Writing with the fishes!!!

The last few months of this pregnancy has been trying for us here in the Ax family. Lots of doctor visits and medicine. This being the case, I have not been able to be on here like I would like(this makes excused absence # 345, I know, I know, LIFE BE CRAZY!!! lol). Monday makes 34 weeks and so if he tries coming they won't stop him. It is now completely up to Dorian to pick his B-day.

I won't say it hasn't been a bit stressful. Still, I had a wonderful gift from my wife that has me super inspired and has given me a great writing tool.  I got a new 75 gallon fish tank with Koi in it.  I love them so much and the peaceful flow of the water pump is like having a fountain again.

There is nothing quite like sitting in a quiet room, the water flowing and Koi swimming around. I have already gotten a few really good writing secession done in front of them. Thankful for the small things that mean so much. 

Anyway, I hope all is well your way. As always, have fun and keep writing.

IWSG

IWSG is an awesome group that formed to allow people to express concerns or give advice or just get some things off their chest. To join in the fun go here and sign up.

This month I wanted to post something that has been on my mind lately. Failure. It is a hard word. To fail, to not succeed at something. Even, to be a failure. When going through it you feel every bit the word. Depending on what it is you are failing at can be the difference of depression or even quality of life.

What I am learning as I get older is a strange fact. Failure, is just as important as success. You heard me right. Success is amazing and I wish it for everyone trying to accomplish their dreams, but failure is its counterpart and as hard as it may seem, a very important part of life.

As you grow older you will at times look back on your life and realize that each step no matter how hard or heartbreaking changed you into who you are today. Maybe who you are today is not the person you want to be, maybe you are failing right now. Want to know an awesome secret? Time moves on. One day you will look back and see your hardships and wear them like a badge of pride. 

Does that mean everyone who fails one day goes on to better things? No. There is another secret though. If you want to have the best chance of success there is one thing you can and must do. Learn from these things. Worry, fear, anger, all of these are normal emotions, but never let them consume you. Have your moment to realize what you are going through in life, find out what is in your power to change and then let go of what you can't.

There is a saying that many people use, but my family has always said it, since I was a kid I've heard it. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". It is a great saying, a warrior's saying, but it is missing something. On the end needs to be added, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, if you let it." We are in control of our lives, even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes, how we react to a situation is one of the most powerful gifts we have. 

Anyway, here is hoping everyone learns from their mistakes and failures and finds that success we all hope for. As always, have fun and keep writing.

A year in the making.

I am not a big "New Year resolution" kind of guy. It seems quite arbitrary to try and better yourself because a new year hits the calendar. Now, that is not to say it is wrong, just not something that works for me. I do, however, set goals for myself. Things like, where do I want to be by the end of this year, what are some things I can accomplish in the time I have?

In doing that, it is always helpful to look at the year that has gone by and reflect on what I failed at and what I was able to get done. Well, this year was actually one of the most productive I have had in quite some time. In 2013 I focused on becoming a published author. I made connections with some amazing people who are on that same journey. I learned about two very different paths to accomplishing that goal and was able to publish not one, but two books.





I have been able to get feed back from people I have never met on something that I pulled from my mind and made into a reality. I have to say, if nothing else, it was empowering. It showed me that all those years of sitting back and just hoping to one day get my ideas out there or to do something with my art, was not the kind of person I wanted to be.

This year taught me to be a doer. I was talking with someone the other day about how long I lived in the future instead of the present. Life happens now and we can let it pass us by if we are not careful. I have decided that waiting is for others, now is the time for my dreams to happen and I am the person that will make them.

It has been a lot of work and things are only picking up from there. Life takes dedication and focus, but in leaving you I don't want to forget something else that it takes to find your dreams in this world. Sometimes, you have to stop the work, take a second and have some fun. Sure, "stop and smell the roses" is a cliche, but it's a good one.

Here is some of that fun I was talking about, and don't worry I've only partially lost my mind.

(this is what working on music until 2 in the morning can get you)

LOOK!

I know I said I wasn't going to post again before the new year, but I had to share something. Being creative is something that I live for and while writing books is at the top of my list there are a few things that are very close to that for me. One of those is music and I was with a friend the other day and we had a bout of creativity that sounded like this.

"Hey let's write a song."

