From Cyborg Love Stories to Sapphic Gore: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Writing

The first novel I ever attempted to write was a cyborg love story.

A scientist decided to craft her perfect mate and, somehow, ended up with a cyborg. The anti-cyborg government decided their love ruined their plan to dismantle all non-human entities and started hunting them.

Really, looking back, it’s not the worst plot I’ve ever come up with, but the writing and characters are best placed in a b-movie (are their c-movies? d-movies? that’s more accurate LOL). I remember that my scientist had gold eyes (no idea why) and the cyborg had one eye in the middle of their forehead (yeah, I clearly got cyborgs confused with cyclopes). Needless to say, it never got published :) In fact, I never showed anyone the story, and it sits on a floppy disc (yes, I’m that old) somewhere in the universe for which I have no idea exactly the coordinates.

Since then, I’ve studied writing, joined many different writing groups, and fulfilled a dream of going back to school and getting my MFA in Writing. I’ve published books, editing anthologies, and become a freelance fiction editor to work with authors and help them enhance their work and, of course, to help them understand the different between an AI creature and a giant from Geek mythology. Oh, and my work-in-progress is a sapphic horror with plenty of gore.

The journey has been wild, and here’s a summary of what I’ve learned about the writing community as well as myself:

The good: Writing is our lives, dreams, therapy, and purpose. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. Creating worlds, characters, and stories is something that runs through us even in those times of writer’s block. For me, it’s the only thing I’ve ever truly wanted to do, and I am thrilled, privileged, and humbled to be a storyteller like so many before and many after. The indie community is extremely supportive and helps boost each other up. Getting something published for the first time is elating, and even if a story never sees the pages of a publisher’s catalogue, sitting down and constructing a story from start to finish is a huge accomplishment that fuels creativity. It’s an incredible occupation!

The bad: We must be our own marketing team, or at least, most of us must be our own cheering squad. The lucky few will land big contracts from big publishers and have teams come up with strategies to sell books. For those who stay in the indie word, by choice or because of living in the slush piles, the responsibility for book selling rests completely on our shoulders. So, if you are an introvert, if you’re not great on TikTok or Instagram, if you don’t want to have an account of every new social platform that comes up, it really isn’t a choice. You have to step up and that can be extremely draining not only mentally but in terms of your time that could be spent writing.

The ugly: It’s no secret that writers get crushed under the sole of egotistical editors, receive a ton of negative reviews from disgruntle readers, and often have their souls squashed by the never ending wait for a publishers response (I submitted a manuscript back in 2014 and still haven’t heard back. Fingers crossed!). We’re expected to accept silence from submissions that go unacknowledged. We are pitted against fellow authors for a rare seat at the table. This is the side of writing and publishing we aren’t meant to speak out about.

So, why do we do it? Is the good worth the bad and the ugly? That’s a decision we all have to make for ourselves. There’s no shame in deciding to move forward in a career that brings more joy. Many of us consider quitting, myself included. There’s times with the bad and the ugly get the best of me, and I want nothing more than to restore my sanity and step away. That’s normal. For me, it’s the good that keeps me going. I remember why I started writing, decades ago, as a little kid buying her first diary with money she earned from cat sitting. Writing was an outlet. It was my joy, and even on the worst days, it still is.

Sometimes, that joy is clouded with disappointment, envy, or frustration, but it’s still there, and while I have to dig deep at times, once I pull it out, it keeps me going.

Happy writing :)

How to Avoid Writer's Block in 2019

It’s totally natural.

You’re chugging along, writing your story and then you hit a plot pothole. Okay, no problem. Just take a second, regroup, and keep going. Except that pothole turns into a sinkhole, and then a crater, and soon you’re pulling out your hair, cursing at your computer and yelling about how you should have listened to your parents and gone to medical school.

Welcome to the world of writer’s block. This is a judgement free zone.

If you’re new to writing, this land of endless coffee, arguing with critique partners, questioning your life decisions and bargaining with the devil for a nugget of writing genius may be new. If you’re a seasoned writer, welcome home.

But writer’s block doesn’t need to destroy your New Year’s resolution writing goals. Over the years, I’ve found several helpful ways to beat the blues and get back to doing what I love.

Do something else that is creative. Other than writing, what creative outlet would you like to explore? Don’t worry about your skill set, just explore a different artistic avenue. During the month of October, I participated in Inktober, a themed daily drawing challenge. They aren’t great (you can check them out on my instagram) but it was nice to get the creative juices flowing in a different way. Maybe consider taking a painting class, or buying a chunk of clay and molding a vase. Perhaps you want to hit the Karakoe bars or tour an art museum or try to sew a dress. Whatever it is, enjoy stretching your creative muscles.

Bounce ideas with your critique partners Don’t have a critique partner? I suggest getting one, but if you’re unable, then find a willing friend and bounce ideas off of him or her. But the advantage of a critique partner is being able to help that individual with her project. It gets your mind off your own writer’s block while still keeping the creativity flowing. Plus, it’s fun helping others achieve their creative goals.

Read the type of book your want to write. I have a list of “go-to” authors that I pull up whenever I am in a writing funk. Curling up with my dog, a great book and a cup of coffee always puts me in a good mood. And reading a book I want to be able to write gives me the inspiration I need to keep going.

