Author Rants

This is primarily a platform for book reviews, but considering that it is in fact, a blog I am still entitled to a few rants am I not?

People often ask me how my book is doing. "How is Enchanted Incognito going? Have you sold many copies? How come I don't see it at my local bookstore?" Thank you for your support and concern, really and truly.... But, I am a self published author. Sure, when I was going through the process and received cover arts from the graphic design team and received my manuscript review and etc, I was full of hope and illusion too. I believed it would be as simple as having a paperback book, that would be all I would need to start my journey towards the NY Times best sellers list. But eventually reality caught up with me and I soon knew that I still had a long road ahead of me.

I very much appreciate all the support and the love, truly! I am so grateful for it, it is overwhelming. My family and friends especially have been so great! Your belief in me is awe-inspiring and is what keeps me going when I feel discouraged by my lack of numbers.

Often though, there is a point in this seemingly caring conversation when the scale tips and it becomes frustrating..... when people say "So how come you haven't published the sequel yet? haven't you finished writing it? what's the hold up? You're creating it aren't you? so just do it! its simple!" ..... It's really much less simple than it appears to be, actually......

Writers' Block! (The bane of every writer's existence. It is real, it is horrifying and it can cripple you! Be warned!)

Why is it that some people seem to think that writing is as easy as putting pen to paper? I mean sure, the actual act of writing may be that simple; but writing something of substance.... something that will connect with people, leave a mark on people, impact them in some way..... something meaningful. It is not that simple at all!

Sometimes, I can sit down and start writing something and emerge a few hours later with thousands of words to show for it, sometimes I stare at a blank screen for hours feeling utterly useless. Such is the life of a writer unfortunately!

It isn't as though it doesn't plague us too though. Like we're not frustrated by it? I want to write so desperately right now! I wish I could just put words together and finish another chapter, but if I did that right now, it wouldn't be my best work, It wouldn't do my story or my characters justice. It wouldn't be honest. It would be fraudulent.... and I think that readers can tell the difference. At least I know that I can tell, when a book starts out great and reels me in so well, but then suddenly just doesn't sit right. I can picture the author, sitting in front of a computer, fingers figuratively bleeding from just punching out words to stick to a deadline or to succumb to pressure somehow and it shows in the writing.

People often ask me why I have another job. "Why are you a teacher then? Why don't you just write full time, maybe then you would have finished the novel by now." You try staring at four walls and a blank word document all day and let me know if it inspires your creative juices! Let me tell you from experience.... If you don't go out there and live an actual life, nothing you write is going to relate to anyone!

More power to the people who are able to write full time, but I believe that these people have probably lived a few books worth of life before they started this "full time career" in novelism.

How does one write through the eyes of a teenager, if one never interacts with teenagers? (unless of course they are teens themselves). How does one write about a spine tingling romantic affair, without having experienced spine tingling romance?

While a wild imagination certainly helps fiction writers sell books, a wild imagination or a creative story is not what moves people to tears or has them wanting to throw the book out the window or clutching on to it for dear life. You won't send people into a crazed book hangover with a really creative story.... you won't touch lives with a wild imagination. It's personal connection, its the hidden honesty, the pieces of your heart, soul and pain that people really connect with. That's what has the power to change someone's life. That's what makes a person feel less alone. That's the difference between books and literature! And that, cannot be achieved by staring at blank walls and a blank word document all day. That can only be found through real life experiences.... through heart break.

It is my theory, that every bestselling book, every hit song, every block buster movie, every museum curated piece of art, stemmed from some kind of heart break. It may not be romantic heart break.... not every successful artist has had a hard break up, but they have been through heart shattering pain of some kind. The kind that feels too big and too painful to deal with alone. The kind that makes people search for something to believe in.

Writers work through that pain with their writing, and even if that's not what we write about, the pain becomes a part of who we are. We wear it like armour, we all do. So it makes sense that a writer would drip bits of it into their art, just like a musician or a painter would. If your art isn't honest, if it doesn't make some kind of comment about the world, about life, then what is the point of it? We all claim that these are just forms of entertainment, but that's a lie. They are all ways for us to connect to one another, for us to feel like we belong, for us to feel less alone in our struggles.

I dunno about other writers out there, but the heart ache that inspired my latest masterpiece is one that I want to write about delicately. I owe it to this heart ache and I owe it to myself. So no, I can't just force the words out. It's taken me this long to even be able to write about it at all, so each word has to be the right one. That cannot be forced or rushed. I would love to be able to finish it today as well, but it takes as long as it takes.... I know though, then when I finally do finish it, it will be my best work thus far. It will be my masterpiece and it will be worth it!

OK, I'm done ranting now. Time for a glass of wine!

All my fellow writers out there.... bloggers, poets, lyricists, and novelists - what are your thoughts about this? Do people say the same kinds of things to you?

#authorrants #lifeofanauthor