Being Writer: On Writing as an Art Part II--- There's no App for That

If you read Part I of this little shebang, you'll remember me saying that I have a bad habit of trying to save the world, even though I've known that I can't actually do that. It's impossible.

After talking with Molly (it was a great convo. You should totes check it out. I cut out all the irrelevant bits. Now go read it!), I realize that saving the world isn't really my job. My job is to live. To learn. To teach others what I've learned. To do. To do some more. To live some more. And then, just like Finals, I'm DONE.

Guess what I learned this week? I learned that it's okay if you wake up and discover that you don't like the writing process. It's okay to not be a writer. It's okay. As Molly said, you've got to love the process to be a part of the field. But if you don't, that's okay. You can find a process you do love, and you can work your butt off until you're where you're destined to be.

Because writing is an art. It's a science, too, if we're working off of Molly's "art: creation:: science: discovery" analogy. Writing is about the creation of worlds. The discovery of truth. The combination of both, used to make connections with real live people and to express an appreciation for the genius that is mankind. God is SO good sometimes. Because I get all kinds  of excited when I think about how awesome He made us to be. We all have something genuinely special about us. Something we can excel at. Something we can work hard for. But it all comes back to creation and discovery. Man has a NEED to create and/or to discover. Think really hard about what you want to do in life. Tell me this isn't true.

And guys. Writing has BOTH of these! My toes are tapping as I type this because it makes me so happy that I've discovered why I love this field so much. I'm an artist. I'm an ARTIST. Because I love to create, but there's no WAY my mind could be at peace if I weren't learning and telling everyone about everything I learned as the knowledge came to me.

An artist isn't hindered by too many boundaries except for those set forth for them by the size of their canvas. As a writer, I have so many platforms. My canvas could be as small as a Hallmark card or as big as a blank Word document and all I have to do is fill it.

Mentally, I think artists suffer from copious amounts of self-doubt. What if I'm not good enough?... What if my work isn't good enough?... Artists share SO much of their minds--- of their souls--- with the world that it's hard for these doubts to keep at bay. In fact, I hear they never really go away. But the difference between a writer and an author isn't publication. It's perseverance  Writers are just as much of an artist as an author is--- we're just undiscovered yet.

And like all undiscovered artists, we should be working fervidly to hone our craft. To get better at the skills in which we know we could improve. We need to KEEP. GOING. Life doesn't end with rejection and neither does passion. Or skill. Or time.

The longer it takes you to realize you're an artist, the longer it's going to take for you to take your art seriously. You don't have to be the best writer to have a story to tell. But you will have to invest in your craft--- some artists use pens or paintbrushes; you might have to invest in freelance editors, find critique partners, take some classes, or conduct a bit of research. But don't think you don't need these tools (here's a post or two on the "tool" matter for further reading). You're an artist. Remember? Start acting like it. Do what all good artists do and practice. Embrace the journey. And remember that it's okay if you find out you don't love the process. Writing's a ride you got on all on your own; you really can unbuckle your seat belt and get off at any time.

Happy Writing,
Deserae
P.S. Arianna is no longer doing WanWc with us. :( BUT we need to welcome Laila! She's our new team member and I'm beyond glad to have you on board, Girly. :)
P.P.S. You can still become an Ninja!

Commenting on Comments

Prerna- Woot! I hope you found the most awesomest CPs to look after that manuscript of yours. I'm so rooting for you, Lovely!

Laila- Thanks for sending again, Love. And also, thank you! I take my song choices vair seriously. Lol! I think, originally, the email just went to my junk mail. Sorry, again, but I'm glad you're with us now. :)

Being Writer: On Writing as an Art Part I--- Thanks Molly

A long time ago, I said I was going to do a series called "Being Writer." In the first Being Writer post, I talked about the secret to writing a novel (SPOILERS: there isn't one). But I never did any more posts after that. Go figure, right? This is ME we're talking about.

