Blessed by the Author

Blessed by the Author

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First of all, yes, I did mean to write a Tuesday post. I did not foresee it being crazy. So I was like "Ok, just write one on Wednesday and post it a day late." I forgot that we are gone practically every Wednesday from 12-6 pm and before then I had to get other stuff done. As a result, we are just having a Thursday post this week, not counting the Monday one.

Oh, by the way, what did you think of Keshi? If you'd like to give me some feedback on her, leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail using the Contact Me Form on the sidebar of my blog.

(We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.)

Second of all, today I'm going to tell you a story of something that happened to me recently.

Those of you who don't know, I am a Christian and love the Living God with my whole heart.
I am also a writer. Writing is a huge part of my life.

How do you balance those two out? I'm a fantasy writer, and my current novel has magic. Not as much as Harry Potter, (though I do enjoy that series), and their magic is more of a "connecting to nature" kind, but still, how do you combine those two things? Authors have done it, I'll admit, but as a beginner novelist, I would have said that I'm hardly on that level.

I was recently baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I've been getting deeper in a relationship with Him. But I couldn't figure out how to put Him in without wrecking the entire plot.

This refused to leave my mind. I thought about it night and day and, if anything, got farther away from being decided on it. I anguished and fretted and worried. I would talk to God about it, and fall asleep resolved. Then I would start to write and see that resolve crumble before my eyes.

Finally, I managed to get it off of my mind for a bit. It was pajama night at youth group and my best friend and I were going to eat pizza, worship, run around in pj's, and get closer to God. Awesome, right? Totally.

At one point, we went in for the message time. The subject was the Beatitudes, specifically Mark 5:5 ESV, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." But as he read that whole passage, from Mark 5:1-11 aloud, what hit me was Mark 5:11 ESV, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I bet you're wondering why this verse affected me. Well, in our day and age, Christian authors aren't exactly warmly welcomed. Go to many non-Christian bookstores, you aren't going to find a wide range of Christian writing, other than Bibles, kiddy books, and things like that. There are some exceptions, of course. Anyway, that's kind of being "persecuted for righteousness' sake". They wrote from their soul, what God wanted them to do, and they're not exactly loved for it. Some reviews you read, people suggest that it would have been better to keep Christianity out of the story, when in fact it purified it and made it beautiful.

Throughout the service, I was aware yet not aware. Very human-like, I was still slightly doubting this. Yet God gave another sign to me, who had doubted His message, so there would never be a doubt in my mind as to what He wanted me to do. Once the message time was over, we stood to worship. The first song was "Oceans" by HILLSONG UNITED. Here's a link to listen to this awesome song. I love listening to their music, and if you haven't heard them before, I totally recommend them.

Anyways, our worship team played it and we all sang. I felt like His Love was washing over me, and then I realized, it was. He was showing me I was in His arms - the best place to be - and He had a job for me. I was so near to Him in that moment. I must admit, I nearly cried. But I'm not ashamed of that. Why should I be? My God had given me a revelation.

But He didn't just reassure me that I had a job to do and He was going to help me. He also explained to me how to do it. That had been my main problem. I wanted Him in my story, but, as I said before, I didn't know to have Him in my novel without wrecking the plot. So - praise the holy Name of the Lord! - He showed me the road. (Hahaha, that reminded me of another song. Part of it goes "If there's a road I should walk, help me find it." Another great song, called "Help Me Find It" by SIDEWALK PROPHETS, so here's another link. :) They also have a lot of great songs.)

Just think that over for a second. God came to me, a lowly human being who wasn't worthy of being near Him, ever. I doubted a message from Him, so He sent me another sign. Then He told me how to fix this problem. He held me near when that was the last thing I deserved. I deserved - and do deserve - death. Not exactly an encouraging thought. But it's the truth, no matter how you twist it. My tiniest little sin, any small blemish, can't be anywhere near the God who created me, created you. His Love is mightier than anything we can imagine.

