On writing

When I first picked up my pen and started scribbling about a man who'd taken a girl to bed and woke up in the morning to find her decapitated head on his nightstand, it was easy. The words flowed like water allowing the characters to jump from my imagination like true people in the world. Then all at once, it stopped. I hit a wall and just couldn't figure out how to pass through it so, I gave up. Then I wrote 30 pages about a boy chosen to protect the world from and evil scientist but when he crossed into a new dimension, I couldn't find the right words and I quit again.

I can continue through the dozen or so stories gathering dust in my documents folder, but we don't have that much time. The truth is I always believed writing to be an easy (an well paying) job. You sit down to a computer, pound out a hundred thousand words and make millions. That's all there is too it, right?

WRONG!

Writing is the hardest thing I have ever done and I'm raising a hormonal over achieving middle schooler, a strong willed pre-teen and a destructive monkey boy. They're cake compared to Katrina and Landon and all the vampires surrounding them. I've found that the trick is in the determination and open mindedness. No matter the storyline, there are going to be hiccups along the way. A writer must disregard social stigma and allow ideas to flow onto paper and those pesky writer's blocks will not be so frequent.


In the four year process of writing Taken, I realized a few things. First of all, writing is debilitating and invigorating all at the same time. You create these characters and these worlds and think you have utter control over them but, you're dead wrong. A strong creation will build their own personalities and take control of the story without you ever realizing. A good writer is simply a typing tool. Katrina is no longer my creation but a strong person herself.

Right now, you think I've fallen off the deep end. I haven't. Katrina was never supposed to be a Hunter and Landon was never supposed to fall in love with her. He was supposed to be turned and she was supposed to die at his hand!

The other, and most important, thing I've learned is that writing does not manifest itself into dollar signs. Simply sitting here and pouring my heart and soul onto paper will not make me a millionaire tomorrow. Don't write for fame and fortune. Write because you love it. Write hard and pray.

Let me return to my point. Writing is hard. You start with an idea that grows with vigor and ease. You type like the world depends on your words per minute. Then, unexpectedly, you find yourself stuck and staring at a condemning cursor blinking insults at you. Determination is the only thing that kept Taken from become an inactive member of the documents folder.

Read for FREE!

Friday? Already?

I had big plans this week. I was to write by morning and go places by afternoon and crash by evening. Well, things didn't turn out as I had planned. We had an EXTREMELY lazy spring break and I have to say, I enjoyed it. Granted, I didn't get much new material written, I did get... nope didn't do much of that either.

 I guess I really didn't accomplish anything. Well, sometimes even the badasses need a few days do sit around and do nothing.  Excuse my while I return to my coffee. Turns out I need a little more before I can form full sentences.

 

How about a snippet from a time I could complete a thought? 

With each quickening footfall, the scent became stronger. The bitter smell of the forager’s blood didn’t compare in any way to that of a young man on the hunt. A human comparison would be the magnetism of an overly salty bag of potato chips opposed to the sweet fragrance of a king size candy bar. Both cause the mouth to water and satiate taste buds, but in very different ways.

GOOD MORNING!

Well, it's Saturday. Yesterday was the first day of spring break. While that means I will not be called into work as the schools are closed for the next week, it also means my kids are home all week. It also means, I get to write old school style with pen and paper in the randomest of places. Do you think they would frown on me writing at the zoo?

You may say a good mom would put her writing aside for the week and focus diligently on her children. They are only going to be little once, right? I understand that they will grow up and move out of my house someday and I will look back at the time I sat at this computer typing away and wish I had spent more time with them. Honestly though, doesn't EVERY parent everywhere do that in some aspect of raising kids. I wish I didn't work so much. I wish I had hugged them more. I wish I had taken them more places.

The way I see it, I am forcing my children to be self-sufficient for a few hours a day. So many children are catered to day and night, that many can't do simple tasks such as pour a bowl of cereal or find a way to entertain themselves. Forcing my children to do so while I pound away at this keyboard, does two things. It prepares them for a world where no one will be there to wait on them hand and foot and allows me to create some glimmer of insight or fantastic fiction to send into the universe!

I'm sorry. That soap box is just so hard to ignore. My point? You will probably not hear from me much this week! But don't worry, I will be writing! Hey, I may even post a few reviews of the places I go! There are some wonderful parks in Kansas!

If you miss me too much, find me at any of the millions of social media sites I've taken residence on!

