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

Write A Novel With... The Pink Ninjas (OF DOOM)

Finals are over. Pitch Wars, through. And now there's the rest of December staring at me saying, "Whatcha gonna do about it?" 

I'm gonna write a novel. Duh.

In case you didn't see my last post, Arianna and I are participating in WanWc (Write a Novel with Cupid) as a team of our own--- The Pink Ninjas (OF DOOM). I bet she hates that I put that last bit in parentheses. I CAN'T HELP THAT I LIKE UNICORNS, MMKAY?!

But a few of you wanted to do Pitch Wars with us! And this post is just for you!!! I'm so excited and glad that you guys emailed me expressing interest. You know what this means, don't you? It means that you're not only going to write a novel--- but you're gonna finish it. Cool, right? 

Some people are confused on what WanWc is. To be honest, there are no definite "rules" per say, but there is a goal. The goal is to write a novel, edit it, and get it ready to submit by the end of the year. How are we going to do all of this? Well, I've decided to break this up into "deadlines." And I've also decided to change the rules up a little bit so that anyone who wanted to join still can. 

The First Deadline is January 31st. 

Our mission? To have a first draft of our novel DONE by 11:59 PST of that day.  

How are we going to accomplish this? Easy. I have three steps to success that I'm hoping will give us more structure as we tackle this thing. 

1. Make a plan and submit it to me (desimcg@hotmail.com). 

The plan doesn't have to be like NaNo where you decide you're going to write 1,000 words a day--- but it can be. What you want to do is give yourself a writing goal you know you can manage. It can be daily or weekly, but it has to be something you're definitely going to stick to. I'm going to assign you a Sensei and that person is going to check in with you EVERY SUNDAY to make sure you're sort of on track.

Examples of "writing plans" include but aren't limited to:

-a thorough outline of your novel that's divided into "chunks" you're going to tackle every week.

-a simple summary of what you want to do and more general plot points you're hoping to hit at the end of every week

-a NaNo-like goal of so many words per day.

-a chapter a day until finished.

I'm setting a deadline for this so you're motivated to actually do it. (I will bug you. I can bug!) 

Deadline 1.1:  Monday, December 17th.

2. Stick to your plan and be a good Sensei by motivating your ninja!

You're twenty bazillion times more likely to finish something you've started if you have a plan. So theoretically, at this point, you have a plan. Stick to it! 

What also helps sometimes is encouraging someone else to reach their goal. I know that if Aria hadn't been writing and revising TLOATH at the same time that I was struggling with PW, it would've never been finished. And that is a fact. By encouraging her, I subconsciously was motivating myself. She was getting words done. I needed to get words done. If she wasn't getting words done, I needed her to get words done. So that I could get words done. You see how that works in its own twisted way? We're a team so we should all be motivating each other, but ESPECIALLY give a kick in the pants to the person you're assigned to. You're going to be the first person who gets to see their work, so you want it to be AWESOME.

3. Take the deadline seriously.

Seriously. 

January 31st. 

Do it.

It's not too late to join The Pink Ninjas (OF DOOM). If you want in, just email me! Send me your plan! WRITE YOUR NOVEL! In the meantime, I want to give a round of applause to our current team. Arianna, Elle, Ava, and Me! I think we're going to have a fifth (Laila, Guuuuurrrlll--- email me!), and of course, you're welcome to join, too! 

Hearts and hugs,
Deserae

Wanna Be a Ninja? (Plus, a Tag)

Hey, there, Everyone! NaNo went well. I finished one of my two goals so that's something, at least. I'm continuing with GOING SOMEWHERE over my Winter Break. For now, though, I thought I might tell you about something Arianna and I are doing.

It's called "Write a Novel with Cupid" (and if you're an aspiring writer and don't know Cupid, OHEMGEE--- go check her out NOW). Basically, instead of ONE month to write a novel, we're using the months of December AND January to get a first draft out of a brand new project. Then, we'll plan revisions and submission goals that we're aiming to get through by the end of this upcoming year. And if you want to be, you can get in on this, by becoming a part of our personal team--- The Pink Ninjas (OF DOOM). I put the "OF DOOM" part in parentheses because I, personally, am a fan of unicorns. But Aria is our Team Leader and the name is a kind of insider betwixt us (DANG TWITTER), so that is what we call ourselves. If you want to be a part of our team, just email me at desimcg@hotmail.com so we can start supporting one and another! ALSO, feel free to start your own teams and tell me about them! It'll be fun to have some competition. I promise to still love you all!!!