This doesn't mean that I'm some 'holy person'. No! I am still a sinner.
It doesn't mean that my talent was so large that God chose me. No!
God gave me a talent, like He gave to you. He deserves my all, especially after he sent Lord Jesus down on the cross so we don't have to go to Hell if we believe that Jesus is Lord.

He is taking this small thing that I have and making it bigger, better, and a thousand times more inspired. With His touch, I can do bigger things that I have ever dreamed of. Guess what else? You can have this Divine Inspiration in your writing and in your life. It won't be easy, but life isn't easy.

All you have to do is let Jesus into your heart. He's been knocking, so open up the door and let Him in. I can promise you, you will never regret it.

Praying for God's Love in your lives and His touch on your writing,

-Autumn

Keshi

On my schedule, I set up time for character conversations. But to do that, I'm going to have to introduce you to some of my characters. So, without further ado, I present:

Keshi Ala

 

 

__________

 

Hello! I'm Keshi Ala, as you probably guessed. Everyone calls me Kay, so it's fine if you prefer that. I like that better myself, for some reason. Short and to the point, like me. Well, I'm not actually that short. Also, the pictures a bit off. My eyes are actually brown, my skin is tanner, and my hair's not that dark- sorry, I have a tendency to obsess over small details. It's hereditary, I s'pose.

 

I'm an Earth Akarei, which means that I get to control dirt. Glorious dirt, right? Actually, I specialize in trees and plants, but soil is a close second. My author says that I have a "green thumb", whatever that means. I spend a lot of time in the sun, especially out with the dragons. I'm not as good with them as the Sky Akas, but I'm not so bad. Xiuhcoatl sure likes me, at least. Xi is a mini dragon. I keep him in my room, although technically I'm not supposed to. But the rules are there for the breaking, right? (Don't answer that.)

 

I'm an adventure girl. I love trekking out in the forest, which is really close to our facility. Ember - you'll meet her soon enough - comes with me sometimes. Thing is, I'm an extroverted person, but I can't find people that love the forest as much as I do. There are other Akas like me, of course, but... I don't know, really. Usually, I just tend to bring a dragon out with me. They're not all huge, you know. They vary a lot.

 

Let's see.... I enjoy sword-fighting with my friend Brook (you don't know him either). That rush of adrenaline, excitement, and fast pace just gets my blood going. It's awesome. I'm pretty handy with a sword, but we all learn those talents. Not to boast, but I'm like one of the best of the best. But just with swords. Put anything else in my hand, and I'm sure to drop it.

 

What else should you know about me? I'm a sucker for animals. Like seriously. I mentioned Xi, right? Well, in addition to him, I have Kathe, my bduhave, which is basically a cat, but with powers and stuff, and Aisa and Dillon, my dogs. Then me and my buds go and visit the Fyqsa, which are shape-shifting sand devils. Fun, right? We also visit their Animals, but the Fyqsa is mine.

 

I like designs. I've got these cool markers, and I'll draw designs on my pants. It's fun, because I'm not supposed to. Our uniforms are supposed to be plain white so it isn't "distracting". Who cares? They make me wash it out, but I just draw them in again. Sometimes in class, I'll do something on my arm, too. Then I just get Alix to scrub it out again. She's a Wa- oh, she'll probably want to tell you that herself.

 

That's me. So if you want to chat sometime, or go hang out, I'd love to have you. I've got to go. Xiuhcoatl gets pretty angry when he's not fed. Bye!

__________

 

There you have it! Keshi Ala from my current novel, Immortal Fire. I hope you enjoyed meeting Kay, and I'll be back later with some more of my characters!

If you have any questions for her, post it down in the comments! She'd love to answer your questions (kind of being a sucker for attention), but, I'm warning you, there might be some stuff she'll keep to herself.

-Autumn



More than a Passing Breeze

 

 

The characters are super-important. Without them, there is no story. So we want the readers to remember the story after they've finished reading it, not for the characters to be blown away like the dandelion seeds floating away in the breeze. To get the readers to remember the characters and the story, the characters havee to feel real to us. If we don't feel their sorrows, their pains, then the readers won't.

