Being Scared - Part 2

If you didn't see my post last week, I'll catch you up. I'm taking a few posts this month and dedicating them to the scary things that writers do. Today, I'm talking about leaps of faith.

What is it that turns someone who is thinking about writing a book (81% of people) into a person who has written a book? I found a statistic yesterday. Of every 100 people who start writing a book, only 3 actually finish it--only three.

I believe there are many moments when writers have to take leaps of faith. One is when they sit down and begin to write. Another is when they keep writing. And yet again, when they finish writing...and start writing something else.

These leaps require a belief in yourself and your abilities that is terrifying. No one starts out a perfect writer. I'm not even sure such a thing exists, so you must also believe you can get better, believe you can learn. You must believe that the time, effort, sweat and tears you are putting in will someday be worth it.

Whether you hope to become a NYT bestseller or just have something to pass on to your children, you still must take all of these leaps. No matter the end goal, we all start on the same path, with an idea and hope.

These kinds of dreams are scary, terrifying really. But I'm proud of us for dreaming them and for taking the leaps of faith necessary to head the right direction.

And I'm SO proud to say I'm one of the three that has typed the words The End...a few times now.

Happy Monday!

Being Scared - Part 1

We all get scared sometimes. I've had a lot of scary things going on lately. That doesn't mean they're bad. Actually, I believe they are all very good and exciting things...but that doesn't mean they don't terrify me.

One thing that was both scary and exciting was participating in my first conference as a panelist. I spent the week before trying to convince myself that I actually do know things that people would be interested to hear. Then I spent the morning of the conference trying to remind myself how to breathe. I actually had to wear a scarf because I was so nervous I got hives all over my neck.

It was terrifying...but I loved it.

Now, I feel like I've crossed some kind of invisible velvet rope of knowledge. I really enjoyed being on the panels and chatting with other professionals about what I've learned. It's really quite fun and I still learned a lot, perhaps even more than before.

I would never have known that if I hadn't bitten the bullet and tried it out.

All of this got me thinking, this industry is frightening. And we do scary things. So, I'm devoting March to being scared, and doing it anyway.

Missing

I've been sort of MIA since Valentine's Day. Sorry about that, my friendlies. For those of you who hadn't heard, I had major surgery two days after and have been recuperating ever since. Everything is fine, and the surgery went very well, but it's been a harder recovery than I was expecting.

I'm making a lot of sacrifices for this. I've had to watch a lot of Downton Abbey, for example. I've also had to completely give up cooking meals and vacuuming. Cleaning of any kind is more than somewhat frowned upon. It's been extremely rough. *sigh*

Woe is me, indeed.

Anyway, my apologies for my absence. I'm happy to be back! I'll be posting again on Thursday and should be back to a regular schedule after that.

Yay for healing!

Happy Valentine's Day & All That Gooey Stuff

Here is my deep, dark secret...are you ready?

I hate writing kissing scenes.

*Cue shocked gasp from YA Audience/Writers/World as a whole*

It's true. I try to avoid them at all costs, but somehow they always sneak into my books. I'm pretty sure it's because my brain knows they need to be there and it constructs a build-up to it while I'm not looking. Then I get to the scene and say, "Aww, man...they have to kiss here, don't they?"

In YA circles, this makes me the equivalent of that weird cousin nobody talks about. ;-)

I wondered for awhile what was wrong with me. Why did I dread writing the love scenes and got all excited to write the scary torture scenes? Did I need therapy? Probably. Did this make me a bad writer? No, no it does not. It makes me a thriller writer.

If I refused to put them in when the story clearly called for them, that would make me a bad writer. So, I suffer through the kissing scenes. Sometimes I even like them afterward.

And then I get to go back to making people afraid of what's in their closets...

Happy Valentine's Day! Yay! Love and all that!

P.S. Only a thriller/horror writer could make a Valentine's Day Post the creepiest one ever.

CHRONICLE - Movie Review

I saw CHRONICLE this weekend.

It blew me away.

For reals.

There were so many things that I loved about this movie. The characters were all deliciously flawed and fantastic, the evolution of the story was seamless, the filming was almost a character in and of itself. It starred three newer actors that were so good. I love that they didn't take a cheap cop-out on the ending. I love that there were sacrifices and costs. I love that each of the characters were changed by their situations in different ways.

And, my favorite part, they built one of the most sympathetic villains I've ever seen.

It was incredible. Every YA writer, and/or human, should see this movie.

Have you seen it? What did you think? If not, do you plan to see it? Can I come with you?...Because it's been a few hours now, and I kind of want to see it again.

Life, the Universe & Everything

I'm participating as a panelist in a writing conference this week at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. It's called Life, the Universe & Everything, or LTUE, if you're around, you should stop in and check it out. Not only is it one of my favorite conferences, you can't beat the price.

I'm on one panel each day (Feb 9-11). The first day I'll be doing a marketing panel, the second day a horror panel and the third day a panel on breaking into the market.

If you get a chance, come say hi. Heckling is welcome and somewhat expected...but please, don't throw rotten fruit. The smell is surprisingly hard to get out. ;-)

Have you ever been to a conference? What are your favorite conferences? What is your dream conference that you'd love to attend?

Happy Monday!

Promises to Keep

Today, I feel strong. I feel like I can handle this industry, this profession, and everything that comes with it. I know there are many bumps, and bruises that come with the skills I am building, but they'll be worth it.

Today, I believe that.

Other days, I feel like giving up. I feel like no matter what I create, it will never be good enough. That no matter how far I go, I will always have a mile left to reach the next goal.

The only thing that makes me feel better when I'm having an "Other" day, is knowing that I'm not alone. That all of us feel this way sometimes. Feelings of inadequacy are a plague that attack everyone, everywhere, not just me. As a writer, as a mother, as a friend, we're all certain we are not good enough from time to time.

But remember, we are not alone.

There is always someone else who felt the same, or worse...and kept going. Your pain is not unique to you. There is always someone who had it worse and didn't give up. Persistence is one of the greatest traits of humanity. Do not let go of that. It is in us all to keep trying no matter what.

One of the things that keeps me going is a poem by my favorite poet, Robert Frost. It's called: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

The best part is the last stanza:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

We all have promises to keep. To our characters, our loved ones, our readers...to anyone who believes in us.  I believe in us today. Do you?