Today, I was flipping through my archives and saw my Dear Writer post. I almost teared up reading it, just because of the relevance it held with what I was going through today and how it still rang true. I still have those same sentiments. I still want to save the frickin' world. But I've known for a long time that I can't. And last night I went to a friend's apartment for a "Finals are Over, Let's Celebrate!" get-together.


I think I had the most awesome conversation EVER before I left for the night.


I'll tell you why this post is split into two parts. First I have to tell you a story, and then I have to make a point. You see how much time that could take? Days, maybe, and that's if we're lucky. Instead, I'm going to talk to you about what Molly and I discussed here. If you're still interested in my actual point after that (or just wanna skip) go on over to Part II.

Molly is probably a genius. I say this because she was helping me let go of my fear of failing my friends without even knowing she was doing it.

We were talking about art. Molly's an artist. As we were hanging out in her room, I was looking around and saw a painting she'd done hanging on the wall, and without thinking, I'd said, "I wished I were better at art. My mom told me I could be, once, if I had just practiced. Like normal children."

The "like normal children" part was my own invention. Though my mom does think me strange, she'd never compare me to the other children... And Molly wouldn't either. She said, "Well, see, that's the thing I've learned. I often say that an artist has to be in love with the process of drawing or painting or whatever... Not exactly in love with whatever the finished product might be, but in love with every stroke, and every little line, and every second that goes into the process of creating a finished product." (Molly also likes to emphasize things. We are kindred spirits--- either that, or I'm just remembering our convo with lots of imagined italics.)

I told her I understood. "I'm a writer," I'd said, "not published or anything, but I love writing. Every word, every rejection, every painful and excruciating sentence--- I love it. The process of it I mean."

"There you go!" she exclaimed. I agreed with a loud clap and a laugh that almost woke up her sleeping roommate. And I was so excited about where this conversation was going that I went on to include an example about food. I love food, I'd told her, but I hate standing in a kitchen, over a stove, in front of raw ingredients that are nowhere near as delicious as the finished meal.

"So I don't cook," I finished.

"So you probably aren't going to be a chef," she agreed. "But that's okay! It really is! Because some people love the process of cooking. I hate to cook, but I love to bake. I like mixing and pouring and putting things into an oven... And the process you love might be baking,or drawing, or writing, but whatever it is, that's what makes us go one way or another... That's what really separates the ones who are destined for a field from those who might dabble or look on or even just appreciate it... It's all about the process that speaks to us."

My mind... BLOWN.

I've always known that I was strangely obsessed with the process of becoming a published author. Whenever anyone asks me, "Oh! So you're a writer! Are you going to be published?" I laugh at them and say, "Hopefully, one day! But what I really want to do is intern at an agency... I just want to work with books for the rest of my life, wherever that might be."

AND NOW I GET IT. Now, I know why I wave around my rejections like the American flag and enter contests up the wazoo and carry around "BrainBooks" with a pen slipped through the spiral AT ALL TIMES... I get it. I am a frickin' writer. But I'm not only a writer--- I'm a writer destined for the field of writing. I may never be an author but I love the process too much to quit the field. It's my passion. It's my place. It's my home, in a way. It's where I feel the most free and the most happy and the most secure if that makes any sense at all.

And because of this, I've found my own art. Writing. IS. An art.

We writers forget that sometimes. We forget that we're not just "writing novels"--- we're creating. And discovering. Molly went on to tell me she loved art and science. "'Cause if you really think about it," she'd said, "since the beginning of man there's always been this... compulsion to create. This need to discover."

She thinks that's what art and science are. Art is creation and science is discovery. But writing is both. Both creation and discovery.

