My Advice for this Week

I decided every Wednesday should be devoted to either answering questions from my readers or giving words of advice. Today, I decided to give a piece of advice I learned while writing my newest novel (the third book in my Atlantis series).

Most writers I know map out their plots in some way. Most who know me would be suprised by this declaration, so let me explain. I hate outlines just as much as I hate the arizona summer heat. I feel they constrict me, limiting my creativity. With that being said, I always know the ending to a novel. I need to have a destination before I can plow forward. But, I also do a rough three chapter breakdown as I write. It's kind of like chess. You gotta have future moves in mind, a strategy so-to-speak, before just moving pieces.

But, whether maping out the entire plot or just a few chapters at a time, I think the best advice I can give is to be flexable. Things change in the course of a plot. For instance, my characters last week led me to my destination a little quicker than I had anticipated. But, despite the minimal planning I let them. Otherwise, the story would seem forced. I wasn't rushing, I was just following with the flow of the story. I think it is important not to be too regid in mapping novel plots.

So, my adavice for this week: Don't force things to stay according to plan. Allow ideas to develop and change as the novel progresses. Your story will be much better as a result.

Have a question for me? Wondering something about my novels? Have a question you always wanted to ask any writer? Click here and fill out the form. I will try to answer one every week.

Merlin Vs Olympian God, who would win?

When I was little (and to a certain extent now) Merlin was my favorite sorcerer. I think it's because I also love the time period. But the thought of a powerful wizard existing and helping mere mortals intrigued me even in elementary school. I guess I was born to exist in the fantasy genre.

Anyway, it wasn't until high school that I became intrigued with the Olympian gods. In a way, both are very similar. They both have certain powers. They both interact with mortals, although the gods are more manipulative. I'm not sure why, but recently I have been wondering who would win in an epic battle between Merlin and one of the Olympian gods. For the sake of discussion, let's just say Zeus.

The TV series Supernatural always places any "god" character at the top of the power list. These are the ones that they have the most difficulty defeating...many times not really "killing" them. In all fairness, they deal more with demons than sorcerers. The Jim Butcher series The Dresden Files deals with a wizard who takes on other supernatural elements They all have their strengths, but he seems to struggle the most with the "strong" wizards...in other words old. So, who is stronger? A god or a wizard?

The one thing going against Merlin is his "human" element. How does one go about killing a "god"? They are, by definition, immortal...right? So, I would think a god can only be defeated through manipulation and out-maneuvering. Wizards are super-human, but still human. They bleed. Therefore, as much as I love Merlin and thinks he rocks the supernatural world, I would have to say any of the Olympian gods would defeat him. But, I would still love to see this epic battle.

Monday's Quote: Dr. Seuss

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”~ Dr. Seuss

This was last week's top quote according to my facebook page. Of course, who can go wrong with a Dr. Seuss quote? I like it for two reasons, one because it speaks to the genre I have grown to love. Fantasy fiction is a way to escape reality. The "problems" my characters face, as well as the characters I read, are no where close to the problems I face in real life. They may parallel in some metaphorical way, but they have to battle wizards and demons. It is an escape that I find refreshing. Yes, I know, I am weird.

The second reason I like this quote is because it branches to all forms of fiction, not just the fantasy genre. We all need an outlet. If it's not books, perhaps television shows. Or camping. Or scrapbooking. We all need something that gives us a break from the demands of life. It is, as Dr. Seuss says, a necessary ingredient to life. I would add it is a necessary ingredient to a happy life.

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The Importance of Training

The biggest criticism I have about writers actually has nothing to do with them. It’s that, by the time they become a public name, their journey is complete. As readers, we rarely see the actual hard work leading there, only the result. Sure, when I tell people I am published, they acknowledge the challenge. However, I think most believe the difficulty comes from the competition and rejection. Most don’t consider the writer’s ability from start to finish. I know I didn’t, and I am the one going through the process. Because we don’t see the writer’s development, we think authors are born. They just decide one day to write and the bestseller pops out. Selling it was their only challenge. 
I think this is partly true. The successful authors—the ones who not only finish their book but also are able to gain a following—have an inherited talent. But, that talent still has to be developed. Because I have no examples in the writing field, let me compare it to the talent reality shows currently playing. My favorites are The Voice, So You Think You can Dance and Master Chef. Each of these shows begins the same: the auditions. Millions try out. In fact, most shows love the panoramic shot depicting the crowd of hopeful contestants. It is talent that gets these people through the auditions. It is what gets them noticed. Sure, there are some who came without any previous training, but most have trained before auditioning. Regardless of their background, during the course of the show, these individuals are exposed to the best in their business. And, the ones who go on to be successful on the show learn and grow from the experts. 

