When it comes down to it, I think what I really want to be known as is prolific. I am wildly jealous of the authors who can line shelves with title after title. I revere a few of them and every day as I walk through my living room, I see their names lined up on my bookshelf and I wonder if someday somewhere there will be a shelf lined with my name too.
But the truth is, being prolific doesn't necessarily mean you're producing great work. There are 'authors' who are pushing out something new monthly and I refuse to believe there is much substance to such a practice. I want a story that is deep and nuanced and pushes me to think in new ways. I want an author who lets the characters drive the story, who understands the subtitles of humanity, who lets their passion leak off the page, who understands when a story is finished and doesn't let it go until then. I want an author who is the kind of author I'm trying to be.
So, in truth, maybe I want to be known as the author that 'writes well' as opposed to the author that 'writes so much.' I don't just want to tell stories, I want to tell stories that matter.
I knew I wanted to be an author from a young age. I didn't know what that would involve. I naively thought that since I liked to write stories, it would be just as easy to write books. Ernest Hemingway said it best when he said: There's nothing to writing, all you do it sit down at your typewriter and bleed.
Easy peasy, right?!
You are you. I am me. What you are capable of is not what I am capable of. What I am capable of is not what you are capable of. My life situation is different than your life situation and we're all just doing our best with what we've got. Amen.
My second novel is currently in the beta reading stage. You probably think that means I have written a complete manuscript since the release of The Church in the Wildwood back in 2017, but you would be wrong. I wrote the first words of Black Bird in November of 2011, almost three years to the day before I wrote the first words of Wildwood. Black Bird has fought me every single step of the way.
There are many reasons a book refuses to be written and almost every reason has to do with the author, not the book.
I was afraid. There were scenes the characters dictated that terrified me. There was one particular scene—the main conflict climax of the whole story—that I knew backwards and forwards in my mind but I couldn't make myself write it. I spent months trying to sit down and pull it from my head, but I just couldn't. My fingers were frozen. This wasn't writer's block. I knew exactly what I needed to type. This was resistance to what our dear friend Hemingway tells us: I didn't want to bleed all over the page.
And so, instead of writing what had to be written, I started writing a new book, a YA post-apocalyptic saga (because seriously, people keep buying those and I might as well have a title for pop culture as well as the literary fiction junkies, right?).
Timelines are messy and painful and defeatist, but looking back on it, I'm not sure I would change a thing. The old adage tells us that things happen for a reason, and I know that to be true. Had I not allowed Black Bird to simmer gently on the back burner, I would never have discovered the town of Fallmoore or the cult commune of Harridan Bluffs. I would have never learned that Bird's story happened in the same town. The richness of the story cross-over would have been lost—and though each is a story that can stand on its own, it holds so much more weight when paired up.
Just as my narratives are not revealed to the reader in chronological order, so too is my approach to writing.
November 2011 - began Black Bird
November 2014 - began The Church in the Wildwood
November 2015 - revisited Black Bird for the NaNoWriMo challenge
November 2016 - began The Path That Takes Us Home (working title - YA Post-Apocalyptic)
July 2017 - released The Church in the Wildwood
September 2017 - began The Ghost of Iris Carver (novella)
May 2018 - released The Ghost of Iris Carver
May 2019 - refocused on Black Bird
January 2020 - re-refocused on Black Bird
November 2020 - RELEASE BLACK BIRD
It will be nine years from first words to release. Nine years. That's 22% of my life; 75% of my daughter's life; 40% of my marriage...
And that's okay.
Everything in its own time.
So the moral of the story is, just go with it. Let your story guide you. Take the breaks you need. Give yourself permission to step away. Days, months, years. When the time is right, you will write.
But the truth is, being prolific doesn't necessarily mean you're producing great work. There are 'authors' who are pushing out something new monthly and I refuse to believe there is much substance to such a practice. I want a story that is deep and nuanced and pushes me to think in new ways. I want an author who lets the characters drive the story, who understands the subtitles of humanity, who lets their passion leak off the page, who understands when a story is finished and doesn't let it go until then. I want an author who is the kind of author I'm trying to be.
