Reading/Writing

I was reflecting today on what got me into this writing thing. It is probably the same thing that gets most writers into writing. Books. 

I can be in the worst mood and walk into a book store or a library and instantly feel happy again. 

After I got my first book out there I started the road that is marketing/getting the next book out. Between that and personal stuff I made a huge mistake. I stopped reading. I think I went a solid 8 months with no reading and for me that is a long time. 

It is strange really because it isn't like I am getting ideas from what I read. I think it is more so that I am resting my brain and enjoying myself. Of course if I enjoy a really good scene I will sometimes reread it and try to figure out what made me love it. Still, I am a better, more productive writer when I read. 

This last month I have finished reading three novels and my writing output has never been better. Life is balance, mixing work with something you love can be very healthy.

Anyway just some of my musing for today. What are you guys reading? As always have fun and keep writing. 

P.S. I added an about the author tab and something else up there I can't wait to share more on. 

Interview with Karen Helen Walker!

Hey guys I am super happy to be part of Karen's book release for The Wishing Steps. If you would like to visit Karen's blog click HERE.

I was lucky to get to interview Karen about her writing and her novel. Below is that interview, hope you all enjoy.

B: What started you on this journey to being a writer?

K: I was always a writer professionally. I was in public relations and communications, so wrote lots of articles and essays, but never with my name on it. Always the client’s name.

In 1999, I quit to write full-time and worked for years on a memoir, Following the Whispers, which was published in 2009.

B: Is there a certain genre of book you like to read more than others?

K: I mostly read novels, historical fiction, mysteries, women’s fiction. But I also read a lot of nonfiction: self-help, spirituality, metaphysical, memoir, biography

B: Do you tend to be a big outliner with your stories or more of a free writer (or like me somewhere in the middle)?

K: Oh God, I never outline. I’ve hated outlines since school days. My stories flow from my heart. Then, once the first draft is done, I go back and work out plot, characterization and other issues out.

B: Do you have a 'writing spot' or a certain routine you like to follow before you start writing?

K: I just write on my laptop in my living room, but I do get myself into a meditative space before I begin writing.

B: What was the inspiration for The Wishing Steps?

K: That’s a bit of a story. I was on vacation in Scotland, standing in the midst of a 2000-year-old burial site when an unfamiliar inner voice said, “Tell my story.” I’d never heard voices before, other than my own inner voices, and wasn’t even sure what I heard, so I said, “I’m on vacation. Sorry.” Then, in Ireland a few days later, I was standing on what they called the wishing steps in the forest surrounding Blarney Castle, when the voice once more said, “Tell my story.” Once again, I ignored it. But I couldn’t ignore it once I got home. The Wishing Steps is the result.

B: Robert Jordan said, when asked if he had a favorite character, that his favorite was the one he was currently writing. Do you have a favorite character that was easier or more enjoyable to write?

K: This is my first work of fiction. I’d written nonfiction for three decades. I guess my favorite character from this book is Brighid from Part I because she lived in primitive times and had to figure things

out for herself when that was so much harder to do without the resources we have today.

B: What are future plans past The Wishing Steps?

K: Sigh! Brandon, I’m sixty-six. I’d like to be retired in the full sense of that word, but I have other books in me wanting to come out. There’s another novel, a companion piece to The Wishing Steps, and more essays and articles.

Thanks again Karen for an awesome interview. And good luck on your release and future endeavors.

Here is some information on The Wishing Steps out now.

Brighid, Ashleen and Megan: Bound through time by a curious light, a mysterious voice and a call they dare not ignore. Yet in obeying this strange force, the women not only see their lives alter beyond recognition but must navigate the violence and scorn of a world that cannot accept their unorthodox ways. 

Can Brighid find a way to sustain her fragile, new beliefs in the face of rape and abandonment? Can Ashleen survive the brutality of an Inquisition that has burnt her mother as a witch? Can Megan defy her family and rise above the derision of an intolerant community?

The women can and do, but not before facing soul-searing trials that call into question everything they know and believe — about themselves and about the world around them.

The Wishing Steps is more than the journey of three women across the ages. It is the journey of all women through all ages…a journey of courage and defiance, trust and acceptance, revolution and transformation. The Wishing Steps is more than a story about three women’s discovery of Goddess. It is a story that all women have lived as they have sought, and fought, to claim their wisdom and express their power. 