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I am sure there are many more, but here are just a few ways to get your Tori fix! Or, you could read Taken!

Randomness

The polar bear make me feel better. He's kinda cute, huh?

Good Morning!! I have something embarrassing to share. Actually, I don't get embarrassed easily, so I guess I just have something to share.

Let's frame it out. During my talk with the middle schoolers Friday, one of the students asked me when I write and I told him all the time. Anytime something comes to me, I rush to put it on paper. (I didn't share with him the time I was writing on an envelope on the highway. shh.)  I also told him how my kids have learned when to speak to me and when not. They've also learned to do a lot more for themselves because I will not stop in the middle of a thought to cater to them. Said student wasn't quite sure how to respond. His facial expression was somewhere between amused and appalled.

Ok, so this is what happened. I went to put Aidan's lunch box in his backpack this morning and guess what I found. All the school work he was supposed to have finished from his sick day Thursday. I totally forgot because I was so focused on revamping Taken. To make matters worse, my oldest comes out crying at 7:20 because she had homework too! I would say that is a serious mom fail! 

Epic. Mom. Fail.

Moral of the story? Tend to your children before diving into a book! Yeah, right. I'm sure it will happen again . . . Don't judge. I still have three very happy and healthy children (and their homework will be done tonight).

Change of subject. What do you think of this? It's just a thought, but please, comment. It's better than Taken, right?

 

Happy Monday! 

May your day be filled with-- Who am I kidding it's Monday. I hope you make it, through!

 

Am I successful?

I'm going to speak to a few middle school students today about being a writer. These are students who have vocalized an interest in such a career. A large part of me wants to scream from the rooftops about how good it feels to be recognized; a larger part of me wants to hide under the covers.

It's just so intimidating. I'm not a successful writer. Yes, I can write. I sit at my computer and write all day some days. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, even here occasionally. On a very rare occasion something of substances flows from my fingers into a word document. Truthfully, I don't get paid to write. I submit works of fiction that are often unpublished. I made a whopping, wait for it, $12.54 off my eBook on Amazon last year. I do so because it brings me pleasure.

I said I'm not successful. Some days I agree with that and some days I heavily disagree. What is it to be a successful writer? J.K. Rowling is a fluke. Yes, she gave us the most read work of humankind, but this happens once in a millennium. Authors rarely make such ridiculous amounts of money. Let's look at Suzanne Collins. Few people know she wrote for children's television shows before creating Hunger Games. And withe the cult following of that work, her other series, The Underland Chronicles, came out of the woodwork.

With all this in mind, can I consider myself a successful writer? I mean, I can string sentences together and sometimes in logical order? I may not sell many books, but each day I learn new things. Each day, I tweak my craft just enough to see myself blossom.

I believe there are two levels of success. First would be the ability to put forth legible, interesting works of literature. Second being the ability to make some kind of income doing so. The second very much depends upon the first. If you can not create the work, you can not make money doing so.

OK. I am pretty sure this post is very much all over the place. (If you made it this far, pat yourself on the back!) Consider it a bit of stream of consciousness with some true insight splattered throughout! I have, however, managed to pump myself up for today's meeting. Now, just to shower and leave before I lose my nerve...

Writing Mommy

I sat down to write a really awesome blog post about how much I write and what I write about and what gives me inspiration. BUT (yup there it is) as I clicked to post that awesome gif of Jenny Schecter, my kids all woke up. It's as if the click of the mouse signified my need to be productive and it woke everyone up!!

I will admit, trying to write while raising children is an endless challenge. Especially if I have a productive work week (I sub at the local elementary school) and I can only write when they are home. I know I'm not the only human being that is trying to make a substantial contribution to the literary world while dealing with other obligations. It's just that when you are in the midst of a huge breakthrough and your children say, "Hey, Mom" all those little inspirational birdies fly away never to return.

For instance, I rewrote the last sentence three time while fighting with a six year old about buying gold bricks in some stupid Lego game on the iPad. (No, I will not go down the I hate technology road. You're welcome.)

So, how do I keep going? Well, I write. (stops to answer my husband's phone call.) Between phone calls and cooking meals and breaking up fights, I write. On anything I can get my hands on.  Anywhere I find inspiration.

Now, I must get something done before someone realizes I just wrote a whole blog post!

The way I see it, someday I will get a few minutes of silence to...  (did I mention it's a snow day here?)