My Writing Perspective

Background About Myself

I was going to start off saying something along the lines of "I've been writing for as long as I can remember." Nevertheless, it's not an option since I don't really remember when I first started writing and I don't really remember a whole lot in general. All I know is I one day started putting words on paper and it went from there. Every idea I had and every school subject I was given, it was jotted down with a pencil or a pen. A pen being my favorite since it's hard to erase and is more permanent than pencil could ever be.

What I do remember is being in third grade, sitting on the cold tiled floor of our school cafeteria, getting handed this sparkly award for writing. It was my very first reward and it meant a lot to me. A new passion had formed and a whole new range of ideas was unlocked. I was usually without a pen and paper or found a way to get my hands onto some before I forgot what it was I had in mind. Then, a few years later, I was awarded a partial scholarship for writing. I had to complete all four years before getting the scholarship in full. Sadly, I ended up dropping out soon after nearly completing my first novel manuscript. Yet, that hasn't stopped me from writing.

When I left school and came to a point in time where job searching has proven difficult and health hasn't improved... it's left me very little room to make something of myself other than maybe a writer or an artist. I had planned on going to college for Genetics and that seems more of a dream than a reality I can accomplish any time soon. Anyhow, that's not going to stop me from writing down what I have to say and what I envision. Which also includes me rambling and often times repeating myself.

Yet, as everyone knows, it all takes focus to become a writer and bust out novel after novel within a year. I don't have that. I get distracted so easily that I can black out just from staring at whatever it is that caught my attention. Speaking of such a thing, I'm watching the Simpsons while writing this, and it's taking me a lot longer to get done than it would normally be. I don't even watch it that often and right now it's not that bad. Just not my cup of tea.

I know in the long run I have to keep myself from getting super distracted and prevent myself from wallowing in my own self-pity. There are times where I find myself getting swept away into my own thoughts and forget to put them down or make myself sad to the point where I would much rather not. Then there are times where it suddenly lifts and those little voices in my head cheering me on instead of bringing me down. They tend to say sweet nothings to me more than try to make me upset. I appreciate them. They drive me onwards and help me keep going.

My Take on World-Making

I typically start with characters. If I didn't, I would find myself forgetting about them entirely and fall into a rut; I would very much rather avoid that happening. Most of my characters start with the basic appearance and then move onto other structures like personality and/or background. Though, I love leaving background last and work on settings to make sure nothing clashes and it all makes sense in the end. It isn't always the best plan when it comes to developing a character for a novel or a comic-style graphic. It just happens to be one that works for me.

Then I move onto settings to help myself finish that character and get an idea of what the world would be about. This also helps lead me into the plot since they generally go hand in hand. Sometimes I like skipping time and date, and go straight for location; this way I can work those two out with a place in mind. Everbody knows the saying. Location, location, location is the most important part of any world-building and general home desires. When I'm satisfied with where I'd like for them to live out their stories and lives, I go back to time and date and even sometimes seasons if it goes through more than one.

Map of Yerda Yada

The beginning is always the hardest part for me. I get stuck on the first sentence and cannot find my way out of it. I think it has to do with me being the type of person to make things absolutely perfect before being able to move on and accomplish something. As that chance finally passes and I'm satisfied with the beginning, it's detailed the tone in a clean and flowing fashion. The initial plot has started to take shape and the character has been introduced, and the time, date, and location have been hinted at or fully disclosed and have been done. I go onto making the middle and this normally breeds success until the very end.

Now that I've gotten to the middle of the novel... things start to get really easy and a whole lot of fun for me. I've added in all sorts of side characters, there may have been a shift in time, date, and or location, and the plot has further thickened to the point where the climax is just about to hit. It's super exciting and a whole lot of work. At the same time, there's no knowing where things might go when you get into a rut or take a break for any given amount of time. Things could drastically change and/or make it hard to finish. This is when I introduce a secondary outline that details what I'd like to happen and what I think could happen instead. I write out both and read it all together, and whichever one sounds better I put it into the novel. This way, I'm satisfied and it gets done.

The end. This always gets people who hadn't thought about how they'd like their story to conclude or how to make it ease into the next novel if it were a series. The transition into the climax and then to when everything is all said and done is trivial at its best. I normally would like to make things into at least a 4-book series to ensure the characters and plot gets as much time in the limelight as possible. Yet, there are times where I'd prefer to keep it short and leave it as a single novel. I always love the idea of what is to come and what is to end. The results can be disappointing or enlightening.

All it takes now is to decide if I'd like to run with this story or shove it into my unfinished pile for later—hoping it won't be forgotten. These are the decisions one has to make in order to get their work out there and into the hands of those who'd love to read it. It's the toughest. If I were you, I'd ask a couple of friends and/or professionals if you know any about this and see what their opinions are. If more than a few say go for it, then go for it, unless you're still feeling like it's missing a thing or two. I leave that for the unfinished pile with some notes on a separate sheet of paper stapled to the back as a reminder for when the time is right to add on or fix up.