So here's a little basic questionnaire for your characters. Fill it out and see if you learn anything new. One of these questions might show you something you haven't thought about before.

 

_________

 

The Basics:

Name:

Nickname:

Age:

Gender:

Physical Description:

Species:

Occupation/Opinion of It:

 

People Xe* Knows:

Spouse:

Family:

Friends:

Best Friends:

Enemies:

 

Digging Deeper:

Personality:

Backstory:

Regrets:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Talents/Skills:

Darkest Secret:

 

Setting:

Where Xe Lives

How Xe Feels About It:

Time Period:

Typical Clothing:

 

Other:

Random Fact:

__________

 

*This is used for both male and female characters, so instead of saying "S/he" or "She/he", I say "Xe".

__________

 

I hope this helps you dig deeper into your characters' lives!

-Autumn

Curing Writer's Block

Here we are, another Thursday and I have not prepared at all. I was going ahead and writing down possible ideas for a post when I thought, "Why not do a post on inspiration and writer's block?" Why did this spring to my mind? Because I was suffering from writer's block in my novel. Every writer, published or non-published, beginner or expert, does.

Inspiration is a tricky thing. There's no controlling it, and it has an odd tendency to hide when you most need it, giving you the disease commonly labeled as "Writer's Block". You'll find yourself at a temporary lull in the plot and no ideas of what to write next. So what do you do? Moan over your keyboard, begging some idea to pop to your brain? Well, you could do that, but there are better ways.

1. Open up a new document or flip to a new page in your notebook. Write down fifteen ideas, good or bad, for what could happen next. Make them as crazy as you want. Just pen them down as they race into your brain.
Once you do this, make sure to save it, even if all of your ideas are rubbish. They might come in handy, or inspire something later.


2. Consult your timeline of events. If you don't have one because you're a "pantser" like me, go ahead and make a basic one. What needs to happen in the story? Throw in something abrupt to get your character to the next milestone.
Timelines should be somewhat flexible. Mine has been changed, started over, and adapted a thousand times. But they are helpful, often too when the inspiration well is dry.


3. Skip ahead and write a more interesting scene. This is the first draft, so you can connect the dots later.
You don't have to write it in order of how it will appear in the final draft. I have a tendency to use this when lacking ideas. Write what comes easiest in your storyline. You can always come back later when you have ideas.


4. Sometimes, taking a small break will help. Let the problem sit in the back of your mind while you go about the rest of your day. Sometimes little things will inspire something in your story.
This is good idea, whether you've hit a plot hole or you're out of inspiration. A conversation with someone has solved the problem with me, even if they had no idea I was having that problem. Little actions, words, pictures, music, and books, have given me a solution.


5. Look through various writing prompts. Often, they will spark an idea for what comes next.
I keep a writing prompts board on Pinterest for times like this. If I come across something, I'll pin it, and I can come back to it later. Various writing sites have prompts, too.


6. Change your work space.
If you've been working at the same spot for a while and you're stuck with writer's block, move! Place yourself in a different area and keep writing.


7. Interview your characters. Talk to them; see what it is you're missing.
Your characters are a vital link to the story. Whenever I feel like I'm missing something, I just talk to them, making sure to write it down and save it. From your conversation, you'll be able to tell what it is they would really do next.


Here's a challenge. Whenever you encounter writer's block and a loss of inspiration, try one of these. Don't give up, and push on through. It will be frustrating, but I know you can do it! I'll try it with you, too. We all need to push past it, and here's our challenge!

 

How to Deal with a Change of Character

You know that moment when a character finally decides to inform you that you've been wrong about them all this time? It could be the gradual change, where your character, after a while of proving to you that this isn't the right route, will give up and blurt it out.
Your character might suddenly poke you with a stick and shout, "You're wrong! NO, THAT'S NOT ME!" I have most experience with this one, honestly.