"Okay, I got this lyric that has been running through my head."

"Cool write it down."

Three hours later this is what we had. Enjoy. See you again soon.

Post by Wayne Mitchum.

Starting to branch out.

We all start on this journey at different paths. The thing I like most about blogging are the people I've met here that have given me a new family, at least in my mind. 

When I put out Elemental I was extremely scared and not sure of what to expect. Blogging and its community are some of the things that got me through.

When a good friend of mine finished his children's books he asked advice on what he should do next. The first thing on my lips was, "You have to start a blog."

He knew he wanted to have one since he has several kids books in the works, but wasn't sure when the right time was. 

Well he finally decided the time is now and got his blog up. If you would, I'd love to show him how awesome and supportive this community can be. So pop on over to Annaliese Creations and say hello, maybe give a follow.

So onto the book. Here is a description from Amazon.

Twig loses his place in his family tree when a storm blows through. He is left completely vulnerable and must try his best to make it own his own. As he struggles to fit in with anyone that will accept him, he soon finds himself at the attention of a very scary bird. Will Twig get back home, or will he be alone forever? Inspired by my own personal experience with adoption, this is a heart warming story that penetrates the soul and opens the mind to the possibility of change and the true meaning of family.

The art is fun and the story is moving. This is a great book for children who have been adopted or have issues with fitting in and also just a great story to read your early readers. Here is a link to its Amazon page. TWIG.

Anyway, this will probably be the last post I do before the new year, so Merry Christmas and happy anything else you celebrate this time of year. Hope to see you all again as the new year starts and we all scramble to begin meeting those goals. As always, have fun and keep writing.

Busy is good...right?

So, I have been the most irregular blogger as of late. In part this is due to the fact I am trying to only blog when I feel I have something insightful or meaningful to say. The other reason is I feel like someone has pressed the fast forward button on the 24 hours a day I am entitled to as a human being. 

That person, of course, would be me. With a new baby on the way I know my writing time is going to take a dip in a few months. So being me I do the only thing I deem reasonable—I have sent my work into overdrive. This past month I've been pulling about 3k words a day on three different WIPs. I try to stay steady while being careful not to burn myself out. So far so good. 

I am actually very inspired at the moment and being able to bounce from story to story has kept things fresh. Now of course that means I will have to work hard in revisions to try and make it all sound like distinct pieces of literature, but I am hoping to be finished with at least two of them by March. (first drafts at least)

 I said a few post ago that I would announce something cool I am going to be doing. Now on course with how things work for me, in the middle of baby mania and Christmas and writing and many, many other things, I was asked to take part in something else using a separate artistic skill. A good friend asked if I would illustrate a kid's chapter book for them. 

So far I have been working up character designs and sitting and talking with him about how he wants things to look and feel. It has been a great fun and I can't wait to show everyone some of the art. Still with all of this going on I do think I could use some extra arms. 

Anyway that's some of what's going on in my world, how about you? As always have fun and keep writing.

Help the Fantasy.

It's no secret that my first love in writing and reading is Fantasy. I am talking about sword and sorcery, get a horse and rise to the occasion, Fantasy. I grew up reading it and truly feel there is nothing better out there.

If you feel like I do or know someone who does there is a really cool thing going on over at Regarding Silexare. David has put together an awesome Kickstarter for his novel A Sawmill's Hope.

The Kickstarter will be coming to an end in seven days and some more pledges would be welcome. He has put together some cool packages and some neat stretch goals.

Check out the Video.

Go check out the Kickstarter. Even if you have only a few bucks this is your chance to become part of something that will be an amazing world and work of Fantasy.

Buy a book.

I was raised by a single mother. My circumstances were as such that there wasn't even a weekend visiting situation or holidays. Luckily, I had a mom that filled both rolls quite well and most times I never felt the loss. We are shaped by our surroundings to varying degrees. Statistically broken homes can at times produce broken children. In all honesty I can thank books as part of the reason I look fondly upon my childhood. 

One of the first books I remember my mom reading to me was The Saggy Baggy Elephant. A book I have recently purchased and can't wait to read to my soon to be born son. It was a great Story about an elephant trying to find where he fit in. 