So, in truth, maybe I want to be known as the author that 'writes well' as opposed to the author that 'writes so much.' I don't just want to tell stories, I want to tell stories that matter.
I knew I wanted to be an author from a young age. I didn't know what that would involve. I naively thought that since I liked to write stories, it would be just as easy to write books. Ernest Hemingway said it best when he said: There's nothing to writing, all you do it sit down at your typewriter and bleed.
Easy peasy, right?!
Comparison is my greatest hindrance.
Competition is my great motivator.
Compassion is the key to my timeline.
Comparison
Dear Anne Rice/Ted Dekker/James Rollins/etc.You are you. I am me. What you are capable of is not what I am capable of. What I am capable of is not what you are capable of. My life situation is different than your life situation and we're all just doing our best with what we've got. Amen.
Competition
There is so much value in striking up relationships with other authors who are in a similar situation as your own. For me that means authors who are independently publishing (or running their own publishing company), working 'regular' jobs outside their home, and raising families all while trying to put their writing out into the world. Whether these people realize it or not, I am in healthy competition with them. Watching them overcome real-life struggles to keep their writing a priority is massive motivation and I push myself to keep up. It's not about winning, it's about keeping pace in order to support one another.Compassion
Rejecting comparison and embracing friendly competition allows me to set realistic goals with a compassionate eye towards attainability. Being an independent author means I am my own boss: I set the rules, I set the goals, and I'm the only one allowed to break those. Leaving room for deviations leaves room to breathe. Sure, I deal with guilt when I feel like I-just-can't-write-another-word today/this week/this month, but I've also allowed myself the space to take that break. I never want writing to be a chore or a job. When that happens, I've sold out. I want to love it. Forever.My second novel is currently in the beta reading stage. You probably think that means I have written a complete manuscript since the release of The Church in the Wildwood back in 2017, but you would be wrong. I wrote the first words of Black Bird in November of 2011, almost three years to the day before I wrote the first words of Wildwood. Black Bird has fought me every single step of the way.
There are many reasons a book refuses to be written and almost every reason has to do with the author, not the book.
I was afraid. There were scenes the characters dictated that terrified me. There was one particular scene—the main conflict climax of the whole story—that I knew backwards and forwards in my mind but I couldn't make myself write it. I spent months trying to sit down and pull it from my head, but I just couldn't. My fingers were frozen. This wasn't writer's block. I knew exactly what I needed to type. This was resistance to what our dear friend Hemingway tells us: I didn't want to bleed all over the page.
And so, instead of writing what had to be written, I started writing a new book, a YA post-apocalyptic saga (because seriously, people keep buying those and I might as well have a title for pop culture as well as the literary fiction junkies, right?).
Timelines are messy and painful and defeatist, but looking back on it, I'm not sure I would change a thing. The old adage tells us that things happen for a reason, and I know that to be true. Had I not allowed Black Bird to simmer gently on the back burner, I would never have discovered the town of Fallmoore or the cult commune of Harridan Bluffs. I would have never learned that Bird's story happened in the same town. The richness of the story cross-over would have been lost—and though each is a story that can stand on its own, it holds so much more weight when paired up.
Just as my narratives are not revealed to the reader in chronological order, so too is my approach to writing.
November 2011 - began Black Bird
November 2014 - began The Church in the Wildwood
November 2015 - revisited Black Bird for the NaNoWriMo challenge
November 2016 - began The Path That Takes Us Home (working title - YA Post-Apocalyptic)
July 2017 - released The Church in the Wildwood
September 2017 - began The Ghost of Iris Carver (novella)
May 2018 - released The Ghost of Iris Carver
May 2019 - refocused on Black Bird
January 2020 - re-refocused on Black Bird
November 2020 - RELEASE BLACK BIRD
It will be nine years from first words to release. Nine years. That's 22% of my life; 75% of my daughter's life; 40% of my marriage...
And that's okay.
Everything in its own time.
To rush a thing is to cheat it. To let a thing unfold on its own is poetry.
