How to be a writer.

Not sure what it takes to be a writer? Follow these six steps and you will be well on your way.


Step One – Read.
If you don’t read books, then why would you ever want to create one?


Step Two – Write.
Do this step as often as you can. It doesn’t have to be full stories, it doesn’t have to be fiction, just put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write.


Step Three – Finish something.
This is often the hardest part for any aspiring author. I can understand that. I actually have three books on the go right now, and I worry that none will get finished. Just remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time. All you need for this step is a start, a middle, and an end.


Step Four – Edit.
Nobody is perfect. Don’t be afraid of ripping that story apart and making it better. I know it’s a lot of work but it will be worth it.


Step Five – Repeat steps one through four.
You’re next book will be better than your last. Every time you read or write, you are learning, and that will show in your next piece of work.

Step Six – Never give up.
I’ve been writing for about 15 years and am only now releasing my debut novel. I am sure that there will be people who tell me I shouldn’t have bothered, or that I should have waited until my next book. There are always people ready to tell you that your work is bad or amateur or sloppy. The trick is to keep going, even when you think they might be right because...

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” – RICHARD BACH

What am I reading?

Every author needs to be a reader first. A good book gives inspiration and helps guide your writing abilities. Sometimes it can be hard to find the time to read, but I've been trying to do just that more regularly. This is the last book that I finished.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Why did I pick it up?
Every time I go to the bookstore I look at the young adult section, specifically at Tamora Pierce's books, despite the fact that I own them all. This book caught my eye because of it's name which is similar to Lionness Rampant by Tamora Pierce, and it had a quote from Tamora Pierce on the cover. Yeah, I'm a little bit obsessed with her.

First impression
I had no idea what the book would be like when I started, and the first couple of chapters had me a little worried. The writing was engaging and at a good speed, but there were some uses of words that threw me out of the story. Once I got past the first few chapters, I found this problem disappeared.

What made me keep reading?
I have personally never read a story about killer unicorns before, so the original storyline itself was a huge draw. Combined with compelling characters, lots of action and a plot that moved along at a good pace, I was hardly able to set the book down.

What would I change?
Because there was a lot of action throughout the book, I found myself wanting an even more exciting climax. It was good, but I felt like there could have been more at stake. There were also a few loose ends at the end that I wanted cleared up.

Final thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. The setting, characters, and writing were amazing. I would have liked to see the villain be more evil in the end, but still a great read. I would highly recommend this book.

How often do you write?

I have a feeling I covered this before, but I know that in the past month, the usual amount I write has definitely changed. Before I got into the final stages of publishing my book, I would write at least a little bit almost every day. The amount I wrote varied, usually under 1000 words on weekdays and up to 3000 during the weekend.

Since I've been working on getting the files together to publish, I have hardly been able to write at all. Most of my time is spent worrying about Magic High, or learning some marketing tips for selling the book. It seems to be next to impossible to find time to actually write.

What does this actually mean? Well, other then the fact that I'm getting a little cranky from not being able to do what I love, it means that it will take that much longer for my next book to be released. Many of the self published authors that do well often are able to release several books a year. At this rate, I don't know that could release even one a year. My goal is to produce more than that, but first I have to write the next book, and to do that I'll have to start writing more regularly than I have been. Hopefully now that most of the technical work for Magic High is done, I'll be able to find the time again.