Join me in Part II of this dialogue if you want to hear my final thoughts on this topic. No reservation required to come on over. :)

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams..."
-Henry David Thoreau

Love,
Deserae

BrainBook 2: Kiwis and Things

After a really hectic week, it was nice to go through my second BrainBook again in order to pick out some things for you guys to see. If I'm being honest, this was probably my favorite one to write because it was the thing that gave me hope after the whole Stage Crew ordeal. It forced me to focus on my dreams and on my stories, and honestly? If it weren't for BrainBook 2, a lot of interesting ideas I had would have been lost. This BrainBook is filled with optimism and it was here that I started analyzing writing as a craft that produced a book as its art. The summer before my senior year, I needed something to keep me hopeful, to keep me going. And between God, my little sister, searching within myself, and writing, I was able to make it through okay. Instead of talking again, I'm just going to post a BUNCH of pictures. Feel free to ask me questions about anything you see and be sure to look for the Commenting on Comments section if you left a response on the last post.
EDITED TO ADD: I've also been adding the Table of Contents so you can see what other pages I haven't included. If you want to see those, just ask! And if they're not too private, personal, or AWESOME BLOSSOM as my sister would say, I'll gladly snap a pic and show it. :)

Lots of love,
Deserae

Commenting on Comments

Sonal- Thank you, my dear, for thinking my taste in music is lovely! I like songs that have something to say. Usually, positive things, so I hope you love the groups as much as I do--- most of their music is equally amazing. :) Love ya much, and I ADORED your latest post. How inspiring, Love; thank you so much for sharing.

Dear Writer...

Dear Writer,

Thank you for reading this. I hope it finds you well, and I hope you're reading it with an open mind. I also hope that you haven't been completely jaded by the realization that this dream of yours comes with a price. I hope that you haven't given up the gun just because you realized that there's a difference between a dream and reality.

Exhibit A

I am frustrated, Writer, and there are some things that we must talk about. Exhibit A (read from the bottom up) showcases some of these frustrations, but I want to expound upon them. Not everything can be said in 140 characters or less.

There are things you must know. First, you have to understand that if you're writing, you're doing it because you want to. It's not because you're expecting this to be the easy road to millions. You're not doing it because there is some mythical force or literal figure for-cing-you-to-DO-this. The thing that bothers me is that writers are creating myths--- dilusions--- that this is not something they signed up for willingly. Repeat after me: I am writing because I want to.

Exhibit B

Secondly, you have to realize that you must stop. Stop putting yourself in that place that convinces you that you're never going to get there. Stop telling yourself that every rejection means you're not worth anything; start learning from them(see Exhibit B). Stop hurting your chances at creating something great by dwelling on one thing horrible. Stop hurting yourself by pretending you can't become more. Stop limiting yourself by REFUSING to become more (Exhibit C).

Thirdly, you must know that writers write. Writers. Write. And they don't forget this fact any day of the year. Sometimes, we express this by writing thousands of words in a day. Sometimes, by writing hundreds of words. Sometimes we express that by writing one hundred words. Or a letter. Or a poem. Or a quick line here or there.

Exhibit C

But lastly, I want to make sure you understand you have every right to turn in the towel. You are always, at all moments, entitled to change your mind. To go after a new dream. To make a change in your life if that's really what you want to do. But you are NOT, under any circumstances, allowed to be a coward. You're not allowed to run away when your manuscript gets to a point that's a little tough, or when your faith in yourself is dwindling because you're comparing yourself and your accomplishments to those of others, instead of focusing on your visions, and your dreams.

It's okay to be frustrated sometimes. To angst and to whine about these frustrations to the only people who'll really understand--- to a bunch of other writers.

Exhibit D

But it's not okay to let the whining steal your joy. To let the bad spots make you lose sight of the fact that they're just dots in a picture of awesome. To let laziness cloud your judgement. To lose momentum long enough for it to become your excuse.

Because the thing is, Writer... YOU are your ONLY excuse. You are the only thing stopping that shining idea you have from becoming a finished product. You are the only person who doesn't believe that the thing you're working on isn't worth working on, and you're the only one who could change that if you wanted that fact to be different. Exhibit D showcases my BrainBooks. The reasons for my own writerly sanity. Tune in this Sunday, and I'll show you, Writer, the ways of The Book. But until then, find your own sanity. You are not alone, Writer, so please--- do me a favor--- and stop pretending that you are.

With all my love,
Deserae

P.S. Sharing is caring so if you haven't checked out this post with a bunch of cool linkamajiggies, then go DO so. And also, here's something about THE SECRET PROJECT. It's not much, but on Valentine's Day, you'll love me.

