DEFEATING Writer’s Block, One Word at a Time

Thanks to a friend from Facebook, I got an idea that might help in the war against the imaginary Writer’s Block (cue creepy diabolical music here, maybe something from John Williams). Writer’s Block is made up. It’s not there. Just like the stories we create, we create the block. Sometimes the story is like bowel movement and just doesn’t want to pass as fast as we would like. So how do we help keep our mental bowels moving regular? Come up with some prompts. When I can’t get back to my WIPs as fast as I’d like, I dabble with story ideas, so this part is easy for me. I have quite a few that I have collected that might end up in a story someday.

So the computer screen mocks you, does it? Does the nasty little cursor taunt you? Or maybe it’s winking at you? Maybe it’s trying to speak to you? What’s it saying? Maybe it’s talking to the voices in your head? Maybe it has a crush on you and you’re not wanting that kind of a relationship (you heart breaker). Maybe it’s aliens preparing for an invasion, or maybe you’ve lost your mind, and if you did lose it, ask yourself where would you be if you were your mind? And if you found your mind would the cursor still blink? (Well doesn’t that just fry your noodle?)

Write to yourself on the computer using some or all of these questions. In 500 words or less (as many words as you want, but I like to sound professional)

The key to defeating a made up enemy, is by making something up to destroy it. Write it out! Word-sauce doesn’t make itself without your fingers! Well? Don’t just sit there staring at me, c`mon pen-monkey, make that ink-sauce already!

MORE Writer Prompts

Are you extremely busy in every way but writing? Do you lack the energy to brainstorm? How about writing a drabble? A drabble by definition is exactly one-hundred words, and tells a story. It’s about a paragraph.

Take five of your favorite words (make sure they mean different things) and use that as your starting point. Find a way to include these five words into your drabble, and make it coherent.

Or use the picture of my eye to inspire a story, lol. Pictures inspire me all the time. 

Life is a beast, but we can learn to ride it.

ASPIRING to Stop Aspiring

Are you an aspiring author? No, you're not. If you're a writer at all, then you're a writer. What makes a writer "aspiring" is a person who's planning on writing. A writer needs to write. A few words here, a few words there. It doesn't have to be on your WIP. The next time you eat out and you dine in, have a notebook with you (a pad of paper, though if you must your laptop). Have a pen handy, and just think about anything. If it helps, clear your mind and let randomness fill it. Is their customer near you who loves to hear himself speak, and makes you wish you charged the iPod before you left the house? If so write it down, then add a couple elements to it to make this person a character in a possible story. Use what you have to write.

We are writers; making word-sauce is what we do. No one ever said it had to be Stephen King, and even the King of horror bows to editors, his wife (also one of his editors non-officially) and the onslaught of criticism of his work. And as he says, "a professional is the amateur who didn't give up."

You don't have to write the next great American novel, or sell the screenplay that makes you copious amounts of money. Maybe you're in this for the big bucks, and that's fine, but if that's all writing is for you, then I have nothing for you. But if you write because you're a writer, then the content in which you write can be anything. Only worry about your content and the quality of it when you decide to submit it.

I have WIPS, most writers do. But I also have a story I'm editing that needs to be sent back, and a couple of short stories to finish. We writers have an ongoing pile of stories to write. And new ideas are always popping up. Write them down, and try to remember where you store them (unlike me who tends to forget which notepad, or which computer file has the deets that I'm looking for). Keep back ups of all computer documents, I use Dropbox, I have it on two computers; I save in public space so all I need is my password when I use a different computer. I use jump drives and back up to Google Docs. I have problems with Google Docs glitching up, but it does make for additional storage.

There's a lot that may go into writing, but most of it is about life habits, and mostly small ones at that. I take my book bag with me everywhere I go, and I keep a binder with folders and two notebooks inside with several pens. It's my mobile command desk. Along with a Kindle (with not just books but files I uploaded so I can work on drafts without internet), and when I remember to pack it my laptop.

You can also just keep it easy, have a pocket notepad, and a couple of pens (at least three) on your person. There is no "aspiring" to write. You just do it. Now, you aspire to be published, and aspire to improve on your craft, or aspire to be more like your favorite author; but that's completely different. Look at yourself in the mirror, and say, "Self, you're a writer." Or something like that. It was when I stopped calling myself an aspiring writer that I became a published writer. Aspiring makes it too easy to put things off, and if you say you're something then you have to prove it time and again. Your words on paper or computer is the proof you're a writer. Program your brain to believe. If you feel in your heart of hearts that you're a writer, then prove it. Now prove it again. I'm sorry, I only kind of believe you, prove it again… You are writer, bleed ink on those pages!

