Just Write

I receive daily emails from Advice to Writers. In fact I have a stock pile of linked posts from those that are to be used for inspiration for blog posts. Recently this one was in one of those daily emails. 

Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to. (Advice to Writers)

It really stood out to me and was just what I needed to hear really. If I write I'm a writer it is so true but it's more than that. I have so many story ideas that I'm almost afraid to start writing. There is a story idea that came to me recently. This one is the story of Prince James. I've had ideas coming to me for the past couple of months. I've put more planning into it than I felt that I ever have into a novel. I was considering waiting to write it until November for Nanowrimo, but then I wasn't sure that I even was going to do Nano this year (and am still unsure) and this story wasn't letting me go. Whenever there's a space in my thoughts it's there. Whenever I get out my journal to write I'm thinking about his story. It wants to be written and doesn't want to wait. 

My current journal 

Now after reading the above advice I think it spurred me on to just sit down and write. So that's what I did. I already have an idea of a large many things that will happen. It's the most prepared story of mine I've begun to write. Currently it sits in my everyday journal in places here and there. It's being written. 

But there are still struggles. After I had started vaguely writing in it I became unsure of what POV i want to write it in. I am most comfortable writing in first person and it is the one I have most used, but I also wanted to try third person on one of my stories. I considered, but really I stressed about which to day. After much debating with myself and even praying I felt to go with what I know. First person.

Still as I write it I feel so insecure. Am I doing it right? Is it even coming out right? Am I sure I am ready to write this story? All these questions are hanging under the surface. I have decided to write this story but it's scary. I'm not totally sure, yet I know I must write. Who would I be if I didn't. The urge and pressure to write and create is always there for me and so I must journey on. 

One day i hope to bring these stories into the world. I hope that they may touch others lives but for now I must focus on getting them written. Even in amongst school and life I must. Why? Because writing is my life. 

So I write. 

Is this something you have struggled with? Do you struggle with confidence even with the constant knowledge that you are a writer? 

September Recap

It 's once again time for my monthly recap. The year's almost going by too quickly.

In My Life

My Writing

Well lately I have been doing a lot of planning for a story that began to come to me while I was in the middle of writing my Camp Nanowrimo novel. I am really liking it so far and am trying to develop the world a bit as well as work on government which I have a vague idea on. I have started doing a bit of plotting for this novel which is something I have tried to do but not really succeeded at it before. I think I'm doing okay with it at the moment. I think there is a possibility that I will be working on this during Nanowrimo in November but that all depends on how school is going because I'm pretty sure I have exams around then.

I also took the plunge and purchased Scrivener. It's the first program I've really fallen in love with for writing a novel and has already helped me so much in planning. I've also officially starting writing my novel in it and loving the program. I've found She's Novel Scrivener mini-series really helpful in learning about it too.

School

My school ball happened it was only okay, I still went but sadly was coming down with a cold so didn't enjoy it as much. Scary thing with school is that in November I have exams for the first time ever. 

What I've Read

1. I reread Anne of Avonlea by L.M Montgomery and am really enjoying reading the series. Though I am slightly confused because on goodreads it says Anne of the Island comes next but inside the cover it lists Chronicles of Avonlea next. Some people at school have seen me reading it and have expressed the love for the series too. It exciting meeting people who love the books I do. 

2.  A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes and reviewed this month too.

3. I read The Plot to Save Socrates by Paul Levinson. I quite enjoyed it too but did find it a bit heavy, I guess. There was so much in it and it was put together so intricately. Overall it was a good read though because it made me think.

3. Everything is Fine (and Other Lies I Tell Myself) by Cathy Brett.

I also met my goodreads goal of reading thirty books this year. I was quite proud of myself because this is the first year I have regularly tracked my reading progress. I would like to be able to read more than I do but school and other things sometimes have to be a priority.

What I Plan to Read

So far I have three books I plan to devour this month. While I can. I have one week of holidays left which means time to read but after that it's the last fiveish weeks of the school year before exams! So I don't expect to get much reading in but you can expect me to still use my bus time for reading. 

 

Anyway the first book I plan to read are We Bought A Zoo by Benjamin Mee. I've watched the movie a few times and think it is a good family movie and after watching it recently again with my family I decided it was about time I read the book. So it was impulsively put on hold at the library. I'm hoping to get this one finished in the holidays. Hopefully. 

Number two is The Candlestone (Dragons in Our Midst book 2) by Bryan Davis. This is still a favourite series of mine and I've decided to reread it earlier this year, but it's been going slow because of school and other books that I've been placing on hold at the library. I think for my Christmas holidays I will probably binge read these as much as I can. 

The last one I have on the list (that I have limited myself to) is The Skin Map by Stephan R Lawhead.  It's one I bought with a gift card at my local Chrsitan bookstore a while back. I was planning to read it sooner but I wanted to have a bit of a break after reading  

My Blog

So my last monthly recap got recommended by two people on google plus. At first I didn't understand what the plus 2 meant but it was awesome to see once I figured it out. I feel like a newbie at this sometimes probably cause I am one.

Naming Characters

Crown of Midnight: Up Up UP

That Word Ethos

Beautiful People September Edition

A Time to Die Book Review

That Word Disparage

Around the Blogosphere

Here are some blog posts I found after my last monthly Recap. 

• Kristen A Kieffer @ her author website wrote a post titled Let's Talk Criticism of the Fantasy Genre. This post spoke about something that I have considered myself lately. If you write fantasy I think this post is definitely worth checking out. 
• Relax -- blogging doesn't need to be stressful a post by Katie Grace @A Writer's Faith that I really related with.
• Go Teen Writer's post on What Make Fantasy Epic that I totally agree with. 

How has your September been? Can you believe it is already October? Did you get done all you wanted? What books top your list for this month?