It might be in attitude. Maybe you're super-cool, kick-butt, action-loving teenager is slowly becoming less action-loving and more of the sit-at-home type. Or your meek and shy character grows a backbone all of the sudden. Or your side character becomes more interesting than the main character. Or - as you've noticed, I could probably go on for a while. :) But that's because it's natural for your characters to change, and it's natural for you not to be completely right from the beginning.

But it's not just in attitude. Recently, one of my characters informed me that she does not look like this, what was I thinking, and that's not her name. She chose an awful time for it too: I had been on a roll, cranking out lots of words filled with her looking like this, dressing like this, named this. I knew that there would be multiple drafts, but that didn't mean I was prepared
But I (eventually) came around to her point of view. Making those changes made her the character I had envisioned originally, the character she was meant to be. I still loved her former self, of course, but I had to do some - ok, a lot - of pruning.

But pruning isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's a very good thing! That doesn't mean that you're necessarily going to like it when your character pulls the "Nope, not me" moment. But it does mean go with the flow. Try out your character's new look/attitude/etc. and see if that works. Sometimes, it will take you a long time to come around to their point. Unfortunately, I cannot promise you that your character will not say "I told you so!" Why? Because my character did.

Example:
Ember: Ha!
Me: Don't say it.
Ember: I.
Me: Stop.
Ember: Told.
Me: I know!
Ember: You.
Me: *hands over ears* Lalalalala!
Ember: So! So there!

Ok, so my characters are a bit... *whispers* nuts. And stubborn. But that's not the point. The point is, you don't have anything to be scared of when she/he/it pulls that moment. Just be prepared, 'cause you're in for a wild ride. Go with the flow, give them a little leash, and have fun! Make them so irresistible that you, their author, will fall in love with them a thousand times over. Make it worth the writing and worth the reading!

-Autumn

Our Quote: R.A. Salvatore

If you can quit, then quit. If you can't quit, you're a writer. - R. A. Salvatore

So here we are, the first Saturday of my new schedule. (Taking a look at my schedule, I've revised it a bit, I'll update you on that at the end of this post.)

Back to the topic at hand, we've got a quote here from R.A. Salvatore. I have not read any of his works, interestingly enough, but I love this quote anyhow. Let's get right into it, shall we? Why do you think he said this? First of all, "If you can quit, then quit." This does not mean that he's telling you to quit. His meaning becomes more clear in the second sentence, "If you can't quit, you're a writer." If you can't quit, you're a writer. Does that mean writers don't quit? Yes (at least it should. :) ).

But I think it means something more. But let me begin by asking you a question. Do you like what you do? I'm assuming that your answer is yes. Number one, why else would you be reading this if you don't like to write? Number two, why would you write - or do anything - if you didn't enjoy it? Liking what you do, do you think you could give it up? I couldn't, at least. It is in my blood and in my heart. So, if you can't quit - meaning if you can't quit writing - then you're a writer.

Am I, or rather R.A. Salvatore, saying that writers are born, not made? In a way. Some, and I emphasize some, writers are born. Others come to love it in their own time. If you are meant to be a writer, but didn't love it from childhood or something, than our God will make you one. Simple as that.

I have been writing from my childhood. But only since late I have truly come to love writing. So you could say that I was both born and made. There's probably a bit of that in all of us. I doubt that anyone was truly born or made. If you say that you were a 'made writer', have you truly not enjoyed writing, storytelling, or doing some type of those two? If you say that you were a 'born writer', have you really loved writing all your life? Not from birth, but from a reasonable age.

Now, just one of these might truly apply to you. I can't say this about everyone, obviously not being good friends or having interviewed every writer and storyteller on the planet. But I'm almost 100% sure that a bit of these two applies to the majority of you.

Think about this. Are you more of a born writer, or more of a made writer?

I said that I would tell you the bit of the differences in my schedule. What I'm going to do is: the first week (this week, right now), we'll have the Saturday post. The next week, there will be a Friday post. The week after that, I'll do a Monday post. Each week, God-willing, I'll do a Tuesday and a Thursday post.