Writers are no different. I learned a lot from reading other people’s work. But I grew the most when I started focusing on honing my skill. I joined creative writing courses and critique groups. I discussed before the importance of choosing the right group. Just like any other training, there are some that may actually destroy someone’s ability. Writers can lose the unique voice that makes them good. They can lose their confidence and even pick up horrible habits. It’s important to choose training wisely. But, it is still necessary. No one is going to wake up one day and crank out the perfect novel. In fact, most writers I do research wrote two or three novels before one got picked up. Even Stephen King started somewhere. He focused on short stories. Others took a similar route writing for magazines. 

There are those rare writers whose first book made it to the big time. But, I wonder if they had actually never ever dabbled in writing before that book. My guess would be they had. Training is necessary. Without it a writer will become stagnant. And, in a world with millions of people who want to publish, competition is too great to accept good-enough. So push for the best and never settle.

A Creative Edge in Beads?

I didn't tell most of my friends I wrote until my first book came out. But, once it was out, so was the secret. I write. Which meant for birthday's, Christmas, or any celebratory event, my gifts quickly turned into writing-related objects: pens, fancy notebooks, etc. I actually do love these cliché gifts for writers. I always need more paper to scribble ideas onto. But, the one I found the most interesting was the "creative" beads. It was a few years ago when the whole Zen movement was big; different beads for different purposes. What's even funnier is that I received the "creative" beads twice over the course of a few years. I never wore them, but hung them on a stand next to my computer...in an office I have now found I barely write in.

But, when I once found myself in a horrible writer's block that lasted for weeks, I took one of the beads and rubbed it in my hand. Don't get me wrong, I didn't sit in the middle of the room and mediate or anything. I just sat back in my chair and held the beads. I would love to say they fixed my writer's block. As I recall, I did start writing, but most of what I wrote got thrown out later. However, it DID get the wheels turning. Was it the beads? Or the power of suggestion?

It caused me to wonder. Is there something to be said for having a muse, so to speak. If I wore the beads on a daily basis, would I find myself more creative? I once read an article where writers told about the most inspirational object in their writing room. Most were letters from authors who inspired them, or an obeject that recalled a childhood memory. I think I never had an object becuase my "writing room" always changes. I have a laptop. I am mobile. In fact, if I write too often in the same space, I will feel stale in my writing. I need the change. But, I have never been accused of being normal.

Where does your creative energy come from? Is there something that inspires you? Maybe I should try to find mine...or seek the power of the Creative Beads--or just laugh at the thought.

Writing Books I Recommend

I was thinking about the "craft of writing" books that I have read in recent years. I remember when I first began, I was disinterested in reading books about writing. I just wanted to write! But, as I have improved, I have come to learn that books about writing are valuable to the process. They stir ideas, tricks I might not have thought about before. Of course, I have to be careful. There are plenty of "how to" books written by people who are no more successful than I am...or maybe even less. I once met an author who was selling a "how to write the perfect mystery" type of book and they had only published one novel locally and their sales were not that great. I tried to be polite, but left shaking my head. What makes that author an expert whose opinion I should trust? I think that's part of why I steered clear of these types of books. But, then I started finding the good ones, and those showed me why it was valuable to research the author.

The first book I recommend is for readers and writers alike. Stephen King's "On Writing." For a writer, it was hugely inspirational. The struggles he endured before he "made it" helps me continue. Plus, even though I hadn't expected it, I find Stephen King has some pretty profound and extremely motivational things to say.

The second book I recommend is mainly for writers. It is Writer's Digest series "Elements of Fiction Writing." I have currently read only two in their series, but both are phenomenal. And, because it focuses on certain pieces of writing, I can focus my attention on the aspects I want to strengthen. Plus, they are written by people who, by anybody's standards, are successful in their field.

I truly hope you find just as much enjoyment and value in these as I have.

The God of Writing: Philyra

I was curious if there was a god of writers. I didn't specifically find that god, but I found a greek god of writing: Philyra. According to my bing search, Philyra is the god of paper (how fun), writing and perfume. I think perfume is kind of strange to be associated with paper and writing, but I didn't assign the roles. But, more importantly, Philyra is a goddess. I emphasize this only because it seems there is a stigma that female writers can only perform in certain genres; for instance Romance. I don't tend to be a "feminist" but I like that the god in charge of writing is a female.

Philyra hung out with the Cronus, otherwise known as the father of Zeus, which just goes to show that writers can hang out with--and even attract--some of the most powerful individuals. I like to see the prestige of the profession carried over to mythology as well.

I wouldn't go as far as to say I would post a picture of Philyra in my writing space. But I certainly enjoyed finding there was a god in charge of something I love so much.