A wonderful thing about writing is how we love and rant about it all the time, usually in the same breath.
I do this about types of sandwiches too. It’s honestly very soothing to make favourite vs least favourite lists for just about anything. Although honestly, you could threaten to toss me into a black hole in space and I still would not eat grated soggy carrot on a sandwich. Do I look like a monster with no standards.
Now since I have a book coming out (hOW iS it onLY 13 MOrE DayS) I thought it’d be prudent to talk about what I LOVE vs DISLIKE about the author life! This gives you a great opportunity to get to know more of my utterly professional writing life and not get worried that I wrote my book out of crumbs and crayons while shrieking back at the whispers in the trees.
Haha, I did not. Don’t regret your preorders. Please. I love you.
☆ THAT BRILLIANT BURST OF INSPIRATION
Okay so “brilliant” might be my humble * side coming out, but I can’t even describe the satisfaction that comes when you smack through a plot problem or just get that sliver of an idea that’ll tie two pieces of plot together. And my feelings are just: !!!!!! Seriously, if exclamation marks were a feeling, IT’D BE ME. Those moments are what makes me fall sparkly-eyed in love with writing.
* LMAO WHAT IS THAT. DO I HAVE ONE.
☆ REREADING YOUR WORK AND ACTUAL LIKING IT
It took me yeeeears to get there, but HEY. I have arrived. First drafts are still dubious but I actually genuinely love my work and this is so satisfying.
☆ WHEN YOUR HUMOUR IS ACTUALLY FUNNY
I swear writing humour is like having someone stand 12ft away away and throw an egg in your mouth. IT’S SO HARD TO MAKE IT WORK. Like: am I sleep deprived or is this brilliant wit??? And half the time my book’s humour is like I just wrote the blooper reel into the book. (I may or may not have a scene in A Thousand Perfect Notes where a “big secret” is revealed and instead of kindness, the love interest just laughs and laughs and laughs. So supportive. Much kind.) But when you know you got that scene’s humour right?? BREAK OUT THE CAKE FOR I AM SKILLZ.
☆ WRITING EASTER EGGS
Whyyy did no one never mention how fun this is!?? My book’s are actual minefields of references, sometimes to fandoms or things I like or a meme (or even my blogggg!). But the best is when I can reference my own books. I knoooow. Small things amuse small minds but I get such pleasure out of this.
Although lowkey disappointed that “writing easter eggs” does not involve, in fact, any chocolate eggs. Sometimes the world fails us in the most horrible ways.
☆ WRITING HIGHLY-STRUNG EMOTIONAL SCENES
I insert a deviously malicious smiley face here. HA. I love writing those moments where everything and everyone is just breaking, and maybe nearly-crying or fighting emotions or losing their mind over something terrible happening. THIS IS MY MOMENT. I also actually do a lot of unique-formatting with my words too. This pleases me.
THIS IS FROM A WORK-IN-PROGRESS.
☆ BEGINNINGS
Bring me the BEGINNING this is where I thrive! Or, well, where I cry marginally less. OK actually in the last fantasy book I wrote I wanted to stab my book’s opening. But usually the beginnings are my favourite because there’s lots of banter and not everyone is DEAD YET.
☆ WHEN SOMEONE ELSE LOVES YOUR BOOK.
THIS GOES WITHOUT SAYING. BUT IT IS THE FREAKING BEST THING IN THE WORLD AND I CAN’T EVEN. Also making people cry? Right up there too.
Um, yeah, I am a nice person. I return my library books on time, I pet my dog, I often vacuum the whole house for my family. And I thrive on the dark glory of making people cry when reading my books. I don’t know what else to tell you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
☆ HOLDING YOUR BOOK AND KNOWING YOU NEVER HAVE TO READ IT AGAIN.
Hah haha hahha. I’m so sorry. But it is such a beautiful moment…like omg look at YOUR SON. It’s all grown up and wearing clothes a cover now and has hopefully no typos and is ready to trot off into the world and and offend someone probably be loved by all.
I LOVE HOLDING MY BOOK. LOVE IT.
☆ WAITING…AND WAITING…AAAAND WAITING
The road to being an author is 67% waiting and thinking about cheesecake. Let no one tell you differently. This has me shrieking constantly and I’m pretty sure they hear me in Peru and everyone there is just crossing fingers and hoping I pass out at some point to give them a break. BUT I SWEAR, WAITING NEVER GETS EASIER.
☆ THE FIRST TIME YOU LET YOUR NEW BABY PROJECT OUT INTO THE WORLD FOR HUMAN EYE CONSUMPTION.
