who they are, and most of the time, to someone who loves them for who they are. This is all well and good, but when that love appears out of thin air, I think it sets the standards pretty high.

Even more...adult...books, *cough*Fifty Shades of Grey*clears throat*, have this element, and although I believe Ana is more in lust than in love with Christian Grey, her ability to turn into a pliable mess of gooey hormones at the sight of him completely contradicts the character we were initially introduced to. I get his appeal, but she doesn't even put up a fight or question the situation ~ totally naive.

Here's a list of a few books in which the relationship in my opinion between two characters is admirable and note-worthy:

• Blood Red Road - Saba and Jack
• Graceling - Katsa and Po
• My favorite characters - they built their relationship from friendship and respect for each other's independence - they lift each other, each helping the other come to terms with who they are.
• Beautiful Disaster - Abby and Travis
• Abby and Travis were a little intense and a lot crazy, but I loved the complexity between them.  
• Beautiful Creatures - Lena and Ethan
• Divergent - Tris and Four
• Hollowland - Remy and Lazlo

All of these novels or series have tangible elements in the relationships between the characters. Friendship, hesitation, fear, independence, admiration, respect, questions... Nothing is simple or easy about being in a relationship or falling in love, and these books I've listed represent the complex emotions that people go through when they find someone worth risking it all for. It doesn't happen with the turn of a page or the skimming of a paragraph, but develops from page one through the entire book or series of books. 

I know some people like to get to the nitty-gritty, and there's something to be said for the entertainment value in that, but...I don't know.. it always feels forced to me. On the other hand, if the characters take it too slow, readers tend to get frustrated. Finding the balance between the two seems to be the predicament. 

What about you? Do you like jumping right in to the emotional intensity of a relationship, or would you rather read about two characters who form a bond through events and over time? 

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday's question asks:

If you could write a book, what would it be about and why? 

One of my goals in life is to finish a novel. Whether it gets published or not is a different story, but the writing itself is fulfilling enough. I'm slowly chipping away at my first novel, and although I may not take it further than the four walls of my little office, it's probably one of the most rewarding things I'm doing these days.

My story about a women who loses the world she knows and the person she loves and how she finds the strength and the ability to survive her guilt. She becomes a completely different person, almost to the core of her being, except for those precious little moments she allows herself to remember. It isn't until she stumbles upon and watches from a distance a world similar to what she used to know ~ filled with trust, love, and companionship ~ that she even considers the fact that her life doesn't have to continue to be the way she's allowed it to become. Maybe she can be human again...forgive herself and love again...but at what cost?

As to why I would write about this, I don't know that I really have a solid answer. I suppose the essence of humanity is important to me, and all the silly stuff that we worry about makes me laugh sometimes. So, I wanted to write a story in which a person is stripped of everything, and I was curious about the struggles and triumphs she would experience in finding her way back to the reasons for being human.

Writing is both easier and harder than I expected it to be... just depends on the day, I guess. 

Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Writing Playlist

An enormous part of my inspiration aside from the books I read comes from music.. I've always loved music, but I haven't become a freak about it until I recently discovered that it gets my creative juices flowing, unlike the silence I used to think I needed in order to write...

Over the past few weeks, I've been collecting a playlist of music and it's sorta become the 'soundtrack' to my WIP... The lyrics apply well to what my characters are experiencing both internally and externally...

Definitely nothing like rockin' out while you write.... :)

Happy Reading & Writing Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Sunday Soul Baring (A Tradition in the Making)

It's no secret that I'm chipping away, slowly but surely, at my own novel. It's the most difficult, infuriating, and frustrating thing in the world, but it's also the most rewarding as I read and edit each week, amazed that I'm actually, finally, doing this. You know how life gets in the way ~ most welcomed ~ sometimes. Family, friends, pets, house, bills, job... I've stopped trying to plan when I'm going to sit down and write. Now, I just sit back, go one with my daily life and wait until the inspiration hits. It's always unexpected, that little jolt of creativity that whispers messages in my ear. Suddenly, I have a thought in my head that I have to write down or risk being driven to insanity.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm not a little crazy with all these imaginary characters running around inside my mind, doing what they will, living a story that I'm compelled to put into words. But you know what? It doesn't really matter, because I wouldn't have it any other way...

So where am I going with all this? I'm sure you've noticed the title of this post mentions 'soul baring,' and in a sense, that's what I'm going to be doing. I plan on posting excerpts, maybe a couple paragraphs, nothing too revealing, just to, hopefully, get some feedback, good or bad or whatever!

I hope this will be a weekly thing for me, and please, if you're a writer and want to help me start a tradition, a meme, whatever you want to call it.. create your own Sunday Soul Baring post. If you do, I hope you'll post a comment with a link :)

Here's a little piece of my passion:

I clenched my jaw in a feeble attempt at maintaining my fortitude. The incessant pounding of my heart betrayed my mind. I was fighting a losing battle within myself as he stood on the other side of the room, watching me intently, waiting for me to make the move that could change our lives forever. I glared at the floor, determined…to what? I didn’t even know why I was fighting him, fighting myself, anymore. I attempted to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat. How had it come to this? No matter what I did, I couldn’t outrun him.