Keep on writing, make those lovely batches of word-sauce, and call yourself a writer. Or a Pen-Monkey (Chuck Wendig's label he coined), I like that one personally. Now go snuggle with your muse, play Pattie-Cake, whatever you and your muse do.

FIFTY Shades of Madness

And yes, I am the Big Giant Head :^P

The other day I read a blog post by the ever brilliant Chuck Wendig (an author and blogger triple dipped in volcanic awesomesauce!) who discussed the author of Fifty Shades of Grey, E.L. James writing a guide on writing. Okay, I know there has been an onslaught of remarks, insults, and copious amounts of laughter (that last one from me for sure), but to be fair, as poorly written as the book may be-or the series for that matter-the author has not only sold enough copies to supply public restrooms around the world (for reading material, what else? *Looks innocent*) but she has manage to get more people reading.

Personally, I don't know if the author is good or not based on writing a series that pleases the average person, she might very well be one of the best out there, but wrote "what would sell" over "good writing". Now when Harry Potter first came out, I didn't take it seriously, then I started to read a little and became hooked on J.K. Rowling. The woman can write. Stephanie Meyer who wrote Twilight, from what I understand when she penned the original manuscript, it was ten times better than what got published. Meyers seemed like an author who has the ability to write, and I did like the fact she added some nuance to the genre, but in the end with the exception of Rowling, these authors had to do whatever it took to get their work out there. Isn't that what a lot of us are doing?

Alright, anyone of you who know me, know I'm the last to back this kind of fiction. Me and mainstream very, very, very rarely agree on what's good writing. Mainly because so many of the audience for mainstream don't read, they watch movies and TV shows instead. Why read it when you can watch it? I have heard this TOO MANY TIMES!!!! In which I always reply, "Because the book is nine times out of ten… BETTTER!" But with the mainstream crowd getting into books now, the author about has to weaken their story if they want to break into that market. Madness? You betcha! And this isn't even Sparta.

To be fair, I, and many other authors out there do whatever our editors tell us to do. Of course the editors I work with are awesome and never mess up what I'm writing, and instead make it better, but still I do as I'm told. It's because this is how it's done, if I want to succeed, I need to play ball, and rightfully so. And it's not much of a secret that mainstream isn't for the most part high quality. I would love to have a best-selling book turned into a movie, and live happily ever after. But if I did, I would choose to be more like J.K. Rowling. The woman matured the characters so well from book to book, not only making you believe in them, but caring about their fate. Sadly, not every author can pull this off. Maddening.

So while I find it hilarious that E.L. James is writing this how to book, she did get into a market that made her who she is. She sold the books to prove it. Sure, it makes me worry about what will be expected by the next generations of readers, but hopefully there are enough J.K. Rowling fans that there is a chance for us. And who knows, maybe we can introduce them to some new ideas, and better written. Perhaps E.L. James and Stephanie Meyers can help us by being the innovation that brings on a new renaissance of intelligent books.

And before you shake your fist at me, just remember what manure does for a garden. We can wallow in it, or grow.


(As you can tell, I see both points of view on this)

TEARING Your Soul Apart- Being A Writer

And now, another rambling from yours truly...

It's not an easy gig being a writer. It's easier for some for various reasons, but over all it takes strong will power. I won't get into how hard it is for most writers to break into the market and become a huge name. I know of several authors who have been popular about as long as I've been alive, and still they are not household names. I'm talking about authors who are just as good as the legends everyone knows about. I won't get into learning the nuts and bolts of the editing side, which I've been learning on my own for the pass year (I was a bored kid in school, and didn't pay any more attention than I had to. Yes, I want to go back in time and smack myself.) But the part that I'm talking about is taking a part of yourself and inserting it into your fiction.

There are some writers who don't do this, and still turn out great fiction; this post isn't about them :^) I'm talking about writing about the stuff that's hard to write. For me it's easy to a point, but it's only easy because I'm an honest person. I hold very little back, and the stuff I do hold back ends up coming out later on. The impact, however, is felt hard. I live my life inside of my head. While I can connect with a lot of people, more and more everyday, there are still things no one can relate to me on. I guess this is true for a lot of people out there; all of us have things no one else can completely understand. This has become a staple in my life. Maybe for me it's a mental illness, not sure, but some things get to me that don't get to other people. Or things that most don't see the big picture while it's freaking obvious to me. I may not get to travel around the world, or get to various writing classes, but in my head I go through more alternate timelines, more looking from wearing the shoes of others than most do.

In my head I live out various alternate timelines. "What ifs" is a part of my life. I exclude no one from this. And it doesn't matter if I'm happy or not. I always flip it in my head. If something tiny nags at me, I envision it becoming the focal point of a crisis. If there is a crisis, I imagine what it would take to resolve it. I also imagine what the other person would say if I brought up the problem, which the better I know that person the better the conversation in my head. All of this is fodder for my stories. Might as well, if I'm going to toil over things that either are just my problem, or things that wouldn't be good to bring up, I might as well use them. But I also use the good stuff too. Not everything is bleak. There are a lot of positive inspirations in my life that are included, but my point on this is that nothing is off limits. Most of which never happened.