And now, onto the tag. Bethany Myers, an author Aria and I follow on Twitter (and who we found in a writing contest over at Mother Write! Bethany's awesome) tagged Arianna who then tagged me to do a tag called "The Next Big Thing." Aria wants me to talk about PW and therefore, I shall. Here we go!


What is your working title of your book?
PLANET WEIRD, or PW for shortsies.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I honestly love telling this story, but I'll try to make it brief. Basically, my younger sister and I were waiting for a bus one day, and a girl I knew from school who was waiting at the bus stop too started talking with me to catch up on lost times and the what-not. Then she went into this completely dramatic and yet totally serious account of how she had met a vampire that day. The details are still fresh in my mind about that conversation, and the story she gave me was so hilarious, ridiculous, and true that I couldn't help but wonder, "What kind of a school admits a self-proclaimed VAMPIRE?" Forks High School. Ahhhhh-bviously. But also Planet Jr. High where all of "the kids were weird."  That was the first line that came to my head on the bus ride home. The idea that followed is one of my favorite storylines yet.

What genre does your book fall under?
I call it MG Sci-Fi, but at one point when I had doubts, I called it a MG Adventure.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
As long as the cast is diverse, I wouldn't care who played my characters! I hardly keep up with the youthful stars of the day. Can we pull people off the streets and say, "AY! Please be my main character, please?" Okay, thanks.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Disguised as a thirteen year old human named Drew Vardaman, an alien runaway attends Planet Jr. High in hopes of leaving behind her predestined responsibilities, but instead runs right into them when a parasitic shadow starts possessing her classmates.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I don't have the energy to self-publish professionally. It's my dream to be represented by an agency, but who knows if this is the project that'll get me there?

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Minus the time I spent procrastinating? A month. Plus the time I spent procrastinating? A year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The "destiny" part is what people tend to focus on, but to me, PW is about conformity and non-conformity, learning what it means to be yourself, power vs. responsibility, and things like that. Only, told in a light, fun setting--- a junior high school in the middle of nowhere. I haven't really been reading lately so I'm almost at a loss on this one, but it sort of has a hint of the themes in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and the sort of "right in front of your face, but you can't see it!" fantastical stuff reminds me of The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi and Percy Jackson by Rick Riordian. Plus, it's in that age range, so there you go. :)

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Sahara Blank. My sister, Kia. And our nephew, Chris. They all played their parts, believe me. :)

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Here is a list of the FIVE AWESOME THINGS ABOUT PW THAT YOU MIGHT NEVER GET TO KNOW (aka My Love List):
1. There are portals.
2. There's a story within the story.
3. ESTEBAN!!!
4. Drew is actually a person of color though in her Earth form, she doesn't appear to be.
5. It's a love story--- in a sense. PW's about learning to love yourself, and learning how to love others who may seem to be worlds apart from you. Shoot, PW's about A LOTTA THANGS. But that's one of them. :)

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

I tag Talia, Prerna, and Nicole (because I hear you're writing again! Am I misinformed?). Basically, if you're writing something and you're a human being, you should do this tag. Please tell me if you do it! I'd love to check ya out! :)

Lots of love,
Deserae
P.S. This song is called "Simply Falling" by Iyeoka. Steal my heart like a ninja and join our team!

NaNo Days 1 and 2

Yesterday was the first day of NaNo.

I clocked in 1,429 words for the GS project.

Unfortunately, that was the extent of my "official" day 1, but there were more than 1,000 words clocked in elsewhere. I can tell you that.

Today it's NaNo Day 2. It is also my 19th birthday. It is also the day I took my Hieroglyphs midterm. It is also the day I PASSED my Hieroglyphs midterm.

Today, I've been working on MV like crazy to celebrate my success! Today, I'll continue working on MV long-hand and stealthy like. Those words will count, I swear, but since I'm going to stay with my sisters for the weekend, I won't have an exact count for those  words until later. The second part of GS chapter 1 is almost done, but I won't be able to give it to you until Sunday or Monday. Do not fear! I'm still going strong! We'll clock it all in and catch up and be happy before the week is out. I'm finally free from worry--- free from self-doubt. I'm ready to rock and roll.

Well maybe not literally, but.. y'all know what I mean.

OFFICIAL NANO COUNT:
Day 1
-GS: 1,429 words
-MV: 0 words

Day 2
-GS: 567 words (on Word document)
-MV: 1,315 words (on Word document)

Overall Progress:
-GS: 1,996 words
-MV: 1,315 words

Word count Goal by Day 2: 3,334 words
Word count Tally by Day 2: 3,311 words (on Word)

And the day's not over yet. Have a great weekend, Everyone, and get down with your W.I.P.'s  all you NaNo-ers!