I was lucky in my life to have a second mom. My Godmother who I grew up calling Mamma Donna. I found the Narnia books in her library that started me on my path to writing fiction and fantasy. Still, there was a book before those that honestly shaped me as a person I still think about it at times in my adult life. That book was Charlotte's Web. 

My Godmother would read that book to me often. While I did find the movie eventually and enjoyed it immensely, I will always hold to the words of that book. 

“Why did you do all this for me?' he asked. 'I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you.' 

“You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing...after all, what's a life anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die...By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.” 

― E.B. White

“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” 

― E.B. White

“Children almost always hang onto things tighter than their parents think they will.” 

― E.B. White

Even if I never became an author, these books were my friends. They taught me lessons and gave me comfort and to this day reading can make me feel better no matter the situation.

I was at the store buying gifts for my kids the other day and while waiting to pay I overheard a conversation. There was a boy maybe thirteen or fourteen and he was asking what was inside a box sitting on the counter. 

The man checking people out said, "Oh it's a collection of books."

The kids face scrunched up like he'd smelled something bad and he said, "Oh, never mind, I hate books. I can't stand them." With that he walked off and most people around me seemed unfazed. 

As for me it truly hurt on some deep level. Not only did I feel offended as a book lover, but I felt bad for the boy.

I was reading on Patrick Rothfuss's blog and here is a link to it. LINK. About families now that have no books at all in their households. I understand that in the world of super ADD and attention spans that make gnats look like studious scholars, it is hard to get a kid to sit down and do something that isn't easy. Still it is worth trying. 

If you know someone who has or have small kids yourself, in all the video games and iTunes gift cards and all the other plethora of electronics they are given this year, think about buying a book. Who knows, you could be the one responsible for making them a better person. 

Anyway, these are some of my thoughts. I have some cool news I hope to get out in the next week or so. As always have fun and keep writing. 

Heavy is the head...

So after my long break I can thankfully say, I have been steadily writing. It's a relief in some ways and at the same time so natural for me. The act of putting words down to create some piece of art is one of the few things that can make me truly happy.

As with any other time I start something artistic I tend to grow contemplative. This time in particular I got to thinking about the information we take in as a writer. 

There are so many things. Watch out for these tropes and cliches. What genre am I writing in? What audience am I writing for? Age group? What are agents looking for right now? What is the most successful voice currently for this genre or that? These and more are often floating around an authors mind the more into the business they are.

Am I saying this is not useful information? Of course not, it is smart to be aware of all of this. The problem comes in when we let these things rule our writing. When they start to take over. It reminds me of when studios come along and make a movie because of some other movie that did well. It happens a lot in all types of entertainment. 

So what should rule your writing? You. Tell the story you want to tell. Know the tropes and cliches only so you can use them in a way you want to. There is a time to let the business or critical world of writing come in, I call that revisions. When you sit down to write that first draft, just write. Don't start your story with all of these boundaries. It is a good way to get bogged down before your first sentence is written.

Anyway, these are just some of my thoughts while writing. As always, have fun and keep writing.

IWSG

This is a group that allows authors to join together and give advice or express insecurities. Started by Alex J Cavanaugh, if you'd like to join up click his name.


Okay before I write my post I just want to say, it is good to be back. I needed some time away from things to order some RL stuff and some writer type things. Just know that I missed you all. Okay onto my post.

This month I want to write about those two words that pop up for writers quite a bit. Writer's Block. I have expressed the views on writer's block by one of my favorite authors Mr. Bob Salvatore. Views I agree with. He states that there is no such thing as writer's block. He says that what people are truly feeling is a lack of confidence about what they are trying to write. I think this is very true.

In fact it is very obvious in how it is often defeated, which is by just sitting down and making yourself write. Still sometimes we have to understand where that lack of confidence comes from before we can proceed. It is truly a theme that is behind this group I believe. Insecurity leads to a lack of confidence.

I have talked about not living up to expectations. I have talked about not feeling up to the task of writing a certain story. This past month I have hit a new block.

The lingering questions. 

Sometimes this can mean something to do with the plot. In fact there were a few questions I had about where I wanted the story to go. More so there was a question hanging over me about where I wanted to go as an author. 

I have had a few changes go on in my life and when that happens I tend to reevaluate things. It seemed until I had a solid plan to follow, my fingers refused to type another word on any of my manuscripts. So, I did the only thing I could think of at the time. I shut it all off.