A good writer writes what they know. Granted a lot of amazing authors shake their heads at this, but it's true. Not just for the story itself, I don't have to work for the CIA to write about it, but I do have to know what it means to be human before writing about people. I know what it's like looking from the POV of others at a situation. I also know what it's like to be different. I know what it's like to be the only one who understands me (outside of my mother). I know what it's like when I have to choose the lesser of two evils (anyone who knows me knows just how much I hate to do that), when I must decide which is worse? Being alone? Or being around someone who strips my nerves raw?

People sometimes think I come to my opinions easily, that I don't care as much as they do, if at all. Bull Hockey! As a writer I probably care more, or at least just as much. As a matter of fact, I might even understand their POV better than they do. I can also build on it, on what would be consistent based on their behavior, which may or may not be what they would do. The problem with real people is that they do things that don't make sense. They don't follow the rules of writing. But, as a writer I can make them do so in my head.

A few years ago, I was with someone who was almost raped. She was also raped when she was a teen. She was going through so much I didn't even know how to act around her. I was supportive of course, and I wanted to cut the nuts off of the guys that did this to her. She tried hard to handle it, but it became the reason of the break up. The last time we had together is one of the worse in my history of dating, and not at all her fault. We had communication issues, and we argued, but all of it stemmed from something that wasn't our fault, but the fault of a couple of degenerates (putting it nicely). Throughout the relationship, I tried to picture the right way to handle things, and of course reality didn't match up with what I had in my head. I could only think for myself, and not for her. In the end nothing I could write in my head could save the relationship. But it continued to play out in "what ifs" in my head.

As much as I hated what happened, I wanted things to be fixed. Even though her and I were through, I wanted closure. I wanted to see her and I at least end things on a hug. Instead of one day waking up to find she has restricted my way of contacting her. I had a couple of means to contact her, but I didn't. I knew she needed to hunker down, and focus on herself. She needed space. But still, in my head I wanted to see this story have a better ending. Not one together as I felt that it wasn't meant to be, but one where we part on good terms. She is a good person, smart, and capable doing great things. Naturally I hated the schism that was now and forever formed between us.

One out of a hundred examples of how my head works, one of a hundred "what ifs" that have tormented me, and one that has inspired a lot of my work, some of which hasn't been published yet. She isn't the girl that inspires great love stories for me, but she does carry a huge impact on the muse of characters for my stories. On the bright side, I do have someone who inspires the love and romance that I will be including in my writing (who by the way is one of the best things to ever happen to me). I'm not all grim. While darkness is where I live, I reach for all wedges of light that shine down on me, and I never turn them away.

Writing from your soul is more than writing about conflict, more than beauty, it's about writing for resolution. It's about writing the ending that fits, fixing the endings that didn't end right in the real world. Think of it as a form of karma, this is a chance for karma to fix what was broken, even if it is just in our heads.

WRITING From Oblivion

Here is a link I think all writers should read. Actually, read all of Chuck's posts. He knows his stuff. This post made me think of this post. Chuck talks about not caring when you write, because as writers we care so much, that we freeze up. And then our stories don't get written.

When I really tried soooo hard to write my novel series back in the day, I worked, and worked to try to make it perfect. You know what? They are still not finished. BUT, since I have basically "cared less", I have finished short stories, and a novella. I write faster, and yes, even better.

Once I gave myself permission to fail, I succeeded. The obsession of perfection is one of the leading causes of performance anxiety, AKA, writer's block. It is the fuel to fear. Come up with a decent idea, throw it down on paper, and follow through until fruition. Then, draft it, and try to make it perfect. "Try", because there is no perfect. Just your best, but your best comes after The End of draft one.

No one becomes Stephen King over night, not even King himself. Only through the maddening of failure, and overwhelming odds can we flourish. Conflict gives writers the fuel they need to create. That is why some of the best works come from some of the worst times in the author's life. Own it, don't let it own you.

The very crap, the bane of your existence is fodder for the muse. Life can really suck, but it can suck less if you use it. In a short story I'm keeping on the back burner for now, I use so much of my own crap. I won't get into the details, as a lot of it will be obvious in the story, though some of it is changed based on the character's experience. I use it. My life may never get any better. My bane may only grow worse, but that doesn't mean my writing has to suffer. (Which this post kind of reflects one of my previous posts on how ignorant people inspire me)

I can't offer professional tips like an author with decades of bestsellers, but I can offer what “I”, as a student who is slowly achieving his dreams, has gone through.