Ughhh I swear this is why I procrastinate so much. It’s that moment when you have to go: “OK someone else is going to read my book for the first time and prOBABLY HATE IT and I will die a quiet slow death in the mountains with only a goat and a square of cheese to last out my final hours before the bog mires take me.”
I mean, that’s literally never happened. But my brain assures me the next time will be it.
☆ COPY EDITING
Because it’s hard!! By this point I’ve read my book 500 times and I want to put in a pot with a few stones and when the stones are soft, that’s when I feel like looking at my manuscript again. (lol lol what a roast…what a pot roast.) (YEAH OK I’LL STOP NOW.) But I also am just terrified of typos getting through. I’m a little dyslexic so spelling is…haha. What is that.
☆ FINISHING A PROJECT AND ENTERING THE VOID
I need to be working!! Always !! working !! And if I finish a project with nothing immediately to move onto…
This is me 1000% in gif format.
“Take a break!” they say. “It’ll recharge you they say!” WELL I’D RATHER PANIC, THANKS. I like to always be stewing on something, so if I’m in a void where I’m either (a) blocked, or (b) super blocked, or (c) bLocKEd and WaiTING and bLOCKED = then expect me to just stand there shrieking. Forever.
☆ WORRY THAT MY CHARACTERS OR IDEAS ARE TOO SIMILAR
Nothing’s more fun than self-plagiarising. OF COURSE. And I’ve written thirty-drafts of novels so it’s up to the point where I am like, “IS THIS NEW GENIUS OR STOLEN GENIUS FROM ANOTHER OF MY BOOKS.” Mostly I just shriek and eat ice cream. There is no cure. There is only dOOM.
☆ NEGATIVE REVIEWS
I mean. Obviously. And look I learned my lesson! I read a bunch of negative reviews about two months ago and I have not looked at ANY reviews since. (Except for some super lovely ones people sent me.) Although lowkey d y i n g that I’ve been tagged in some negative reviews. Like I do not expect everyone to love my book, but reviews aren’t for the author so leeeeeave me out of it.
☆ ALL THE GENERAL HARD STUFF
Like when you have to rewrite THE WHOLE BOOK. Or you’re absolutely blocked on solving a problem. Or you’re sick of your book. Or if you read super good books by other authors and despair of ever being good enough. Rejection! Forgetting how to use words! Spilling crumbs over your laptop! Chewing through a brick wall! Forgetting your characters’ names! nOT BEING SURE WHAT YOUR BOOK IS ABOUT!
BEING TOLD YOU ONLY GOT A BOOK DEAL BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF FOLLOWERS. (This is so so unfair lol lol.)
All that stuff.
So fun. Much hard. It makes me all shriek.
And yet somehow it doesn’t outweigh the good stuff?! It absolutely just does not. As hard as writing is (and it is hard and I’ve put absolutely thousands of hours into it), it is still my favourite thing and I will be an unashamed sap here and just say:
i really love the magic of telling stories and i can never never stop
reading your blog honestly makes me want to write, but idk i am so terrified of failure? writing block 24×7? having so many ideas that simply are not being put down on paper? idk what i am doing welp!
also! SO! EXCITED! FOR! YOUR! BOOK!
i can’t wait until someone lets me buy one more book this year because yours is totally the next one on my list!!!!
Thank you so much for being excited about my book!! I truly appreciate it!! 💛 And I mean writing isn’t easy, but it definitely gets more comfortable the more you do it! Just don’t expect yourself to be perfect to start. 😉
My favorite parts is emotional scenes, typing “the end,” getting to write snappy dialogue, and knowing that other people are reading and loving my book. My least favorite part is meeting deadlines, being expected to focus, and having to write action sequences.
AND MY BRAIN DOES NOT TAKE BREAKS. I HAVE ENOUGH PLOT IDEAS TO LAST ME FIVE LIFETIMES, AND KENDEARIA *STILL* KEEPS BRINGING ME MORE.
Kendra E. Ardnek recently posted…My Favorite Indie Contemporaries
AHH! We’ve got so many favourites in common! Snappy dialogue is so fun, right?! Makes up for the fact that I personally get my witty comebacks like 9 hours late ha. Okay but focusing is hard too…if I get into hyper focus it’s fine, but like look at me right now. 😂 I should be editing but I’m blogging instead.
BREAKS ARE OBVIOUSLY OVERRATED WHEN WE CAN WORK OURSELVES INTO THE VOID.
Well, I should be sleeping but instead, I’m blogging, so…
Kendra E. Ardnek recently posted…My Favorite Indie Contemporaries
Okay, I was having a lot of fun with this post (#relateable) but exSCUE ME who the fuck told you you only got a book deal because of your followers because I will go and stone them right now. RIGHT NOW. Also about that negative reviews tagging you–are you serious??? I only tag authors when my review is mostly positive or hella positive. Otherwise, no way in hell, I’m not here to depress anyone and I’m not pretentious enough to think my scathing review is what will make the author “write better” next time–mostly because it’s such a subjective thing and I have written scathing reviews for books other people have looooved so clearly I’m not the authority on anything and you do you.