The Market is a hit or miss.

I've not had the pleasure of being in the market just yet. However, I do know people who have had a ride trying to get themselves out there to the public. They finished their first novel and were looking to make their mark. They were nearly jumping out of their boots, showing it off to everybody around them, and then find themselves stuck. They don't know anything about the reader's market and how to go about finding a publisher. There's plenty online... who are they to trust with their work and won't screw them over? It's something they'd have to do on their own unless they happen to know somebody.

Publishers look for perfection or the closest they can get to it. They look for people whose ideas and style will get them the biggest bucks. There are a ton online nowadays. It won't be that difficult to find someone willing to take a look and give their two cents worth of opinions and knowledge on how my or anybody else's work would fair up to the hot shots. Many will pass you off for a fool or a try-hard before someone takes you up and shows you the ropes. Others will play games with you, seeing if you can keep up with what it would be like to be a hit. You've just got to find the right one and I know for sure I'll more than likely publish myself... It would be less of a risk and possibly cheaper.

There is nothing more thrilling than getting the chance to advertise your work. I have a feeling mine won't ever get put up onto a billboard or displayed on one of those ridiculous commercials littering the television. I swear they're just getting stupider and stupider. I know for sure it takes a good pitch and a great cover to draw people in or a knack for putting a short together to say what people are about to read. It all takes finesse. A fine art that people have forsaken despite the fact that it's everywhere and ingrained in everyone who owns any sort of devices mind. In any case, if you know what you want out there and what you're doing, then do it. I know I will most certainly be doing it and be proud of it.

I would love to make it with my first book. It would make all the suffering and stumps all the more worth it. And the payoff would be wonderful. I may not make as much as all the other authors in the first few years, yet it will be more than I've ever made in a lifetime. When you get to this point and discover what it takes to succeed, shout it out to the world. Get on the highest point and shout. Let it all out. It will be the biggest moment of your life. Book one is the most important step to becoming a full-fledged writer.

Book two and onward will be the ultimate step into making it up into the ranks of a billionaire writer. The ones who succeed book after book and then can retire without a care in the world. There will be more ups and downs. More moments where you stare blankly at the screen and or find yourself wanting to burn your computer, laptop, notepad, and whatever else you use to write on and or in. More characters and plots that'll go through your mind and ultimately make you go mad. Once you make it with book one and finish book two, and beyond, it'll be worth it all.

Doing It Over Again

The process of world-making can get easier the more you do it. I know I've started to punch out world after world after world. There are at least five maps in a folder I keep somewhere in my closet and more jpegs and pngs on my computer in a file I somehow misspelled the name of. There are locations I've had stuffed away in notebooks with pages torn out and characters are drawn in a sketchbook without dates. One of these days they'll all be lived out in a good novel or two and thrown out into the world with a big old boot.

The pumping of words onto a page can be vigorous. It can also be quite vivacious if you manage to do it right and I know I've done it quite a few times in some of my unfinished works. A thrill that can never really be satisfied. A way of life that most would dream to have and not many get that chance to grab it by the reigns and ride it into the next. The task of making sure each word flows and reads clearly is not an easy one. It takes a lot of quick wits and actions in order to move on.

All it really takes is a good hook and a great cover. I've been trying to design my own as I go before I ever think about hiring someone to design one for me. It's cheaper and can make your mark on your novel that much more unique and original. It can also give people a taste of your personality and style other than what's been written out before them. Not everybody can see who you are through words alone. If an additional piece of yourself is woven into the fabric of your work it can scream to the people and to the audience you're trying to reach. I know I'm aiming for something in the middle of youth and old age.

The stress of going over the first or even the latest in a series with a publisher can be high. It can cause blood pressure to rise and hearts to beat all over the place... sometimes even stop. A steady mind and supply of anti-anxiety remedies are nice to keep close in case anything were to happen that could lead to an attack. The best thing to do is keep the thoughts rambling in your mind and creating scenarios that would most likely never happen off to the side and the ones most important to the front. Publishers love it when one knows what they want and when they want it.

Once everything is fine and dandy, the thumbs all have been thrown up and/or jabbed in your face out of acceptance, the time for ease is not yet at hand. The publishers can say they like it and would be willing to push on with it; it takes the public to really give the go ahead. The following and ratings must meet standards for it all to go well, and a dash of hope added into the mix is a nice touch. The waiting is harsh and not knowing how the masses would react to your work is downright a nightmare—not that I've had a whole lot of experience with bad dreams. I know I can handle it as I've handled life. Hope, acceptance, and then the wait is all any author can take.