When I was working so hard before, I had few people who could help me. It took me forever to get a computer to work on, so my social media was zilch. But since getting connected, I have met several authors who are far more professional than me, have achieved far me than me, who have been amazing enough to help me. I try not to ask too much because they are very busy, but still they have done more for me than I have ever hoped.

A writer starting out needs more than a “how to write” book, though a few of those are a good place to start, (like Plot And Structure, by James Scott Bell or On Writing, by Stephen King). Writers need other writers who have been there, done that, and got the kick-in-the-junk to prove it. So to speak.

It is from those writers that we who reach for the glory of being published learn. Not only do they offer their experience, but can direct to to how-to books to read, and blogs with tips that can make you into a great author. Though, that mainly comes from you willing to craft and hone your skills by reading, writing, reading, writing, reading, writing, then editing, editing, editing, writing, reading, etcetera. Which will come in handy when reading said blogs and how-to books. I can point you in the direction, but the ability to make-it or break-it, is completely up to you. It all boils down to what you are made of.

Me, I'm just a schmuck who slaves away in fast food, who has done so for the pass thirteen years. But yet, here I am, intellectually flipping the bird to my self-doubt, to my enemies who said I couldn't do it, and I'M DOING IT.

I always try to be humbled. I hate people who hold their nose so high that I pray for rain. But, to myself, and to my enemies, I am the end-all, be-all. I will win, I will succeed. But I have to continue to earn that. I can't just say it and be a superstar. It takes daily work. Even if I'm not at the keyboard, I am reading newspapers, books, magazines, and yes even Facebook updates. A lot of my writing has improved by comments that I wrote then deleted. Most of my comments you never see. Because I will go on a great rant then realize two things: one, nobody is going to care. Or two: this is going to start world-war-three. Possibly bring a zombie-apocalypse down on the whole world. But the practice I get from it makes me a better writer. Some of it I even save.

Becoming a success is not about writing the next great American novel, it's about a lifestyle, about always being in thought, always writing, reading your craft. This isn't just a job, or a hobby (and never tell a writer that is a hobby, we will gouge out your eyeballs with our pens), or sitting on our butts doing nothing (never tell a writer that the are or the same fate will ensue), or something we aspire at (never tell yourself you are an aspiring author, I will thump you). It is you. If you want it bad enough that you have to have it, then claim it! You write, you are a writer. It is who you are even when the pen itself is not in your hand. The muse inside never goes away. Sometimes she/he lurks in the shadows, falls asleep, but the muse is always there.

You think in the classic Star Wars movies, that Luke Skywalker stopped being a Jedi the moment his lightsaber went back into the hilt? No. Yes, he always had the force, but, the muse is like the force. It is always with you. The more you depend on the muse, the stronger it becomes. And the more you read, the more you look at the world, and people through the lens of storytelling. The reason is, the muse is feeling the itch of creativity.

Though I suggest as much as possible you keep a pen and pad on your person at all times, always allow your mind to create even when you can't write it down. Think of it as Jedi training. Focus. A writer does not be come a writer without focus.

Just some thoughts on the subject, I hope this helps a little, and remember to keep writing. Keep reading. And when you finish a draft, keep editing. At least for three or four drafts. Check out some of my favorite links in my blog-roll to your right. I have blogs on that list that post the most often, and they are awesome blogs for writers.

See ya around!

MAKING MinceMeat Out of Lemons

Just some noobie-writer-advice from me to any other noobies out there. If you are like me, then you just might suffer from several plagues that infect your work.

It seems like I was born the red-headed-step-child, even though I have brown hair when I'm not sporting the bald look. All my life I have a bit slow on the uptake., lazy (this one is changeable), and somehow evoke animosity from others before I even have the chance to do something wrong. I'm easily distracted, and SUCK at math. I have more enemies than friends, and a low threshold for intentional stupidity. Yes I said I was born a little slow in the head, but I try not to be stupid (there's something to be said about persistence).

I'll be thirty-one next month, I said I wanted to be published by thirty, and though it's not the novel contract I always envisioned, I made my goal. And the editor who published a short story of mine along with the upcoming novella, SMELL OF THE DEAD, is wonderful to work with. Most of my life when I thought on the bright side, the dark Lovecraftian storm clouds of despair would swoop in and smother any hope of succeeding.

Some of these storms were inevitable, inescapable, one could even argue they were predestined (especially after learning how a close family member cut down early in her life had some of the problems with these said storms as I). And there are several of these storms I created and didn't know it.

We can be our worst enemy.

Point is, when it comes to living at the bottom of the barrel, I know what it's like.

When I was I born, instead of a silver spoon in my mouth, my parents went hungry at times so I could eat. Some of my favorite toys came out of garbage dumpsters. At the age of five I lost an aunt whom I was very attached to, due to murder.