So the moral of the story is, just go with it. Let your story guide you. Take the breaks you need. Give yourself permission to step away. Days, months, years. When the time is right, you will write.
Statistics Assignment Help
ReplyDeletestatistics help
Statistics Homework Help
statistics homework
statistics homework helper
Help With SPSS
SPSS Help
SPSS assignment help
SPSS Homework Help
matlab homework help
matlab assignment help
help with matlab homework
help with matlab assignment
ReplyDeletematlab assignment help australia
stata homework help
probability assignment
probability assignment help
R Programming homework help
Bio Statistics Assignment Help
rstudio assignment help
r homework help
r assignment help
help with r assignment
rstudio homework help
r homework assignments
r programming help
r assignments
do my r homework
r programming homework
r help online
r studio tutor
R Programming assignment Help
R Programming homework help
business statistics assignment help
business statistics homework help
data analysis assignment help
As We Know and We understand how important Marketing Assignment Help are in developing a student's career and future opportunities, this is why we take extreme measures to ensure that all our solutions are best-in-class for Online Assignment Help .
ReplyDeleteUse Assignment Helper administrations in the event that you don't discover anything to form your scholarly paper or schoolwork. Now and again, you can't focus on your investigations in view of being occupied with numerous exercises and discover hard to compose your assignment.
ReplyDeleteMost creators discover this timetable supportive with regards to following and keeping on top of promoting endeavors. Also, recall: the promoting part of your strategy as of now contains a great deal of the data you need.
ReplyDeleteUK Dissertation Writing Services
business assignment help
ReplyDeletedo my business assignment
python assignment help
ReplyDeleteOnline homework help
ReplyDeleteenglish homework help
ReplyDeleteexcel assignment help
ReplyDeleteI found this one pretty fascinating, and you should go into my collection also. We provide Law assignment help services all over the world. I am impressed with your article. We appreciate that please keep writing more content. I am offering help to students over the globe at a low price.
ReplyDeleteLaw Assignment Help
Business Law Assignment Help
Thanks for sharing this information. I have shared this link with others to keep posting such information to provide the best in class Programming homework help online at very affordable prices.
ReplyDeleteProgramming Homework Help
do my programming homework
Many people are depressed about the problems of Programming assignment writing. Well, don’t worry about that because we are providing this service at a very reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteProgramming Assignment Help
do my programming assignment
Many people are depressed about the problems of essay writing. Well, don’t worry about that because we are providing this service at a very reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteOwnly Digital
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this information. I have shared this link with others to keep posting such information to provide the best in class assignment help online at very affordable prices.
nursing assignment help
nursing assignment
Many people are depressed about the problems of essay writing. Well, don’t worry about that because we are providing this service at a very reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteEngineering Assignment Help
Engineering Assignment Help Services
I found this one pretty fascinating, and you should go into my collection also. We provide homework help services all over the world. I am impressed with your article. We appreciate that please keep writing more content. I am offering help to students over the globe at a low price.
ReplyDeleteenglish homework assignments
english help websites
Thanks for sharing this information. I have shared this link with others to keep posting such information to provide the best services in online homework help at very affordable prices.
ReplyDeleteOnline homework help
homework help services
I have shared this link with others to keep posting such information to provide the best in class homework help online at very affordable prices.
ReplyDeleteAssignment Help Toowoomba
Assignment Help Queensland
Assignment Help Victoria
Assignment Help Western Australia
Australian National University Assignment Help
University Of Sydney Assignment Help
Monash University Australia Assignment Help
Curtin University Assignment Help
I loved this article and kept updating interesting articles. I'm a regular reader. I am providing digital marketing courses to students .
ReplyDeletedigital marketing course in kurukshetra
digital marketing course in haryana
Publistagram is an international literary magazine based in India and United States that provides Latest, Trending Content, and News throughout the world
ReplyDeletePublistagram
Quicken Print Check Problemscan prevent you from writing or printing checks. To resolve these issues, we suggest you follow our steps and go to our website.