Commenting on Comments

Karly- The cover is DEFINITELY awesome, and I think I will go for it. Thanks, Love, for chiming in. Let me know about YOUR Nerdfighter escapades! 

Sharing is Caring

When I was little, my mom used this infamous excuse for making my little sister and I share EVERYTHING.

"Sharing is caring!" she'd sing with a mocking smile. For a long time, I hated the phrase, but I believe that it's true, now, because I honestly do find joy in sharing things with my sisters... with you...

So today, I thought I'd share some things. I'll even put these things into categories so you don't have to linger too long in any place that might not satisfy your interest. I feel like I'll do this more often. Maybe once every two weeks? That should be lovely. 

Music

You guys know I'm unhealthily obsessed with music. It keeps me happy when reality cannot. So I'm always looking for yummy things to whet my appetite. Luckily for you, I am ALWAYS finding new things! (That was a joke. You may laugh now, if you wish.)

So here's what I have for you this week:

1. If you like things that are scandalous in a hilarious way, you might try Ida Maria's "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" (which I featured in this post, by the way). 

2. If you like Taylor Swift or Nickelodeon or both, and if you really like it when songs are upbeat and guys are depicted as faboo, you'll love Katelyn Tarver's "Favorite Girl." I know I do. I LOVE it.

3. If you're the kind of person who loves rediscovering music by some of your previously favorite bands, or if you like exploring music from popular groups that kind of got overlooked, you might like One Republic's "Someone to Save You." They just refuse to make suckish music, and I love them for that.

4. If you're a fan of supporting up and coming artists, WHY aren't you in love with Lewis Watson's "Bones" or "#3"?!?! Not only is he British. Awesome. British. And awesome. But he has an amazing voice and really beautiful lyrics accompany his songs. The above links are directly to his own videos (because THIS is how we support them--- by watching their videos, buying their music, and spreading the word!), but here are links to a Bones lyric video and a #3 lyric video so you can see what I mean before you become enraptured with his face (if freckles and shaggy hair is your thing).

5. And if like songs that are just fun to listen to over and over again, please check out Leila Broussard's "Masquerade" because you won't want to stop playing it. Promise.

Books
I haven't had a lot of time to read lately, but I am constantly reading reviews and scanning my Twitter Feed to see what's good in the literary world. And here's the general concensus:

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by JOHN GREEN

So if any of you are looking for something to read, please pick it up and tell me I'd be crazy not to read this book. And if any of you are already John Green fans, tell me this: should I start with one of his earlier books and then pick up TFiOS? Or should I just take the plunge and let him rip my heart out? Let me know.

Blogs

Let me get all of the stuff that's not about writing out of the way... Now. 

1. Adam Heine wrote a blog post about the secret to becoming talented. I found it very informative, and helpful in its own way. And kind of hilarious because, DUH! That's what I've been saying! (*COUGH!* Just go with it, people). 

2. Bryarly Bishop (who isn't a writer so ha! It gets to go here! HA!) wrote a blog post about her olfactory sense, and I found it very interesting because, as a writer, I should be using all of my senses! Who knows whose nose knows?!

And now for writerly things...

3. YAtopia has been having a week full of awesome posts. The first one that caught my attention was an interview with two REGULAR teens about what they liked to read and how they came to those conclusions. And the second post was about the importance of "Beta-ing yourself up." Two great posts for the price of one blog. 

4. Soon to be author, Natalie Whipple, has two posts I'd like to share with you. The first is a recent post about her noticing an improvement in her writing from when she first started out and now. She provides a link in the post that takes you to a video where she actually reads a sample from a (wait for it!...) zombie romance novel that she wrote many years ago and QUERIED. But even though she's mortified of that novel now, she notices the improvement and, as Prerna says in her post, "The Write Kind of Improvement," "if you've been writing consistently, you'll notice the improvement" just like Natalie did. 