Today, I'm a thirty-year-old McDonald's employee, with a dream of becoming a successful writer.

Right off the bat I'm branded a loser. Not only am I in my prime, working a crap-job that's the bane of my life, but I also live with my parents. Though I can tell you that it isn't to leech, to most ignorant people, I'm a freeloader. They have no understanding of my mother's health, the fact that my father who's almost seventy works part time (about four full months of the year) as a bus driver. And to boot, prices on everything continue to sky-rocket, I'm a babe in the woods in the land which I trudge towards in hopes of achieving my dream.

I've been writing off and on, in some form or another all of my life. When I was nine, I think, I wrote a book called, RUDOLF THE FLYING MAN. I don't remember how many pages it was, I didn't even have an editor, I'm not sure about the word count. I wrote it long hand, drew a very crude cover with Crayons, and stapled it together. I no longer have it, though I wish I did. As the years went on, I would write partial stories, mostly sci-fi, and some fan fiction of Star Wars and Star Trek. When I didn't like how an episode of one of my favorite TV shows ended, or a favorite movie, I would come up with better ideas, or possible sequels. To be honest they probably sucked. But there I was trying my best to be a writer, though I really didn't think of it that way. Some of these stories I would invent as I played with my action figures. Though I did waste so much time with playing, it at least kept the creative process going.

Around 2000, I really wanted to write a script. And yes, when I did, it sucked. At this point I didn't really have any writer friends to help me, and my dad who was a writer in his youth spent all of his criticism on my spelling, which sure it was relevant, but he wasn't a big help overall. I continued to try, and when a TV show called Mutant X came on, I got the idea for an X-Men style storyline called, THE MUTANTCY. This story was better than anything I had written, but it was still a far, far cry from anything publishable. After several pages of long hand, I gave up. How was I suppose to write a comic book storyline as a book? My mind hadn't figured it out yet.

I went back to a crime thriller I was working on around the same time called, THE GUARDIAN. This was the story where I got to kill the murderer of my late aunt, and though the character I based on myself ends up paying for it, I felt so gooooood writing his death. This story I have dissected, and will never be written. But it did give me a taste of what it was like to take what life gives you, and make mincemeat out of it.

Years later, I tried writing comic book scripts, even had a couple of artists working with me. But I was never able to get this story off of the ground. It was THE MUTANCY, only renamed as SHARDS. And though someday I want to write this one, this was another breaking point for me. I had no idea how to get this out in the published world, not to mention it was better for me that it didn't make it. Again, I gave up. I tried at it from time to time, but I couldn't stick with it.

I have had a lot of people over the years give me, “advice”. Not the kind I needed, like for writing. Instead it ranged from enemies telling me how I should live my life, to people who actually care telling what I should do, but it would have taken me away from my writing. And I refused to let that happen.

The reason I'm getting published now, is that I won't let life bury me in a mound lemons. I refuse to give up. Sure, I'm thirty-years-old, living with mommy and daddy, working a job that is responsible for serving pink-slime on a bun, and I have yet to make money at writing; but I am published, I will be signing a contract for my novella, SMELL OF THE DEAD, soon, and I have much, much more that I writing. You see, I'm bull-headed. Which can be a bad thing at times, lol, but it can also be good. The trick knowing how to use it.

I love my writer friends, and I love working with them. I always respect them, and do everything I can to help. First thing is, to allow yourself to be who you are. Now if you are the kind of person who is mean to others even when you're in a good mood, or maybe you just can't to be in a decent mood no matter how your life goes, then my advice doesn't apply to you. But if you feel like you are held back, that you can't quite be the person you want to be, and that person is decent, and caring, then I say be you! That's right, even everyone around makes your life hell, be you. If they can't accept you, that's their problem. Sure, they might be successful, maybe they could careless about your opinion of them, but they're ignorant. They think they got you all figured out. That they know you better than you do. And they seem to have it in their head that you can't thrive living your dream. You're a joke to them. Well guess what? They should be a joke to you.

Make mincemeat out of them. How? First off, know yourself. Know what you want, work at figuring out how t get there, and keep at it. The idiots will never go away, and odds are good no matter how well you do in life, they will always find a way to make you a loser in their minds. This isn't about them or their ignorance. This is about, and your craft. About finding you. This starts from within, folks. No quick fix here. You have to know yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, and you write the best you can. The ignorant people who make life rough for you, use them in a story. Just change the name a little so you don't get sued. But seriously, do to them what you have imagined every time they make you miserable. Make them suffer in those pages. Never wrong a writer. Because you want to be a successful author, you have to believe in yourself, and call yourself a writer. Not a wanna-be, not an aspiring author, you are an author. You are a writer. Okay, so maybe you're not published yet. This like a baby who just started to crawl thinking, “why can't I run yet?” You're a babe in the woods, just like me. But, you'll grow.