Seriously, I’ve been triggered lol
BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS SO ME! Expect that I kind of beg people to read my stuff throughout the writing process because I need the feedback and also if the thing is good I need someone to ask for more so I’ll keep writing through all of the health issues and the inspiration issues. And I haven’t gotten through some of the bigger milestones yet like the edits so the pain is relatively minuscule at this point but I really want to get there because that will mean something will work even if it will hurt lol
Duuuude, I know. I can’t believe someone said that.😂 People can be so demeaning?! And like all over twitter I see people (unpublished, figures) say that book deals are PURELY luck. And I’m like, no!? I mean, yes timing and luck CAN play a part in it. But actually most of us work our absolute brains out just trying to get here!!
And books aren’t ever going to suit everyone but apparently readers think that authors will change to suit them.😂Righto.
Your comment makes me feel so much better though hahaha, I was really bothered about this negative review someone sent me the other day.😂They tagged me on instagram AND twitter for it and I’m just like…mate. No.😂
WRITING IS SO HARD WITH FEEDBACK THOUGH. Like we need it and it’s also so terrifying?! Wait till you get to editing. PURE joy. *chokes and dies* 😂
Like, nope. Nopidy nopido no. All the nopes. People are so bitter and are so happy to bring others down it makes me sick… Luck and timing is essential in everything in life, but that doesn’t mean you don’t work hard, don’t deserve it and also… you kind of make your own luck by working hard all the time. That’s just life. I feel like people are just bitter when they see someone succeed where they have yet to :/ GO MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK AND STOP DISSING OTHER PEOPLE’S HARD WORK!
Honestly, I despair of humanity on occasion… The ABCs of reviewing is not to tag an author in a bad review. You don’t need to hide your negative reviews and opinions, just don’t push it at the author. Y’all see the bad reviews even without us tagging and I’m sure its discouraging enough without having it pushed to you like “read it read it”. URG.
Feedback is terrifying but my friends are too nice so I kind of have to yell at them to tell me the bad things too… I’m like “I don’t need positive affirmations, I NEED TO KNOW WHERE I SUCK”.
THE FAVOURITE’S LIST IS ME. I don’t think I’ve ever done easter eggs but yes, very disappointed I DONT ACTUALLY GET A CHOCOLATE EGG. sometimes life is so unfair! But YEs, reading back over old work…and thinking “Woah? I WROTE THIS?!” and then feeling so inspired to spew some more words out. And sometimes, I find bits in my WIP I totally forgot I wrote and THEY ARE SO HILARIOUS. Like I’m sure I was about to fall asleep writing half my novel bc I was writing so late but wow, gosh, SOMETIMES THIS WORKS. But ha, I’ve also found super cringey jokes in my WIP so yeah. I LOVE WRITING EMOTIONAL SCENES. I have these whole 2 chapters in my book just where EVERYTHING is breaking and going to pieces and death and suffocating and all the good stuff and they ARE SO FUN TO WRITE I LOVE TORTURING MY CHARACTERS.
I mean, I’m fine SHARING SNIPPETS of my writing. That’s fine bc I get to choose the nice good bits and pretend my WIP is good. But I am kinda still getting to terms with OTHER PEOPLE READING IT HOLY HECK. But I’m hoping after some more editing, I AM going to let some people read it but IM TERRIFIED?!
ilsa @ a whisper of ink recently posted…The Rising Author Tag // crafting my characters, why i love writing + snippets!!
Look I HAVE to make an “Easter Egg” in one of my books someday that genuinely references chocolate Easter Eggs and it’ll be like Easter egg inception. Also how do I even have a career in this.😂 I’m terrible ahhhem.
Oh! I love that moment when you read something back expecting it to be horrible and it’s actually kind of good?! Wow @ past me, you did a good job for once.😂 And yessss to those emotional scenes. Like when you get to just BREAK everyone. So sweet. So lovely. Bookworm me would HATE writer me but oh well. *flips hair*
Just wait till you get to send your baby off into the world.😂I think there’s like a whole mental shift we have to do that, to remind ourselves feedback DOESN’T equal “hate”. I still struggle with that honestly and I’ve been writing like a fiend for 7 years. Being able to improve doesn’t mean we’ve failed!
The brilliant-flashes-of-inspiration thing- YES. That’s the ACTUAL BEST. Especially when you realize that your brilliant flash for one book will actually solve a major issue in another book and it’s like HALLELUJAH. Also when you reread your work and you’re like “Huh, some of this is actually really good!”