Get moving. Get out of the house and move that body! Take a walk, or a run. Go dancing. Roll down a hill. Whatever makes you happy :) Just getting up and moving recharges your brain and helps reset your sour mood into something more inspiring.

Write. Sorry, but this is the one you just have to do. The medicine for writer’s block is to sit down and write. Don’t worry about quality or even quantity, just get something on the page. A short story, perhaps? A single paragraph? Maybe a book review? Just write something.

Just remember to give yourself a break. Writing is hard work and you’re bound to have days when you produce nothing more than a jumble of incoherent rubbish. That’s okay :) I’ve been there too! Just keep at it and trust that writer’s block is only temporary.

Have any proven techniques to get over writer’s block? Leave them in the comments below!

Four Simple NaNoWriMo Prep Tips

Four Simple Tips :

It’s time again! November is National Novel Writing Month. So dust of those manuscript plot ideas, grab a pen and paper, and get started!

Um…

But how? How does one go about the task of writing 50,000 words in a single month?! Especially, November. Uh, ever hear of Thanksgiving? How can anyone get work done while stuffed with turkey?!

I’m going to tell you. :) As someone who loves NaNoWriMo, and successfully participated in it for many years, I’m going to share four simple tips that work for me.

1. Have a sensible timeline. Key word: Sensible. The first year, I decided to write everyday. I broke that promise the first weekend. The key to pacing out this month long marathon is time management, according to your own realistic expectations. If you don’t want to write the week of Thanksgiving, don’t. Just make up those words some other time. Get a calendar, post is someplace you can see from your desk, and keep track of your progress.

2. Gather a support system. This website is perfect for such a task. Not only can you track your success and receive a printable certificate when you complete your work, but you can connect with other NaNos and cheer each other on.

3. Have your plot outlined. There are outliners and there are pantsers within the writing world. Those who write out the details of their manuscripts, the chapters, each individual scene, all before beginning their manuscript are outliners. And then there are people who sit down in front of their computer and let the creative juices flow, no outline at hand. As you can guess, these are the pantsers. For this particular experience, I’d recommend adopting the outliner’s approach, especially if this is your first novel. Knowing how the book progresses will save a lot of time.

4. Have fun!! Turn off that inner editor and simply sit back and let the creativity bolt through your fingertips. You got this!

Getting started is always the hardest. But you can do this! Take it one day and one word at a time. And when it’s all done, come back here and comment below! Let me know how it went!

(Since I’ll be participating, I won’t be blogging during November. )

Does an Unpublished Writer Need a Website?

Yes.

Thanks for visiting!...No, wait! There's more!!

Yes, I am of the firm belief you need a website even if you're not published. Why?

1. To build a platform: Platforms for the unpublished writer run the risk of becoming a Catch 22. You need a platform to get published, but you can't build a mega platform unless you are published. Okay, true, but that doesn't mean you can't get started and show publishers that you have what it takes to connect with potential readers. If you're not on social media, it's time to suck it up and get an account. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are the holy trinity of social media, at least for the time being. As the times change, make sure you do to and get your name out there.

But once a potential reader has your name, they'll naturally want to know everything about you. That's when they'd go to your website where they can read your background, your blog and exciting news about upcoming publications. If you don't have one, it's harder for a reader to connect with you. And with so many new and promising writers, they'll put you aside and move on.

2. Branding : Social media allows us to give snippets of information, show tiny pieces of who we are and what we're all about. A website expands on that and allows the opportunity to really deliver authentic content to an audience. It's a chance to show your creativity through not only content, but the design of your site, photographs, videos...even the colors you pick say something about you. A website delves into your brand, who you are, what you have to say about yourself and to your audience. And a bad website says a lot. Someone who doesn't even have a website...well, I think that says something too.

But you may be asking, why should I invest money and time into a career that may never take off?

This is the question the majority of unpublished writers ask, and I'm sure the majority of published authors have asked at some point in their past. Simply, you don't have to be a published writer to write. Do what you love and what works best for you. But if you want to be published, whether traditionally or self-published, you need to invest in yourself (perhaps even more if self-published). Think of writing as a job, even if you only have an hour every other day to invest. And money? You don't need to pay for a website if you don't want to. My first website was through blogger.com and I didn't pay a dime.

BUT...you might be saying you don't know how to run a website!

Unless it's your job to make websites, you're not going to know what you're doing. And that's okay because there are tons of tutorials, plus companies like blogger.com or Squarespace make it very user friendly.

BUT BUT...you may just be scared.

Okay, this one I totally understand. Putting yourself out there is scary. You basically are opening a vein and being like "Judge me!!". But remember, you're in control of your website! So if you don't want to mention the time you got drunk at your work party and tripped into a koi pond, don't. And really, why would you? It has nothing to do with writing...unless you have a character who did a similar thing, then I could see why you'd include the anecdote. But really, it's up to you.

I mentioned "bad" websites earlier. I'm of the opinion that there are no perfect websites. We can all use some edits, so don't worry about striving for perfection. When I say "bad", I really mean bad content. Or if you never update it. Just think of website you've been on that left you unimpressed and do the opposite. Easy, right? :)

Now get started and enjoy!