Also, here's a second post by Natalie from a while (a LONG while) back on what to do when you're going to have to rewrite your novel in order to get it to the place it needs to be. Natalie gives fantastic writing advice so I would definitely check out the Writing Advice tab on her blog. FULL of gems, it is. FULL, FULL of gems. 

5. Is it vain to point out that I recently wrote a post about how writers have to write, no matter how much it hurts them? I couldn't have written it without your help, support, and your reminders of this very important fact. So check that out, Writers... If ya wanna.

Miscellaneous

Okay, really quickly:

1. A good friend of mine recently guest posted on My Ticket Home about her experience with self-harm and what one might do to overcome that. Please check out the post and comment if you can. It's a beautiful post written by THIS beautiful girl and it'd mean a lot to both of us if you checked it out. And while you're there, you should check out this special Daily Dose just about books!

2. Gallagher Girls (and Blackthorne Boys) BEHOLD! The Gallagher Academy has its own, official website! AND Ally Carter has an assistant now named Molly who has been posting fun riddles and excerpts on Ally's blog and has created an Ally Carter Tumblr for fan art and even more excerpts! Check it out!

3. Also, Alex Bennett is doing some cool new giveaways over at Electrifying Reviews. Check those out, should ye wish it by looking at the top of the right sidebar. 

And that's all folk! I think. I feel like I spent a lot of time composing this post, but I honestly believe it's worth it to get the word out about all the awesome stuff I distract myself with throughout the week. So yeah! Enjoy! And let me know what cool things you've come across within the past week or two worth sharing!

Lots of love,
Deserae

Commenting on Comments

Prerna- It IS an awesome comment and I'm so serious! Copy, paste, and print that thing! When you surround yourself with beautifully inspiring things, you're sure to inspire something beautiful in someone else. :)

Maya- I'm so glad the post made you happy because your comment made me happy. It's very nice to return the favor. :) Thanks for your inspiring comment and your congratulations! Yes, the chapter of evil is DONE, but it needs lots of work. I know that and can't wait to finish this draft so I can go back through it and get 'er done. The "you'll never reach the end thing," came out just as you intended it to. Maybe I was the one who was unclear. What I meant to emote there was gratefulness toward you. The truth hurts sometimes but you were totally right. If I didn't get this chapter done, I WOULDN'T have been able to finish the entire book. And how is one to be an author without a book? I never wanted to "hear that again" because I never want to be the thing that comes between me and my dreams. I was the only one standing between me and the end at that point, and you're the one who totally made me see that. :) 

So thank YOU, Love. Couldn't have done it without you and Aria and Prerna. But especially you because that comment MADE. ME. WRITE. And darn it! I did it. And boy do I feel good. Haha! I'm glad this came as a happy surprise. And I'm glad this comment came through! I meant it--- Blogger better not keep my brilliant commenters from commenting. Lol!

WriMo Day 6: Writing What You Love

Because this week seems to have been Lynette-centered, I thought I'd keep that theme going by treating you to her class schedule to celebrate the fact that TODAY, I wrote 1,777 words AND I am not. finished. writing. Yippee!

I would just outright tell you what The Girl Book is about, but I feel like you guys are SO smart and SO clever, you've probably already formed some sort of idea of the themes and ideas this book is wrapped around. If not, that's alright! The month is young and there are plenty of chances for me to give myself away. But until then, I must admit I'm having too much fun giving you guys seemingly random teaser things and then talking to you guys about TV and things that have absolutely nothing to do with them.

So in the spirit of how we've been doing things, I thought I'd take a minute to propose a semi-dialogue with you all about something that gave me a bit of a shock as I was writing today. Last night, I made myself hold off on writing Lynette's next scene even though I was itching to get it down in writing because I thought it was probably going to be pretty fantastic once I saw it on paper.

And... I mean, in my opinion, it was. It wasn't the BEST Lynette scene I'd ever written, but I'm a pretty harsh critic of my own work, and even I was laughing and smiling and cringing at my dear girl's awkward shyness and the inter-workings of her conservatively wired mind. It was cool to see come to life because, I mean, I had been away from this project and these girls for SO long, I was literally frightened to try to jump into their heads again.