I gave you a brief look at where I come from not to bore you, but to show you that anyone can make it. Sure, I haven't got out yet, but you know what, I will. I may live a life that is deemed “LOSER”, but I'm not a loser. I'm a lot of things some good, some not so good, but I know who I am. And if I was loser, I would have not have picked up the pen again. I would either end my life, or worse, choose to work fast food for the rest of my existence. Two things which I cannot do.

I. Am. A. Writer. Writers write like humans breath. We do it because it's who we are. The kicker is, we need to learn how to do it right. We need to be willing to take the time to learn, study, read a LOT, vary that reading. Help your fellow writers when you can. Or help people in general, helping others helps us to keep some semblance of sanity. Not to mention, the people you help now, might be able to help you later. Treat them how you want to be treated, but always maintain a backbone. You can be the sweetest human being alive, but never allow others to own you.

Your head, is your head. The more others control you, the more they invade your space. Your heart, is your heart. The more you hate, the more they own you. I know, this is something I'm still trying to master, but, keep at it. Be stubborn on this. If it helps, use the anger and hatred to your advantage. Use it when you write. Us writers write what we know. In some fashion or another. We might write some great stuff when we're happy, and we might write some great stuff when we're sad, and the same goes when we're ready to kill, and the biggest problem is that the characters we kill aren't the voodoo dolls we imagine them to be. But we keep at it, snicker at the calamity we put our enemies through, and odds are good they'll never know.

Maybe you think it's fate for you to fail. Well, I don't enough about fate to argue, but what I do know is, maybe it's fate for you to feel that way only say, ENOUGH! And be bull-headed enough to break free from these bonds. Hey, maybe this is a battle you get to fight for the rest of your life. Not all battles are meant to be won. Some you either lose, or keep fighting. But if you stop fighting, not only do you lose, but don't get anywhere. The more you fight, the better the odds of succeeding.

It's okay to cry, or to feel overwhelmed. Who wouldn't when life bears down like a ten-thousand megaton weight? But only do so enough to vent, don't let it dig its hooks into you. Don't let despair take you. Own it! Make that despair your pet monkey, and when that monkey gives you attitude, shove your steel-toe-butt-kickers up its chili-ring, and make it scream!

A writer is not made of glass.

We have to be strong! We have to be like Sam Jackson. Would he let life trump him? How about Chuck Norris? What would they do? The would make mincemeat out of adversity. And, a lot of that adversity, is needed to make us the people we are today. Though I know I could have done without some of it, we all could, but a lot of it we need.

A Phoenix is not significant until it is destroyed. It cannot rise from the ashes without first being turned to ash. Maybe it's fate that you own your destiny.

A writer does not allow him/he-she/herself to be swallowed in the void of life. They write. And write. And write. And write. And write.

Let the lemons come. Let them pelt us into the ground, and may God have mercy on their existence, because we won't.

And remember, it's always the darkest before the dawn...

Rise of the Author

Though I'm still waiting on the gallies for my sub in an upcoming anthology, and it is my first, I wanted to share a little with those who either haven't had an acceptance, or who rarely gets in. If you are a huge success, this post will most likely bore you. :^)

The professional is the amateur who didn't quit

It's not easy writing, I mean if it was, then everyone and their dog would be doing it (kinda like self publishing (and no, that isn't directed at all self pubbers)). The first step to getting anywhere, is to NOT give up. But then again, if you are a true writer, will never completely give up. A real writer has it in their blood. We have to write. That's how we roll. So if you give up, and never go back to serious writing again, you were never a real writer to begin with. It would be like a fish who decides he hates swimming and one day leaves the ocean and walks on solid ground for the rest of his life. A writer writes.

Form an alliance

Surround yourself with not only great authors, but a few of them who are willing to help you. The authors who make it that are willing to share some of their time is one of the biggest tools in making you a better writer. But, DO NOT ASK THEM FOR HELP WHEN THEY DON'T OFFER IT, WHEN YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO DEVELOP A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. Why is that so Important? Because you want to pick THEIR brain, you can at least give them a good reason to care. (Just like giving readers a reason to care about your characters)

The best help I have gotten, didn't come from me randomly asking for it. It came as advice form a friend. Now some writers will offer it upfront, and that's cool. But don't expect an author to drop their writing schedule, chores, time with the kids, just for little old you. Be respectful.

The Overlords

And while we are talking about respect, always, always, always, always, OBEY the guidelines for a submission call. If you cannot do this for a good reason, then either walk away, or contact the email for the sub call, and ask them. But do so within the guidelines. Why should the sub-caller publish your work, if you won't even follow their rules? The rules are there for a reason. I hate rules as a rule, but some rules are necessary. And sub calls most of the time, are the necessary ones. K?