Problems . . . rereading your work and realizing that your characters are all illogical balls of angst and idiocy. It’s very frustrating. I run into it a lot.
Great post!
Sarah Taleweaver recently posted…Fight Song Chapter 16
I agree to ALL OF THIS. You’re SO right! I was watching a documentary on Netflix last night about toys and someone said that it’s an amazing feeling to be able to hold something you worked so many years on designing and making and have it mean so much to people you don’t even know. And I was like YES. That’s exactly what I want! To be able to hold something you’ve worked so long and so hard on, must be SUCH an amazing feeling. To know you created something that means something to people. That’s exactly what I imagine it must be like holding your own book. I love writing, even with it’s ups and downs. I love creating stories and getting to know my characters and discover who they are and what their life is like. I love imagining how the inside of my book will look like. Will it have special formatting in some parts? What will the cover look like? Will there be something gorgeous hidden beneath the dust jacket? Writing is something so magical to me and even with how much it frustrates me sometimes, I still love it so much.
Bee (Quite The Novel Idea / Novel Ink) recently posted…{Mirror Mirror} Bee’s April & May Recap
lol, I love this post! I claim guilty of being completely overflowing with joy when two things make sense together!!! Every point here is perfect. XD
I spent 7 years working as an acquisitions editor for literary journals, so I understand the waiting part. I’d get emails from authors that were like, “I sent you a story last week and haven’t heard back yet. Have you read it?” Then I’d have to send the professional version of an email that basically said, “Um . . . Dude, I’m still swamped with stuff from 9 months ago. If you want to be an author, you need to learn to chill.” I don’t think authors realize how much stuff gets submitted to publishers. It’s intense.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…The Sunshine Blogger Award
I am an ending writer! I always write the end of a draft and then I have to go and plot it. Which is weird? but I take my book idea, and write the end. Which is usually very emotionally charged and heartbreaking. It feels like I’ve grabbed unto the characters emotions? So then, I go and plot the entire thing and start writing from the beginning.
I’ve only had to change the ending significantly one time. because the first time, the characters were romantically involved? But after plotting and writing to that point, the romance wan’t happening between these two. Which is ok, because it’s actually alot better that way!
Ok, wowwowowow, I talked about that alot. But beginnings are so hard for me to write! Because they need to be super interesting and hook people and I just want people to read the beautiful end and all the work I put into a compelling ending.
And I pre-ordered ATPN, but I live in the US, and I’m afraid it’s going to take FOREVER to arrive. 🙁
So true. Though in order for me to deal with the publishing things I should probably finish a book. My attention span is too short so the power to touch your computer and immediately write an entire book would be extremely useful.
Also we heard you shrieking here in America. It interrupted our annual Hunger Games
I never once wrote a book in my life hoho. I’m sorry to say I just love reading. I love writing essays though and haikus. Just not stories and/or books. Anyway, when I write essays, I always find the beginning difficult to write. Catchy opening lines are so hard to find I still have to search the wilderness for them. When I am unsuccessful in finding a catchy opening line in the wilderness, I just take a break and hunt for chocolates.
My sister always tells me I should write more and maybe that’s one of the things that finally pushed me to publish my blog. I hope someday I will have the imagination to write a book. With the help of many chocolates, who knows?
My best parts are undoubtedly characters and world buildings, because my characters ALL get these super-extensive backstories (even That One Background Character From Chapter One Who Never Appears Again(tm)) and my worlds always have these minutiae histories that literally nobody would care about, but it supplies so much scaffolding for how the world works aND I JUST LOVE DOING THAT AND PEOPLE ALWAYS COMPLIMENT AND THEN I DIE A HAPPY BLOB.
*ahem*
I usually struggle with middles, because my brain is just like “You know how it ends, sKIP TO THE END!” and I cAn’T dO tHaT bRaIn, but I’m actually struggling with the beginning for my superhero novel because there’s so much exposition even though there’s really only subtle changes between our world and their and it HURTS.
I’m constantly thinking up ideas, but I have to force myself to take breaks so I can, y’know, LIVE. And breathe. And eat. And sleep.
I relate so much to building endless backstories and details for every character. Sometimes my stories seem to be workdbuilding simulation games. XD
Lmao it’s like “Hmm. I could write the actual story, OR I could give this one character an Extremely Traumatic Past(tm) and work on THAT for hours….”
Beginnings are my nightmares. It’s probably why I’ve only managed to finish two complete stories. I look forward to the day when I will finish a major project and see how I react to the Void! I’ll probably just chase a new shiny idea.
Those sparks of brilliance and liking your writing makes it all worth it though. ^.^