It's Your Work; Do it YOUR Way

I want you to all spread the world. "Saturday" will no longer be known as Saturday. I mean, I know the other days of the week do this, but why pay tribute to only one deity at a time? Why not acknowledge all the Titans? Who cares if Saturn/Kronos was the king of them all? That doesn't matter. Forget everything you've ever learned since Kindergarten, yeah? Today is Titansday.

Today I'm going to talk about not comparing your work to that of professionals. This is extremely--extremely (notice that word's in there twice)--hard for me to do. Mostly because I want to be the best. I want to be as good a writer as Victor Hugo, J.K Rowling, Brandon Sanderson, Margaret Mitchell, Robert Jordan, Harper Lee. I want to be able to write a masterpiece. I know I can. But when I sit down to write, I can't. Because it's not good. And I know it's not.

What's a lowly writer to do when he sits down to write the world's next Way of Kings or To Kill a Mockingbird, only to realize that he's not actually that good? First off, I had to realize that this statement is in no way the truth. Because honestly, every one of these writers sucked, too. And they were just as bad, if not worse, than me. This fact acknowledged, it's much easier to get words down on paper.

Second, that whole part about knowing your writing sucks. That's good; you know something's wrong. Isn't that the first step to making your work better? If you haven't figured it out, the answer is "yes." I found that the vast majority of the writing process is actually the revision process. The first draft is just that. The first step. Afterward is when you pick up the broken pieces and try to glue together a cohesive narrative. And then you repeat. Again. And again. Even then, you have to go through and fine tune each sentence, each word, until you feel you've hit just the right pitch, and you can see that final vision, that moment of idea's conception manifested in a book--this is when the music sounds and angels blare their golden trumpets! You also have to remember that these authors haven't just been writing for years, have many more tools in their bag than you do, and can pinpoint problems and fix them easier, but they have professional editors and agents at their disposal, whose advice I'm sure is absolutely invaluable.

Another thing I've found when we compare our writing to these great masters, is we see a trick they used, or they have excellent characters, and we think to ourselves, "Oh, how can I apply that to what I'm writing now? I must use this immediately!" Or we think, "This is ridiculous. There's such a large gap between myself and (insert author's name here) that I just can't." We throw our hands up in the air and give up. Your book lacks dimension and depth, your characters and emotional arc feels flat. For some reason, you just can't do it. Except we don't give up. The only thing keeping us grounded to this dream writing is sheer love of the art. What we--I--need to do is focus on my story. (The one you're writing--though I guess the broader more metaphorical one works, too.) Don't compare it to Way of Kings; that would make anyone give up. Just do the very best you can. Give it all you have to offer. If a trick you learned will work to fix the problem--use it. Change the big things--even if it means chucking the entire thing and starting from scratch! Don't be afraid. And don't try to write Way of Kings, because that's already been done. Focus on making your writing the absolute best it can be.

I hope this has been helpful to all of you! It definitely helped for me to get my thoughts out on paper. :D

Please leave comments! I love hearing from you!

Question of the day: "If you could choose between being an Egyptian deity or a Greek/Roman deity, which would you choose, and who would you be?"
Answer: "I would want to be part of Greek mythology, and I would really want to be Apollo." Now it's your turn!

Signing off:



Jared

"All for One, and One for All!"

So tonight, I went with my family to see The Three Musketeers put on by my high school. I have to tell you, it was quite amazing. It was a side of my friends I'd never seen; I really felt like I knew the characters, and there were a couple moments during which I shed a tear--especially during Constance's death scene. And it reminded me . . . as I haven't been to a live theater performance for a while . . . how we've all become so blase about our stories. When we watch a movie, it's the perfect cut every time; it's the same exact motions/emotions every time; there is a distance between the audience and the actors; you see, most of the actors live a thousand miles away. I was reminded of the power of story.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE books. But there's something so captivating--so intriguing about live theater. It's different every time; you're engaged physically with the story; when the actor cries, you feel like crying along because you are there with them. If you haven't been to a play or a musical recently, I encourage you to go. Even if it's high school level. Because as was proven tonight, there are some pretty talented teenagers in the world.

Also, I was reminded of the phrase "the plot thickens." I think that in today's world, where we are constantly bombarded with story after story, the craft of "good story" seems to have lost its way, and none of us quite no where to find it. Indeed, if it is found, it takes many, many years of diligent searching. The play was written by Ken Ludwig, but the original French novel was written, as we know, by Alexander Dumas. As brilliant a writer as Victor Hugo (I've noticed this attribute in his novels as well), Alexander Dumas is able to one by one, lay strands of tension down, in perfect order. Not only are they placed in perfect order, but the characters and events are such that you know--you know it could have been done no other way. And yet, as you watch, some strands are tightened, some are broken; some are entangled so much with the others, you're at the edge of your seat (or page) wondering what to do. And even then you scream, "How did this even happen in the first place!" The plot seems entirely original, though you know parts of it have been done before. The characters are dimensional and inseparable from the plot. You sit there in awe, wondering how anyone could be this brilliant. And there aren't even any explosions! How is this possible?! If you've ever experienced "good story," you know what I'm talking about. And in that moment, "the plot thickens" doesn't seem to satisfy the sensation.

I can only hope to be near this good in twenty years. I'm practicing. I know one day I'll get there.

That's all for tonight! Sorry it's done so late, but you know, with school and all . . . hard to find time to write, let alone blog. ;) I hope that if you'll have something to say, you'll comment. Let me know what you want on this blog. Also, what do y'all think of a write-athon? Perhaps, if I get enough of a following, we'll host one. :D You guys are the best. I'll see you on Titansday!

Question of the day: On any given day, which do you prefer--steak or chicken?



Signing off,
Jared

Introductions . . . I Don't Know; Are Intros Obligatory?

I am very excited to be back in the blogosphere! I've been gone for a while. During my absence I've learned several things about life in general--the largest lessons being that consistency pays off, and I can do hard things. (Wait. Does that mean blogging is hard? Haha.) Here, I am going to blog about me. I want you to get to know me--'cause, let's face it, I have a life outside of writing. Obviously I'm going to update you about my writing, get you totally as psyched as I am about my upcoming novella As Broken Glass (to be released this April!), talk about current WIP (like the novel following As Broken Glass--what?--), and discuss the latest and greatest books. Feel free to share any thoughts you have; I love to hear your guys' input; tell me what you want to see from me, whether that be writing advice, writing journey, open forum discussions on books/writing, book reviews--you know? Let. Me. Know. (See the contact box below)! Also, do me a favor and share this blog with all you know. I want a wide audience. :)

As you can see, the blog isn't fully intact because I'm still working out the kinks. Don't be alarmed if tomorrow the color changes, or more widgets are added. It's just me working away. Oh, before I completely space, the schedule is as follows: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Now if only there was another day of the week that started with "T" . . . alas, none exists because someone decided to name the last after a ruthless Titan. Hey, that's a "T" word. That works, right? So, the schedule is, actually, as follows: Tuesday, Thursday, Titansday. Brilliant!

Come back for more! I'll see you Thursday!



Thought of the day:
"If you could invent a new instrument, what would it be?"

P.S. Don't forget to share this with all your friends! :D You all are the best.