Wearing their shoes

When you are writing your manuscript, and think the editor will just love it, remember to look at it from their point-of-view. Odds are good they are eyeball deep in subs, anywhere from 50-200, either in one call, or a day depending on where you are submitting. They have to read what you send them. Well enough to determine whether or not you are worth their time. So if you can't make it worth their time, don't expect to make it on that round. I know, it's not easy. Tell me about it. But that makes the victory that much sweeter.

READ!

I have heard a few times that someone wants to write a great novel. It will be the greatest thing since invention of iPhones. BUT, *insert whiny voice here* they hate to read. *Palm to face* Okay, if you hate to read, then why do you want to write something that you want others to read? *Crickets* I mean c'mon, when I started out I wanted to read, I just couldn't stick with it. Now I love to read. You know how I got to reading so much? First I it was with comic books. Then as I worked at my writing, and started making more and more friends in the business, I started reading their books. And now I love it! Read, read, read, read!

WRITE!

Okay, this one is a doozy. The biggest thing you can do to be a great writer, is to write. The less you write, the worse your writing will be. This is one the biggest reasons why I push myself so much, because I want to be a great writer. Period. I don't have to win awards (but I would love to, hehe) but my stories have to be awesome. Not only for the publishers and the editors, but for my readers. My first story soon to be out in that anthology I mentioned, is not my best, but it was my best when I submitted it. It is a good story, and I'm very proud of it. But I have even better stories on the way, assuming I get the green light. Point is, the only reason I'm doing so well, is because I write as much as I can. And yes, I can do better. That's what I keep doing, working to improve myself. That's another great step for any writer wanting to make it.

Write every freaking day. Okay, I don't. But I write almost every freaking day. Anywhere from 300-2,000 words. On my days off I do a whole lot better. And now that I am on my two-week vacation, I will be writing with great intensity.

Maybe for you, five nights a week, for a half hour is all you can squeeze out. That's great! Because you are chipping away at it. Do not expect your schedule to be the same as mine, or anyone else. You can learn from other schedules, but you have to do what is best for you. And that might mean less time on something else, and more time on writing.

Also,

Don't say you are a wannabe writer (yes, yes, yes, I use to be that guy). If you write, and you really want to be published, and really want to crank out great books, then YOU ARE a writer. Not a wannabe, not an aspiring author. You are a writer. When you finish a manuscript, then you are an author. After that, the following titles are, published author, award winning author, bestselling author, ect. Those however, you have to earn. In writing, to earn the title “writer” all you have to do is write. All you have to do to be an “author” is to finish what you start.

Wield The Muse

It is your weapon. Your force. Your non-existent lover who hides inside your head making you do naughty things to your characters. Yes, I'm weird. For every writer, the muse is different. But to be honest, it is what drives you. You know when you use to be (assuming you don't do this anymore) the type who would wait for the inspiration to hit you? Well that inspiration was an outcry of muse energy. It welled up inside of you, and the moment an idea struck you, the muse drove you hard through the writing. But, you cannot wait on the muse. You have to go to the muse.

Sometimes the muse plays hard-to-get. But that's okay. You're a writer, you should love to play. Before you get to the editing process of your stories, it is all play. Have fun!

And leading into... THE BLOCK!

There is no such thing as WRITER'S BLOCK! Writer's block is your brain being a jackass. Now, as writers everything we do comes form our imagination. Including the block. Think Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ect, you are in your mind when you write. And your brain sometimes won't give more. But, it is your brain. If you can't go further into a story, then take your characters through a different path. Writer's block is just something there to force you to take a detour. Like a race-track in a video game. You are driving along, and there is this huge wall with glowing arrows pointing to the left. But maybe you want to go straight. But the track doesn't go straight. It's all in your head, the block and the solution. Your brain is the Matrix, and you are the one. And oh yeah, there is no spoon. (Yes, the spoon in the movie The Matrix is kinda like the block)

If you have read this. If you have not given up, or plan to go back to writing; You. Are. A. Writer! Respect yourself. Respect your readers. Respect your editors and publishers. And respect your friends.

Keep writing, and remember, The Muse is always with you.

The Muse Unleashed

Here shortly I will be interviewing one of the best authors in the market today, Gregory Norris. His 26 short-story collection, The Fierce and Unforgiving Muse has inspired me to ask the ultimate question; what is the muse?

The Chuck Norris of writing, Gregory Norris

For everyone it's different.
For some, it's a sexy stud or a smokey vixen in a red dress who sings cabaret. *Whistles innocently*
For others, an object, a place, or some awesome music.
But, what is it really?