But... after rereading the material I already had... After getting nice responses from you guys about the excerpt and my WriMo in general... After going through the folder I have that has all of GIP's goodies... I was shocked to remember how much I loved this project, and surprised to realize I'd purposely stepped away from it because I didn't think I did. I mean, what the heck?! How could I not love this project?!

And then today, when I was writing, the strangest thing happened. I wanted to write. I didn't want to stop writing. I was mad at myself for needing food (but, Boy, did I need food), and I was mad at my mom for asking me to wash the towels (but, Man, did we need towels). Because I thought, if I stopped once I was in the zone, I was going to lose that zeal I had at the beginning of the day.

But I didn't.

It was still there when I returned an hour and a half later.

And you know why? Because I was loving what I was writing. And I realized the difference between the days that I hated writing and the days that I loved it wasn't me or my story or my ideas or whatever other nonsense I'd blamed it on that day just to cut myself some slack... It was that I didn't LOVE what I was writing. I didn't love what was going down on the page, you know?

What little things do you notice about your own writing habits, good days, and bad days? This post has gotten a bit massive but that's alright; I want to know! Lynette's schedule shows what a typical day at BMA is like. You'd probably hate going there, or maybe you'd love it depending on how sadistic you were as a high school freshman. Personally, I would've welcomed the challenge. At least it would've given me something worthwhile to complain about.

Lynnette Highmore's Schedule of Classes
7:30- 8:45: Orchestra--- Classical Music
9:00- 9:45: Honors American Literature
10:00- 10:45: Geometry
11:45- 1:00: From Swing to The King: 1920's- 1960's Music (A Course in History)
1:15- 2:00: Earth Science
2:15- 2:45: Extra Curricular Environmental Studies
2:50- 3:30: Yoga

So do you still think you want to go to BMA? I... didn't think so...

Love!
Deserae

P.S. Sonal totally featured this song on her blog. And I lalalalove it! I need to start featuring Christmas music. We'll see what I can do in the near future. 

Commenting on Comments

Maya: Oh, you've totally brightened my day. Thank you for reading and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I wish Lisi had written more books, too, because, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't pleased with how it ended. I wanted... something else. I wish her publisher would've let her have more time to expand the series. I love the last name Daniels, but I'm not feeling either name. Maybe if I knew his character better. Of the two, though, I prefer Hart. Hart Daniels actually DOES have a bit of a ring to it now that I put it altogether like that. :) I can think of some guy names tonight and post them when I respond to your new post! Yes I see there's one there and yes, I'll be responding, soon. Love ya much!

The Writing Game

It's crazy. I am seventeen years old and caught up in the Writing Game. And seriously Sara Shepard? I think this is more dangerous than anything in which Aria or Sutton ever got involved.

Because despite its misleading title, the Writing Game isn't even a game at all. Yet it's the most competitively played, most psychologically tempermental sport I have ever willingly signed up for.

From the moment you put your pen to paper with the intent to "write a book," insecurity sets in. And I know this because I have virtually been to every writing blog, writing site, writing conference (in LA) and never once have I met an author who claimed total confidence. So from the moment you start (and even before that! When the seed called an idea is planted in your brain!), this little voice works its way into the back of your brain. And it might not become audible until you finish the first chapter, or get your first brain freeze, or hit the 30,000 word mark, or finish the first draft thinking it's perfect to later realize it... wasn't.

It's all part of the game. With insecurity comes self-doubt, and that's when most of us start looking around for all the advice and writerly info we can possibly digest. This part of the game seems to be helpful (and sometimes, really is), but some of the players get stuck in the "what else have you got?" phase. Which results in never finishing that first draft. Never getting it to a decent draft. Never polishing it to near perfection. Never finding the agent that could possibly fall in love with it.