After what felt like an eternity, I met his patient, darkening eyes. The look on my face must have resembled defeat, desire, desperation. He reacted instantly and before I could break our connection, he was standing in front of me, a complex combination of emotions flitting across his face. His brows drew together, and with a pained expression, he took my hands in his, concentrating on that touch rather than looking me in the eye. Suddenly, I was confused, almost amused, rather than conflicted. This arrogant man, this man with all the confidence in the world, was unsure of himself, afraid of rejection. What was happening to us?

Thanks for visiting! 

Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)

~ Keely ~ 

**The Writer in You** Blog Hop

I'm a reader, and as you can often find me with my nose in a book, there's no way I could ever deny it. However, I'm also a writer at heart. I'm a lover of words and, although I'm not a published writer (yet), I feel something stir within me every time I sit down at my computer or with my journal, a blank page in front of me just waiting to be filled. So how excited was I when I came across The Fiction Diaries blog hop for aspiring writers?  It's fabulous!! Most book bloggers I've come across are not only book addicts but hopeful writers, and I think this is a great way for those who love to write to connect and learn from one another.

Each week there will be a question relevant to all things *writing*.

Q. Which author has been your greatest inspiration??

Holy moly, that's a tough one. I'm going to go with the first thought that popped into my head, because that's usually the correct answer. Alice Hoffman is an absolute favorite of mine. My shelves overflow with many of her books, and nearly every time I've picked one up, it's been read in one sitting. Her writing style is so unique and the way she weaves her story together with a hint of magic mixed in with the humanity takes my breath away every time. It's her words and her stories that first inspired me to write, and writing has become a loving staple in my life ever since.

How about y'all?

Happy Reading (and Writing) Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Musing Mondays

This week's musing asks...

If you were going to write a book, what would you write about? Would it be fiction or nonfiction?

I've actually already begun writing a fiction novel, and I'm finding it to be the most difficult yet most rewarding project I've ever undertaken.

It's about a women who loses the world she knows and the person she loves and how she finds the strength and the ability to survive her guilt. She becomes a completely different person, almost to the core of her being, except for those precious little moments she allows herself to remember. It isn't until she stumbles upon and watches from a distance a world similar to what she used to know ~ filled with trust, love, and companionship ~ that she even considers the fact that her life doesn't have to continue to be the way she's allowed it to become. Maybe she can be human again...but at what cost?

I love losing myself in this world of certainty and uncertainty and what it means to be human... I never really know where it's going to take me next, and although I'm not even close to being finished, I'm having the time of my life :)

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Reading to Write

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.” ~ Stephen King, On Writing


“It's hard for me to believe that people who read very little (or not at all in some cases) should presume to write and expect people to like what they have written.” ~ Stephen King, On Writing




I'm a reader ~ something we've already established long ago. But, I'm also a writer, and even though I do have a blog which requires me to write posts at least every other day, you might not have known that I also write fiction. Of course, none of my work is public, except to the eyes of my ever-supportive husband, but that's because it's not finished. Whether it's good or crap remains to be seen, but the artist in me does not like to reveal anything but a finished product,

I used to be intimidated by writing. I didn't know where to start or what I should write about. I'd create outline after outline, like I did with my college research papers, and try to go from there only to reach dead ends every single stinkin' time. I thought everything needed to be organized, in precise order, and perfectly edited as I went along. Then, after a very frustrating hour of writing and deleting, I started researching. Yes, I had the nerve to actually Google "how to write a novel," (shameful, I know) and I came across the usual infomercial-type ads telling me they could help me write a book in thirty days, blah, blah, blah, BS... but once I got past the salesy gibberish, I landed upon the inspiration and the confidence I was painstakingly looking for.

Anyway, as you can tell from the quotes above, a lot of this inspiration was instilled in my growing writer's mind by the revered Stephen King.

Who knew reading was one of the tools needed to write? I had no idea I was learning to write as I read, and now that I'm aware of the knowledge I can take away from every book I read, I find myself rereading paragraphs, highlighting sentences that are unusual or have beautiful descriptions so I can tuck them away for future reference. I still read just for the joy of reading ~ there should be no other reason for it ~ but now I know that my obsession is much more than an infatuation or a hobby and will help me hone my skills as a writer.

So, I had the reading part down to a tittle, but I still needed to work on just sitting down in front of a blank page and filling it. Where in the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks should I start?

Then I came across a quote by another favorite of mine, Nora Roberts. "You can fix anything but a blank page," she says. That got me thinking ... that I was thinking too much. I just needed to write. Crap can always be fixed, but a blank page ~ there's nothing TO fix. So I did that thing that either carries me off to another world or blocks my creative mood completely ~ I thought.. and thought.. and thought.

Why did everything have to be organized? I wasn't writing a college paper. I wasn't getting graded on this or had a deadline. I was doing this for myself. So I threw everything I thought I should do to a dark corner of my mind where it wouldn't (hopefully) slither up and bother me, and I just sat down and wrote the first scene that came to my head. It wasn't in the beginning of the story, it wasn't at the end ~ it was somewhere in the middle. A few days later, I reread the scene I'd written and ideas just started flooding in. How did this character get to this point? What tragedies and joys have these characters experienced to make them who they are? What type of world are they living in? And from there, my own writing inspired what is becoming the rest of my book.

So what I gathered from all this, so far, is that to be a good writer, you have to read ..and read ..and read... and after you do that, you need to knock down all the boundaries and organizational walls you set up in your mind and just let the words flow from your fingers.

Don't edit. Don't fix. Don't stop.

Just write.





Happy Reading (or Writing) Everyone :)


~ Keely ~