Quote for the Week

                                                                          

 

 "The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature." 

                                                                                                - C.S. Lewis 

The Power of Words

                                                                              

When Not To Do Your Best

         

    I know, strange heading - right? Essentially every writer wants to write to their full potential. But words are powerful, and sometimes writing to the best of your ability can be very dangerous. This is a topic I have spent much time dwelling on and have even learned more about from personal experience. 

 

    To put it simply, words are very powerful. But let me elaborate. There are renowned authors today who are very talented at what they do. But I also believe that few of them have taken the time to honestly evaluate just how good they really are. You see, if words are arranged in the proper order and the proper time, they can conjure up emotions, ideas, and pictures stronger than reality.

 

    The point that I am trying to get across is best summed up in a short experience that I had not very long ago. I had purchased a book online, I didn't know the author's work but the book was on clearance and I viewed it as an opportunity to familiarize myself with another author and, if I didn't like the book, I wouldn't have wasted a lot of money on it. As I began to read this book, emotions were stirred within me that I had never felt before in my life. I felt the pain of the character like I had never experienced. I felt like I was dying inside, I was in mental, emotional, and even physical agony because of how connected the writer was making me feel with the character. 

 

    It is important that you can relate and gravitate to a character in a novel, but with this situation, the writer had gone too far. After much serious contemplation I would come to realize that the book was the writer to her full potential. And to her full potential meant writing a book that would plague me with feelings that I hadn't felt since the death of someone very close to me. Some might argue that this was merely a really good writer and the book was too deep for me to read, but that wasn't it. 

 

    As writers, we are sometimes so eager to soar to our full potential that we forget to take a step back, put on an objective point of view, and really examine our work. Words our powerful, like sticks of dynamite...they were not meant to be carelessly toyed with. Sometimes our full potential can be toxic to others. When we are at our best as writers, we could be constructing a manuscript that is far too heady to do anyone any good. 

 

    That is why we need to know when we can write at our best and we have to set the bar lower than we know we are capable of. If you think this is showing weakness, it isn't. It is showing that you care about who reads your book. We are given talents, but that does not always mean that we can let them run free, because even good talents, if not held back, can unleash something very savage.

 

    Sometimes our full potential can be dangerous, and that is when you need to know when not to do your best. 

 

~Lydia R. Sherren 

 

Promote Yourself

                                                                              

No More Hiding

 

    I find that as young writers, we often don't share our passion or aspirations with those around us. Why is this the case? Truthfully, I still have yet to fully understand that. But I do know this: as young/teen writers we fear criticism from the outside world and from our peers. We are afraid that people will not take our hopes and dreams seriously because we are young or will face mockery for our big dreams. 

 

    As an introvert, I have personally struggled with getting over the hurdle of promoting myself and my dreams as an aspiring author. At first, I never wanted to tell people about my writing. It felt like whenever I did, I was always torn down and stripped of my joy. It seemed that whenever I wanted to share my dreams of becoming an author someone would always begin to say the same condescending words,  "Well, Lydia, if you want to be an author, you have to be prepared for..." The phrases after the dots ranged everywhere from lawsuits to copyright to not being able to compete with other writers. 

 

    It took me a long time before I learned a valuable truth. I can't hide forever. One day, I will be asked to share my writing, and when that time comes I want to be ready. So, I am no longer hiding. Now, whether it be at social events, at family visits, or some other platform, I always look for the opportunity to blurt out the phrase "I'm a writer" or "I'm an aspiring author". 

 

    I encourage you to come out of hiding and announce your goals and ambitions whenever you can. It won't always be easy, and it can feel very uncomfortable, but it is vital that you share your story. If you are criticized for your dreams, get rid of the negative and move on. As a writer you will face a lot of setbacks, but you will have to push through them and continue on. But who knows? By sharing your dreams, you might be a persona who feels the same way as you do and will support you.

    

    So share who you are. And no more hiding. 

 

 

~Lydia R. Sherren 

 

  

Quote For The Week

                                                                             

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” 

                                                                                          – Mark Twain

Is Fantasy Really Easy?

                                                                                 

The Truth about Fantasy

 

    For some strange reason many people are under the false impression that Fantasy is one of the easiest genres to write. I highly disagree with this, and I am also aware that this assumption is mainly from ignorance rather than purposeful condescension on the genre. So, I would like to clear up a few things and hopefully shed some light on why writing fantasy is quite the challenge to write. 

 

    Think about this. When someone writes modern romance, western, or historical, they are always writing about places that exist in the real world, places that have their own geographical formations, origins, and hierarchy that have already been crafted by others in time. 

 

    When you write fantasy, you are responsible for crafting your own unique world. A world that is set in a different time and space, with it's own maps and systems. You have to decide how the people in that world live and function, their defining characteristics, powers, etc. As you can see, this is a very big responsibility, and once you make the rules, you have to keep them.

     The author who writes fantasy has to do a large amount of pre-writing work. Not only that, but just like a scientist, they have to perform multiple tests (usually short stories in their fantasy world) in order to see if they systems that they have invented will be consistent. 

 

    In a sentence: You are the author of the present, the past, and the future.

 

    So, in essence, Fantasy is one of the most difficult genres that you could choose to write, but the possibilities are endless. Each genre has it's challenges and I am by no means trying to degrade romance, thriller, or mystery writers, but I just thought I would bring awareness to the often misconceived fantasy genre. 

   

    If you are considering writing fantasy, be prepared to give it your all. Many think fantasy is just writing out whatever pops into your imagination, but really, preparation and dedication are what is required. Don't be scared to spend a few weeks - or months - plotting out your imaginary world. 

 

    For it is only when you have a good foundation that you can explore endless possibilities. 

 

~ Lydia R. Sherren

Quote For the Week

 

“Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet.” 

                                                                                                              ~ Anon

Your Passion Matters

What Every Writer Must Have

 

This is a topic that I have wanted to address for quite some time now, but have put it off to the side up until this point. I find that the most-asked question from aspiring authors, friends, family, and fan writers is: What do you need to be a good (aka successful) writer? They are various answers to this question, but which one is right?

 

Well, let's break it down. What does it take to become a genuinely good writer? Well, some might argue that it takes a good agent and publishing company to be a successful author because without them you can't properly market your book. But that isn't really the answer, is it? After all, some writers can have the most business-savvy agents and their book can still be a flop. 

 

Is it talent? Well, no. Even the worst of authors can become successful through taking courses on writing, grammar, constructing plots, and so much more. So in truth, it doesn't take talent to become a good, successful writer, because skills can always be developed to improve your writing. 

 

What does it take then? I'll tell you very blatantly. It takes passion. You have to love writing. You have to love it so much that you are willing to pour yourself into your work, stay up late to finish a chapter, and accept constructive criticism so that you can improve your manuscript. Without drive, you can never be a writer. It doesn't matter how talented, or untalented you may be, you need passion in order to become a true, good author.

 

It's not always easy, but as long as you have a pure drive to write, you can conquer all and any writing blocks that come your way. Passion enables you to climb the mountains that you never thought you would ever reach and gives you the strength to continue. 

 

~Lydia Sherren