ReplyDeleteWould you expect the production of the product or item to most likely increase as the human population increases? buy personal statement online
DeleteFinance assignment help
ReplyDeleteWriter's manual - archival material for use in the work. Therefore, taking notes is an extremely unique example for creating a history of impeccable work. Work that requires concentration does not always justify the goal. And when we rest our thoughts, it happens that interesting and special ideas come, which we can use in our works, like me, to write scientific articles, among which there are what is college coursework
ReplyDeletenetworth57.com is informative website that provide also Celebrity Net worth idea. All information collected from trusted source. And some information added for just getting an idea about celebrities salary or income.
ReplyDeletenetworth57.com is informative website that provide also Celebrity Net worth idea. All information collected from trusted source. And some information added for just getting an idea about celebrities salary or income.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing lovely article. National Day Today I'm grateful to have you here, where creativity is always in bloom.
ReplyDeleteassignment help
ReplyDeleteEssay Help
Finance assignment help
Narrative Writing Help
Nursing Reflection Assignment
Central Queensland University Assignment Help
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHello. I do need a piece of advice. whats cooking movie summary I do not have time for writing. In case anyone can help me, I would appreciate. Thanks beforehand! Have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteAre you searching for someone to Write My Dissertation For Me? My Dissertations are always here for you to help you out in your dissertations.
ReplyDeleteI knew I wanted to be an author. I had no idea what that would entail. I foolishly assumed that because I like writing stories, it would be just as simple to create books. It was Coursework Online
ReplyDeleteErnest Hemingway who observed, "There's nothing to writing; all you have to do is sit down at your typewriter and bleed."
I really need some advice. what's cooking movie synopsis I don't have time to write. I would appreciate it if someone could assist me. Thank you in advance! Have a fantastic day! Regards, nursing assignment UK
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing enhance real time productivity with Desklog automated time tracking software
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFantasy Power 11! Thank you for sharing valuable information. Nice post. I enjoyed visiting this post… Play Carrom Game Online provides the best opportunity for earning money.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for such informative instructions. I have been exploring a discussion board definition for some time and now I can share this information with everybody who wants to know this. I will be waiting for a reply from you.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is an amazing one, the contents here are always very educative and useful, the reason I make it my regular blog of visit so as to widen my knowledge every day, thanks for always sharing useful and interesting information, you can checkout this fuoye cut off mark for medicine and surgery
ReplyDeleteNice one! Just wish to say your article is as astounding and the clarity in your publish is simply spectacular in such a way that I could suppose you are an expert on Bone Structure Anatomy. Thanks so much for sharing. visit free bua post utme past questions
ReplyDeleteWe are Number 1 in Accounting Assignment Help - Accounting Homework Help. Hire us for Accounting Term Papers and Accounting Projects.When it comes to helping students with comprehensive accounting assignment assistance, we, at, Get Assignment Help, believe in maximizing our efforts to assist students to cope with all intricate subjects related to accounting.
ReplyDeleteWe are proud of our best PHP Assignment Help experts because of their dedication providing continuous support to students by helping them meet deadlines and scoring better grades. We understand how important academic assessments are in developing a student's career and future opportunities, this is why we take extreme measures to ensure that all our solutions are best-in-class. All students looking for Programming Assignment Help can reach us and avail the best services from our academic experts.Python Assignment Help
ReplyDeleteTake the help of the ABC assignment help in taking down your assignments. We deliver assignments timely whether it's urgent or not.
ReplyDeleteOur team of experts will help you in writing CIPD Level 5 assignments which is among the most taken CIPD Module in the world.
ReplyDeleteResearch Paper Help
ReplyDeleteResearch Paper Writing Service
Write My Paper For Me
Legitimate Essay Writing Services
Dissertation Statistics Help
CDR Report Writers
CDR Engineers Australia
CDR Writing Services
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTotal Assignment Help gives best Academic Writing Service service here with experts specializing in a wide range of disciplines ensuring you get the assignments that score maximum grades.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sharing information with us. Check my link.
ReplyDeleteall govt jobs
Thanks for sharing such good piece of information. Also, visit Findcompany Office and get information such as Vijay Sales Near Me, email id, careers.