Some take what they learn, though, and they move into the revision phase. Which makes us feel either completely unintelligent for having such sucky first drafts, or completely relieved that we had the chance to fix up the craziness before submitting. Revising tends to take longer. Much, much longer because we want to reach perfection. And some of us get stuck here because the manuscript can't ever be perfect. Because it's "not ready yet." Because other things get in the way. Because we start to wonder if we were meant to be in the pool of people who never will be published, traditionally or otherwise.

And some start to query, the mounds of rejections so discouraging they decide to fold. Or the good news of a new author's new book being so new and fabulous that you feel as if you may as well give in now.

Agh. It gets so weird talking about it like this. Because, in hindsight, writing is just something I want to do. It's not a competition. It's not a game. It's not what we're set up to believe it is. It's got an entire industry behind it, sure, but that's not all it is. Writing is the art of telling a story with ink. It's worth the hard work, the dedication, the blood, sweat, and tears. And if you don't think it is, then don't do it! There's so much more out there for us as human beings with creativity and imagination. Find what's right for you, and just love it.

Okay?
Follow the dreams that your heart longs for most,
Deserae McGlothen

The Writing Independence Project--- Another WIP

Crazily, people assume that a writer is free to do whatever he or she wants to, and what they don't realize include the following:

-Getting words on paper is not the same thing as getting the right words on paper.
-Revising is about 70% of the process. There is writing (yay!) and then there's revising (aww!). Writing (woot!)... and then revising (shoot!).
-Our strengths don't often outshine our weaknesses, and we are fighting, continually, to grow while trying to move forward, too.
-We have characters who are trying to take over our brains, lives, and plot, even though we keep telling them, "You crazy Fool! I'm the writer!!!"

So the truth is, finding some independence is kind of hard. At least, it is for me. I mean, the day I say writing feels like a job, I promise, I'll throw in the towel, but what I'm saying is, the most freedom I have when it comes to any one manuscript is the creative license of coming up with the idea that sparks the story and gets a book from point A (the start) to point B (the finish). I know it sounds stupid to say that what comes in between is a result of fervish first drafts and cooky characters, but that's kind of how it works. Sorry if that doesn't make sense, but I had to flesh that out before I got to the point.

THE POINT is this: I'm trying something out. As you know, I'm working on my latest WIP and, right now, I'm in love. I say that because I have the habitual habit of falling out of love when I think the project's getting hard, and that usually happens when I'm getting to something that's theoretically "the good part." What I LOVE about first drafts is that none of it is permanent. What I HATE about first drafts is that it never comes out right the first time! So me and writing?... we're something of a paradox. I'm learning to break those walls (my writing blocks. Get it?! Ha! I'm so unfunny!), and this thing I'm trying out is giving myself some independence when I write. Letting my story know that, for the first draft at least, I'm the boss.

It's hard because of two things. The first is, I'm afraid I'm going to be hindering a certain fluid-like something in my manuscript. Honestly, when the story writes itself, that's when you know the world has taken shape and your characters have gotten a chance at a life in it. What I'm hoping, though, is that getting the words down to just shape the dang thing will be enough to give the characters some ideas. If they don't like mine, they can change them in revisions, but at least we'll have a backbone, you know? You don't know? You might know?

The second thing I'm afraid of is the Disney effect. Don't get me wrong. I love Disney (the channel and the Walt!). But they have this mechanic way of setting up jokes, movement, and plot progression. I don't want to play puppet master as I go through the first draft, just for the sake of getting words on the page, but what I'm hoping is that knowing that's something I want to avoid will, you know, help me avoid it. And if it doesn't, I'm thinking positively of revisions. This manuscript CAN be resurrected if I screw up, I tell you! Yeah!

I just realized my biggest fear is that I'm going to mess everything up, and need to rely on revisions to pull me out of a hole. Revising, as you may have guessed, is a bittersweet part of the process for me. Bitter because it's the hardest bit of work I have to do--- analyzing, judging, and reevaluating every word I've written makes me a little self-conscious, I'll admit it. But it's also sweet because I can literally see improvement happening as I go. So as I work on letting go, I'm also going to be learning to trust myself to mess up. Remind me this: You can always fix it later.