Love,
Deserae

Commenting on Comments

Arianna- Thanks! So far so good! I'm not too far off from solid yet! 

Prerna- Thanks for your comment on Sommertales! Yep! I'm getting somewhere, right? Lol! 

Happy Halloween!

At my school, there's a NaNoWriMo kickoff event happening tonight. For an hour, I'll be writing with a bunch of like-minded people, and making sense of the world one comma at a time. It's so strange that NaNo is here and that I don't feel ready. I don't feel like it's plunge-taking season or complete-a-novel month and yet, it's here.

When you wake in the morning, visit Sommertales. The first part of GOING SOMEWHERE will be up, and it's for you guys so check it out.

My sister used this song on her first blog post. It inspired me so much, I thought you might benefit from hearing it, too. Happy Halloween, Lovelies! And welcome to November.

Love,
Deserae

Commenting on Comments

Nicole- Eeep! So glad you like the twins. They are way too handsome for their own good. And I'm also glad you're excited for GOING SOMEWHERE. I am, too! Let's be excited together! Thanks for saying you like my voice, by the way. I'm so self-conscious about recordings because I honestly don't think I sound the same way in real life and it irks me. But I know what you mean about the tone of a voice letting you know something about a person... I like that my tone of voice tells you good things!

Sonal- Bombshells are cool when they're exciting bits of news like that! Love the new layout the "new you"... I hope you find tons of happiness at this new "location." Happiness, I hear, is good. :) Thanks for all of your kindness, Love. It's so good to be back. I know I don't say it enough but I miss you all as well. One more midterm this Friday and then I'm back to normal. Pinky promise; pinky swear. 

New Post!

On Sommertales. Check it out to learn The November Project's name and to see what it's kinda about!

Love you lots,
Deserae

Commenting on Comments

Prerna- Yes! One of my residents introduced me to her and I'm in love. I have a particular love for "Daredevil" just because it was the first song I heard by her. Fiona's a genius. Glad you know and love her!

Arianna- Thank you for the good luck and for commenting! I can't really respond to every point at the moment (I have a Hieroglyphs quiz tomorrow! Eep!) but I appreciate you taking the time to write all of that up. I am not healthy as is noted by the state of my hair in last post's video. But tomorrow is another day! Hoping it'll be a good one. :)

OH HAI!

This post will probably be deleted soon. Or maybe I'll just change the video to something more attractive when I'm not tired and looking for something to do besides homework.

Love you guys mucho,
Deserae
P.S. Didn't forget the song! Here it is!

Commenting on Comments

Arianna- Thank you for commenting! I know what you're saying, but I think what I'm looking for this time around is just that extra-strength support. Not so much coaching, or critique partner eyes, but SUPPORT. Reminders that I can get words down on a paper. Inspirational quotes sent on Twitter. Encouraging lies about being the very best that no one ever was... There are quite a few of you guys who are doing NaNo and who've vowed to help me so you can all tag team! Yay! I'm trying not to look at the habits and bad experiences I've had in the past and am looking more toward focusing on getting through it this time. So positiveness, I think, is what'll really help and I don't want to put all that "pressure" on just you! I've got people! (I think!)

Prerna- You're an angel! Thank you! I think it really boils down to knowing what I can and cannot do. 25,000 words is cake (KNOCK ON WOOD). So if I do the two projects with these smaller goals, I'm more likely to finish. And maybe next year I can devote the whole 50K to one project! We'll see! I get SO distracted by the internet it's ridiculous. But I do know how lucky I am to have people cheering for me so thank you for that! THAT in itself is amazing and I promise to repay you in some way (let's pull a Rumple and say I owe you a favor. :])

Nicole- I've missed you, too! Your posts have been coming into my email so I've been keeping up from afar. But nothing's the same as this, you know? Actually talking with you? I've missed it so much BUT am glad you're doing so well! It makes me happy. Happier than Yogi Bear with a pic-ah-nic basket. I, too, am excited to see what I'll bring forth in November. 'Tis a mystery to me, but it's all planned out at least. Just needs to be WRITTEN. You're right about my life not being nearly as bad as I make it out to be, but seriously. School is not my thing. I'm here because I have to be. I love learning, but school? BLEH! Thanks for your warm wishes and luck. I will gladly accept all the luck you can throw my way so wrestle a unicorn if you can!!! You REALLY need to tell me more about this boy, Missy. The only boy news I have has to do with these guys, and... welp... We both know that that's not nearly as exciting as real life. :) Talk to me soon, yeah?