ReplyDeleteGood pice of information. Also, visit our sites newsxfeed, knowurlife, freshertodays. <a href="https://digitalmania.co.in/
ReplyDeleteCred is becoming one of the most popular profit making company. Want to know how does cred make money?
ReplyDeleteIf you are looking for any information about Vijay Sales like contact information, toll free number, Complain Number, Company Address, Company head office then visit
ReplyDeleteGood pice of information. Also, visit our sites newsxfeed, knowurlife, fresher todays. digitalmania.
ReplyDeleteHi there, thank you for sharing such great piece of informative content with us. It is really amazing post it also helps me a lot.
ReplyDeleteGreen Dots on an iPhone
WHEA Uncorrectable Error
Fix System Service Exception Stop
Use Widgetsmith
https //ij.start.cannon
ReplyDeleteInstall latest software and drivers of canon printer and plug in the USB cable to computer and printer. It’ll automatically be connected; however, you’ve to follow on-screen guidelines.
http //ij.start.canon
ij.start.canon
ReplyDeleteis the manufacturer site to download Canon printer drivers. Install and set up Canon Printer from https: //ij.start.canon and obtain high-quality printing documents straightforwardly.
https//ij.start.cannon is actually the official site of ij start canon that helps you install the latest printer drivers and software. Visiting http //ij.start.cannon
provides you a complete list of all canon printers where you’ve to select your printer model and download the correct setup file
Once you are done with the driver setup via canon.com/ijsetup , you will have to insert a pile of pages into the printer tray for printing the documents..
ReplyDeleteVisit ij.start.canon | ij.start canon and find out the best way to download Canon printer drivers.
All-in-one Canon Inkjet printers are suitable for home, business, school, and others to improve productivity. You can easily set up your Canon printer through drivers from
Canon.com/ijsetup, wireless connection, USB, and a few components.
Canon IJ Network Tool will get you through the network settings uninterruptedly. It is essentially required when you are attempting to get your printer connected to a different network because a new network tends to reset the printer’s existing network settings.The Canon IJ Printer Utility can be used to keep a check on your printer’s ink levels and cartridges and clean the ink tanks and paper feed rollers. Also, you can make adjustments to your Canon printer’s power settings.
ReplyDeleteLove it. This is really nice.
ReplyDeletelocast.org/activate
hbomax/tvsignin
disneyplus.com/begin
showtimeanytime.com/activate
Right away, noblemen, we should get everything rolling, so just go and visit to check out the best side hustles for womento bring in cash.
ReplyDeleteSome individuals start from initial and build their wealth over time so visit our site self made millionaire to know about the latest tips to become millionaire.
ReplyDeleteAlso this sector recruits low educated recruits and incapacitates the level of output due to low education thus sector should include qualified personnel.
ReplyDeletetheology assignment help
assignment help
computer science assignment help
capstone project help online
article writer
content writer for hire
content writing services online
freelance writer for hire
ghost writer for hire online
write my assignments for me
sql assignment help
ReplyDeletemarketing assignment help in australia
australian assignment help
assignment help brisbane
assignment help adelaide
BIIT is very popular Computer training institute in east delhi. We are registered company and provides notes and certificate to each student after completion of course. You can contact through our number 9311441524 and visit to address A-115 , First Floor , Near Panna Sweet, Shakarpur, Vikas Marg, Laxmi Nagar, Computer Institute, Opposite Metro Piller No. 33, Delhi, 110092.
ReplyDeleteThis is quite amazing to hearing this great news.
ReplyDeleteVip Girls Service in Delhi
Make sure the surface where you are placing the printer is clean and close to Pc or laptop.Check the shipped components with your inkjet printer
ReplyDeletehttp //ij.start.canon,
https //ij.start.cannon
It’s the online support platform to download and install canon printer drivers, firmware, and software. To get started with ij.start canon setup, you can select wireless, wired, or USB connection method.
ReplyDeleteij.start.canon,
ij.start canon
Nice...
ReplyDeleteIt's a very powerful article. I really like this post. Thank you so much for sharing this.
putlocker
kissanime