I hope that this helped you or interested you! Happy writing and God bless,

-Autumn

Blogging Schedule

So far, my blogging hasn't followed any set schedule (that I know of, at least). So here I am to set one down. Due to my crazy schedule for things other than blogging, we'll see how well this works out. Again, I apologize for the insaneness of when I post.

MONDAY: Every other week, something related to the characters in my current book. This might mean a convo with them, a survey, etc. This is more of a random thing.

TUESDAY: Our regularly scheduled blogging on writing things. (Gee, wasn't that an awesome description? XD)

WEDNESDAY: No posting.

THURSDAY: (see TUESDAY)

FRIDAY: Some character-related thing, questionnaires, development, and things like that.

SATURDAY: Every other Saturday, I'll take a quote on writing, reading, or some writerly thing and delve into the usefulness and/or why this applies to us writers.

SUNDAY: No posting.


Sometimes, you have to make a schedule in order to stick with something. If you've been feeling lately that writing a little bit every day is getting harder and harder, than maybe you should decide on a time. It might not stay the same every day (it certainly doesn't for me), but choose times to fit your schedule.
Habits can be hard things to break, so the sooner you make them, the easier it will be to stick with it later.

Autumn

Point of View

So when I went to write a new post, I saw the title of my last one, Voice: It Needs to Fit. Guess what it made me think of. Yup; point of view, or PoV for short.

Now, I prefer to write my stories in first person past. You, on the other hand, might prefer using third person omniscient. Or maybe even a second person present! Point of view is not the easiest thing to pick for your story. For example, it took me ages to figure out what PoV I should use for my current novel. First I planned it a first person past with one of my main characters. I got about halfway through only to realize that this wasn't right for my story. I tried the same thing, but with a different character who was just as important to the story. Hers is on a document on my laptop, full if lots if valuable info, but with a PoV that wasn't right. Then I tried switching back and forth between first person. All of these might fit yours, but they didn't mine. Finally I got it. Now I'm working with a third person omniscient.

*Those of you who didn't skip ahead of my sob story, I applaud you. :)*

Maybe for you, picking PoV is a cinch. Others might have the trouble that I have with mine. Sometimes, though, you have to step out of your comfort zone a bit to find the best thing for your story. That means different things for different people. *spoiler alert* You might have to experiment a bit!

Have you ever read a book where the author uses multiple PoV? That's another choice, in case you needed some more. :) Say you have three different main characters, and they all have an important part of the story to tell. So give them each a part where they get to narrate. This is more complicated, but oftentimes it is rewarding.

So, experiment! Step outside your comfort zone and write, write, write!

Autumn

Voice: It Needs to Fit

Eek!! I'm sorry for disappearing for so long. Around my house, everything has been crazy!!!!
Hey! Let's use this as an example. :)

Instead of what I wrote above, what if I had written:
Oh, my. I am so very sorry for have disappeared for so long. But where I live, we have been very busy.

Or:
Ah!!! Sorry I went poof! It's crazy 'round here.

I could go on, but you get the point. :) Voice.

Should you make your well-educated, brainy character say, "Ain't this a purty day?" NO! (Unless the circumstances call for it, of course.) "Is this not a beautiful day?" would probably be more appropriate for them.

You're probably all rolling your eyes, thinking that this is unnecessary. But it isn't! Dialogue is one of the most important parts and if your characters don't talk how they should, you have a problem.
This does not mean that you should make your characters talk as fancy and as good-of-grammar-ish as you can make or as bad-of-grammar, uses a lot of slang, etc. There's some type of happy medium. However, you might have circumstances where this will be necessary.

In addition to how your characters talk, you have to think about how much they talk.
I'm an introvert. I don't especially like small talk or talking or a lot of conversation. So it can be harder for me to write for my extremely extroverted characters. Extroverts might have a harder time writing introverted characters. But it has to be done.
Some of your characters will talk a lot, some of your characters will be very quiet, and there will be all types in between. So the key is practice, practice, practice!