There are other novels about women’s empowerment but only The Wishing Steps blends fact and fantasy to wrap it around the story of Goddess, a matriarchal way of life that predates all major religions.

There are other novels about the Goddess. Only The Wishing Steps spans the millennia from prehistory to contemporary times to explore themes of enduring import to women of all ages and backgrounds.

And while The Wishing Steps will attract readers of women’s and feminist fiction, the story of Brighid, Ashleen and Megan will appeal as well to lovers of myth and fantasy and followers of visionary and metaphysical fiction.

Here is a bit about the author.

Karen Walker is a writer who has published essays in newspapers and magazines, as well as in an anthology series. Her memoir, Following the Whispers, was published in 2009. The Wishing Steps is her debut novel. She completed a Bachelor’s degree and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2005 from the University of New Mexico’s University Studies program with a major emphasis in Creative Writing. When she isn’t writing, you may find Karen singing and dancing with Sugartime or The Sophisticated Ladies at nursing homes and retirement communities, singing and playing guitar with friends, traveling with her husband of 20 years, Gary or relaxing with a good book at their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Here is where you can find the book.

Amazon

Barnes & Nobel

Hope everyone is having and amazing day. As always have fun and keep writing.

The Ethereal vs the Real!

I have been writing steadily since I was fourteen years old. I have published two books and have been writing as a published author for over two years.

In that time I have been asked by writers just starting out for advice on how to get started or what they should do.

I think about that question a lot because I don't think any of us really know. I mean even big time authors can give examples, but often say things like, 'that worked for me' or 'this may help you'.

The fact is sometimes things just click and through a lot of hard work, perseverance and a bit of luck some of us find success. 

I think there are many mistakes people make when starting out, but tonight I got to thinking about a big one. 

The idea. 

When you get that good idea and it just really hits you. It is like falling in love. You want to hold it close to you and just live in it. 

This is not a bad thing, it is an integral part of all great stories.

So what is the problem?

Well, the problem is this love is a lie. 

It is like falling in love with someone you have never really met. They can seem amazing and everything you want, but the truth is they don't live in the real world with you. They don't go through the stress of everyday life with you. They are this ethereal idea of love. 

This idea you have for a story is the same. 

The reason is a book has to have order to make it work. You have to tell a story. It has to make sense and be told in a way that is compelling. When you take this amazing idea and start bashing at it to conform to a book, it stops being this perfect thing.

The result of this is we feel like the idea is bad, or worse that we are not good enough for the idea.

Both of these things can be true. The problem comes when we cling to the idea and keep it from letting us go forward. I spent ten years doing this. To think where I would be had I just let that idea go sooner. 

There is a lot of merit to letting yourself just write for yourself. Just sit down and start telling a story that no one will read. When you're done tell another and another and another until you have the confidence to say, "This is good, someone should read this."

Ethereal is great, but real is better. Real is what you have when you complete something and if you do it enough you will be good at it. If you stay stagnant even the best ideas will turn into this bitter old thing that will drag you down with it.

Anyway, these are just some thoughts I had. I hope all is well. As always, have fun and keep writing.

IWSG

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! To join click HERE!



So it has been a few months since I did one of these and I am glad to be back. I don't have too many insecurities today so I figured I would talk about something that has really helped me. 

I think a common problem with writers is the inability to make writing a habit. Ask any successful writer how they got there and though the advice may vary one thing stays the same. WRITE EVER DAY!!

This can be hard for someone who is self publishing and may or may not be seeing much return for their effort.

So I found a cool way to help myself with this. See my wife likes to make list. And plans. And graphs and...well if it involves a piece of paper and figuring something out, she likes to do it.

So I came up with an idea. On a regular writing day I do about 1 to 2k words. On a good day I can get about 5k before fatigue sets in. The problem is with three kids, one of them a toddler, the day slips away faster than you would think. 

So I came up with a rewards program. For ever thousand words I get a point. My wife wrote up a list of things I may want or do, like go see a movie and added a point value to it 10 points for smaller things, 75 for bigger and then so on. So instead of just doing those things I have to earn them through writing.

This really only works if you have to be accountable to this person so make it someone who will actually cares to talk about your writing and ask about your words for the day. 

Anyway I am enjoying this new thing and thought some of you might like to try it. I hope everyone is well. As always, have fun and keep writing.