I'm sure every artist (not just limited to writing), has a different view on what a muse is. (I can't even write this post without thinking of the episode of 3rd Rock From the Sun where Dick becomes the muse for the art class.)
Granted anyone who can Google can find the origin of the meaning, but I have yet to see an actual explanation. Well guess what, I think I figured it out (yes, I am a slow learner :^D)

It is the “Force”. I think when George Lucas wrote Star Wars, he use the idea of the force as a way of putting his muse into print.



Think about it. The force is all around us, inside of us, constantly speaking to us. Now most people don't know how to use the force. But for those who do, become Jedi or Sith. Or in realistic terms, artists.
When we writers get the warm and fuzzies, the blood pumping excitement of slinging ink and bringing it to life, we can feel the muse pulsating within our veins. It is flowing through us. Speaking to us. And at this point in time, we are actually listening, and following it's command.

Now this doesn't mean we can't give the muse an avatar. I like my Jessica Rabbit avi. And I love my music (huge selection). But when we get down to it, it is in us. Coursing through our blood, doing Jumping Jacks in our brain while juggling geese. Hey some people juggle geese, just sayin'. The problem with writer's block quite a bit of the time, is that the muse is sleeping. Why?

Well here's why for a lot of us. The muse needs rest just like we do. But it also needs exercise. And yes that leads to the golden rule of write every day and write often. But we can't always do that. Even though I really need to cut down on my Facebook time (I need help :^p ), I have even used my writing skill a lot in comments. Half of which no one ever sees for multiple reasons. Also, I will read a link from an article that will spin a new idea which will force me to write something. The muse can be sooooo strong. And unlike force, it's okay to give in to the dark side.

With the muse, there are no rules that say we can't cast lightning from our finger tips, or force choke an insubordinate officer of the Empire. Though not of us writers play nice, I have fond more in common with my writer friends through being an author than I would have if I never pushed myself as an author to begin with.

The writers I love and get along with the most, we have some different opinions to say the least. But I am so thankful everyone of them because we are brothers and sisters in ink. We are muse-users, muse-casters, muse-slaves... okay I think the last one is more me :^D.

We don't have the good vs. evil. We unite. At the end of the day, we're family. When nothing else could have brought us together, the power of the muse connects us. And copious amounts of chocolate and coffee. Okay, so coffee and sweets also have a role in writer/artist connections, but that's besides the point.

The muse is a great ally. It can be our mistress, our guardian, our compass, and most of all, the creative surge that transforms us into the very thing our naysayers said we couldnever become (oh I have so many).

BTW, naysayers are coffee for the muse.

There is a reason why the pen is mightier than the sword. Because through the power of the muse, the pen can create worlds, and it can destroy them. It is the light saber of the writer. (Or a brush for a painter, ect)

So fellow scribes, painters, sculptors, artists, what is the muse to you?

P.S.
I'm a Jedi in my own mind!

Inspiration After Death

In the last few days, I have lost my grandmother. It was her time and she was ready to go. It was so hard because she was one of the loveliest people you could ever meet. The day she passed, I was at home trying to sleep. I woke up after a few hours of sleep, but couldn't go back. I was about to crack open a book when my dad knocked on my door to give me the news. Immediately I said take me to the hospital. His reaction, "why?". Even after explaining to him that I wanted to be there for my mother he still couldn't understand.

Everyone has their point of view on death, but in mine I believe when someone passes on, you are there for those who are deeply effected. Not to mention, that is what my grandmother would have wanted. If nothing else, she inspires to be there for others, at least others who need it the most.

Although grandma is gone, and she is in a place of no more pain or sorrow, her legacy will always live on in one way or another. She was the kind of person who could inspire a person to be better when they couldn't have done so on their own. Even after death. She was also so happy for me when she heard that I will soon be a published author thanks to a great friend of mine giving me an opportunity. My stories wouldn't be her cup of tea, but she was still so proud of me. Her name will be at the top on my dedication in my first published book.

She continues to inspire me. As she was on her death bed, I couldn't but think about someone else who passed a couple of years ago. This someone made some choices that has deeply hurt the family. And when he moved on, it was like a dark cloud passed over and sunlight returned. Well in my mind, I was thinking what if this was a story? Now I have a supernatural love story in my outlines for future stories, and one with a happy ending.

My grandmother in my opinion, is one of the biggest contributors of good genes in the family when it comes to kindness. For my side of the family, I always looked at her as the heart of the family.

In the inspiration that continues, my grandmother will always encourage me, even though I know she is completely gone from this world. Her ideals, her grace, and her belief in me as a person, and writer.

I told her before I left the ICU room, I would see her later. Though I couldn't keep that promise here on Earth, I will make good on it someday. And until then, carve out some legacy of my own.

In loving memory of Joan (pronounced Jo-Ann) Ford