Gah!
Deserae McGlothen

On Morals and Consequence

Welcome to July, everyone. I hope the year has treated you well thus far. I've been away from the blogosphere for a while now, so I've been catching up on my "reading" and came across this post by a gal who is wise beyond her years (even though she won't admit it). The thing is, it's got me thinking about YA and where I fit into it. And if I have the guts to write for that audience. And whether or not writing for that audience is really about guts at all.

You see, I'm a Christian. I love the Lord and follow the commandments of his Word. So it's true that a lot of the times, my own beliefs and values--- my own morals and my own view of the world--- comes into and effects my writing. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing. In fact, I think that if you're going to be a writer, it's probably because you A.) have a story to tell, or B.) have an opinion/ view of the world to share. My perspective is unique and therefore isn't a bad thing to want to share, but... do you ever notice the people who have an opinion and are, like, adamantly and passionately intent on you sharing it with them?

The post kind of touched on the fact that, on the one hand, YA aims not to be preachy. It wants to reach as wide of an audience as it possibly can. It doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. It wants to make everyone happy. But, on the other hand, most YA comes with the hidden message that, if you do bad things, there will be bad consequences. And I admit it--- a lot of the time when you're reading YA, you come across these things that sound like your mother. "Don't have sex or you'll get pregnant!" "Don't do drugs or you'll overdose!" "Don't drink alcohol or you'll get in a car accident!" "Wash your hands or you'll die of malaria!"

Here's the thing: I don't believe in sex, drugs, and rock and roll as a lifestyle choice. I have never tolerated the "it's just one time!" approach, or the "live every day like it's your last!" method. I'm never going to write about unprotected sex or getting high "wid da homies." I can't. Partly because I wouldn't know what it was like, but also because, yeah, I have these moralistic ideas that prevent me from wanting to write about it. But let's say I did write about those things. Do you honestly think that just because my characters want to have sex, get high, and die in car crashes, that I, personally, am endorsing those things?
Heck to the freaking no.

And double heck no.

Just because an author writes about these things, doesn't necessarily mean they think you should go out and do them. When a writer is good, their characters take on lives of their own, and it's then that they start making their own choices and shaping their own existence in a fictional world. Personally, the reason I think most authors bring "bad ends" to characters who do these things is because the people who publish the books are afraid that readers are going to get the idea that an author is saying it's A-okay to do X, Y, and Z. The truth, though, is that, when an author can acknowledge that not all actions have (as Vee says) an "explosive" consequence, they're just writing the truth. The truth is, the truth can be rough for people with a moralistic way of thinking, but those people (the ones like me) don't have to pick up the books that talk about the things they are uncomfortable with.

 Opinions can be dangerous and that's why there are people out there who hate dishing out advice. But for the open-minded person, I'd like to present you with an opinion. It is my belief that the only way to write YA is to write the truth. The truth about unprotected sex is that sometimes it leads to pregnancy, and sometimes it doesn't. The truth about sex, in general, is that some people are having it and some people aren't. The truth about drugs is that some people do them and some people don't. The truth about doing them is that most times it ends in addiction, and sometimes, it doesn't. If you can write about the truth, then you're ready to write about young adults. But if you can't handle the truth, you're better suited for younger readers who have stories to tell, too, without all the craziness of reality clouding the air around them.

If you can handle it, then congratulations! You've entered the Wrilight Zone. Do with your stories what you will, because, the awesome thing about writing is this: we don't all have to write the same stories. Some will be serious, others entertaining. Some will preach and others will mock. Some will contain violence and others will be about peace, love, and other drugs. You don't have to have thick skin to write for the big kids. You just have to write a story worth telling, and, since that's the hardest part, I suggest putting your energy into that side of the process now, and all these other sheningans after you've got your polished, ready-to-go manuscript waiting for a chance to see the sun.

Whew! Glad that's settled,
Deserae McGlothen

P.S. "I give my readers what I can. Instead of offering all the right answers, I offer, I hope, all the right questions." -Vahini Naidoo

P.P.S. Go read that post!