I stopped blogging, twittering, FBing, Goodreadsing. lol. I just lived and hung out with my family and tried to focus on life. It proved to be very cathartic. I let time fix my issues. Soon the need to write came to me. I was able to work out a plan for my path to publishing more books and I was ready to be back in my writing world, that I love so much.

Sometimes the best thing is to let your problems dissipate on their own. Being who I am, I have a bad habit of forcing things to happen or work. It is through age that I am learning not all things can be fixed with this method.

Anyways, I hope everyone has been well. As always, have fun and keep writing.

Happy Halloween!

Hi all. I hope you guys had a great and safe Halloween. I hope to be back and blogging very soon.

The Vanished Knight.

1. Before writing what do you spend the most time on, world building, character development or plot?

*Grins* Actually, before writing a given book, I'm probably writing something else entirely. I get ideas, let them sit and ripen while I read or work on something else. 

When an idea grows into a monster taking up all my thoughts, I open my notebook, grab my fountain pen, and get drafting. 

The Vanished Knight is the first book I finished, so I got the idea while deluded with the idea that I could plan it out. I couldn't. In the end, world building, characterization and some of the plot happened while I was rough drafting. 

I refined everything when I rewrote the whole thing for computer.

One thing I do prepare ahead of time is a playlist. Using the feelings and bits of characterization I have, I put together a playlist that reflects the sense I'm going for in the story.  

2. Music is a must for me as well and I know all about the ideas building while writing. What are some things you like to keep around you when you are writing that help you stay in the seat?

When I'm drafting, I need three things: The notebook devoted to the story. The fountain pen (which I'm now starting to think I should name). And the playlist. The moment I have the music on, the book open and the pen poised, I'm locked in and ready to go. 

So much so that I usually set an alarm before I start, if I know I have to go do something else. 

3.I agree it needs a name, maybe Excalibur.  If you were a character in your story who would you be?

Probably Gawain. I know, weird that I'm picking a guy. But he's the one I'm least mean to. And even saying that, I know there's stuff about him that's seriously messed up. 

Unlike Callan, though, he doesn't have an evil entity destroying his life. And unlike Darrion, he doesn't need to fight for every scrap of achievement he can get. I'm not even going to mention James and Ward's issues. 

4.Lol, well in misery we find our story.  What are some things you can tell us about your book?

Mmm.... Okay... Guys, lots of badassery. Girls... Darrion and Gawain.

Read the book to see what I mean. :-P

5. I will definitely do so. Sometimes when I write I have types of scenes that come easier to me than others. What are your favorite types of scenes to write?

Funny enough, it's the scenes where Darrion and Callan argue. Actually where Darrion argues with anyone. He has this f-you attitude towards most people around him, so it's fun to a) go at someone with no holds barred or b) to see him struggling to hold back when he knows he should but really doesn't want to. 

James has something similar, and by the rewrite, his voice was loud and clear, which made him easy to write. But something about Darrion's particular brand of verbal skill and dry, sharp wit makes him a landslide winner in the best argument stakes. 

6.I agree with you there something about getting to let go on someone is fun to write.  What first made you want to be an author?

Writing The Vanished Knight did. Before, it was just about getting stories down that I liked. But with TVK, I knew I had something special, so I knew I wanted to publish. 

7. That is great the story pushed you. What does the future hold for you?

Hopefully the rest of the series published, twenty plus other projects completed. And who knows? War of Six Crowns, the TV Series knocking Game of Thrones from its perch. Who says a girl can't dream. ;-)

Nothing wrong with that at all. Thanks for answering my questions it was a lot of fun learning about you and your story.

Here is a blurb of the book:

Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...

When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.

But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess.

Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.

Author Bio:

M. Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has basically created stories since before she could write. Many of those stories grew up with her and can be seen in her current projects.

She lives close to Cape Town, with a view over False Bay and Table Mountain.

If you’d like to contact her, feel free to mail her at warofsixcrowns(AT)gmail(DOT)com, Circle her on Google Plus or follow her on Twitter. If you'd like to see her writer-side (beware, it's pretty insane), please feel free to check out her blog. You can also add her or The Vanished Knight on Goodreads

Here are some places you can find the book, go support it.

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

All Romance Reads

Amazon France

Amazon Germany