Most writers I know have imaginary friends. It's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I find it's quite useful.
The most beautiful thing about being a writer is that you are never alone unless you choose to be.
Last night I had a sit down with Amelia, the protagonist of a new book I'm working on (spoilers!) so I could get to know her a little better before I threw her into a new scene. She was very cross, and with good reason, since I hadn't been listening to what she wanted to do in the story. I learned that Amelia was a Ravenclaw (not a Gryffindor, as I wanted her to be) and I got to know my first truly angsty, sassy protagonist. It's not what the plot needs; it's just who she is.
The wonderful thing about fiction is that it doesn't make the characters any less real or any less important to you than the people you see in day-to-day life.
2016 has been a big year for many of us and, in times like these, reality can be overwhelming. I want you to know, dear reader, that there is no shame in taking a quick vacation from The Real World to recharge - whether that's in a good book, a TV show, or just a chat with your favorite fictional character.
Reality will be waiting when you're ready to return.
Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Non-Fiction Books to Fuel Creativity
Believe it or not, I do have hobbies outside of writing, editing my work, and crying about it. Between marketing for The Lazarus Serum and fleshing out the beginning of a new book, I've needed to take breaks so I can learn something new.
That's where hobbies come in. I was recently asked how I keep up the "steam" for writing and editing. I'll post a new vlog on the topic soon, but until then here's a brief answer: take in as much information as you put out. I thought I'd share some of my findings with you, so here are four non-fiction books I plan on using to fuel my creativity!
1. A Beautiful Mess is a pretty neat book including tips on photography and photo challenges to inspire you.
2. Happy: Secrets to Happiness from the Cultures of the World is exactly what it sounds like - the book collects cultural secrets and teaches you how to apply them & bring a little brightness to your life.
3.Instant Happy is a great book for bitter writers - it's full of clever motivational tips and photos on how to stay happy. Sometimes a 10 second attitude makeover is enough to get you back into writing!
Have you read any of these books? Am I missing something important here?
If so, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at fallonjones@live.com!
Friday, November 15, 2013
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Coming Soon: The Lazarus Serum Paperback Edition
A few weeks back I had a poll on my website and my Facebook page on whether my readers would prefer a paperback or ebook version of my newest book, The Lazarus Serum.
Well, the results are in!
It looks like I'll have my work cut out for me the next few weeks as I format The Lazarus Serum for paperback publishing! The novel will be approximately 300 pages long, and it should be available before Christmastime. In the meanwhile, the digital version is already for sale here. Publishing a physical version of this book is going to be a long and expensive process, but I really do believe that this is the best thing I've ever written and I want the chance to share it with anyone who is interested in reading it. This story is worth the work.
On a similar note, I've taken a lot of time to think about my future recently. As an English major at a large university, I often worry that I'll get lost in the crowd and pressured to take classes that won't really help me grow as a writer. But I'm ready to cast my back-up career aside, because writing is honestly what I want to do. It's what I've always wanted to do.
Sometimes it's hard to let go of your back-up plan and commit 100% to your dream because there are so many "what-ifs". What if I don't succeed? How will I make enough money to support myself? What if my dream gets contorted along the way, or I change my mind? These are a few of the questions I've found myself pondering, and it's something all of us go through at some point in our lives.
In all honesty, I just had cold feet.
I've been scared because I've come so far in such a short time, and soon I won't have a lot of other options. Once I truly commit to writing, I won't be looking for anything else. All of my other possible futures will fade into the backdrop and eventually melt away. It's sort of like getting married, I guess. But when I set time aside to seriously consider my options, I realized that I do know what I want. And I want this. I want to write, to be a writer, even if I have to take out student loans and work multiple jobs to do it.
So I made the commitment. I switched out of my massive English major into the smaller college on the same campus--into a Literature major with less than a hundred students. Now I'll be primarily taking courses on reading and writing, I'll be in more discussion-based classes, and I get 24 hour access to a typewriter!
I applied, crossed my fingers, and I made the cut. Next quarter I'll be a Literature student taking classes on how to write for modern media and how to read like a writer! I feel very blessed to have this chance to work with other like-minded students who understand what it means to pursue literature as a career.
I'm ready to cast my doubt aside and focus all of my time, energy, and heart on my dream--are you?
~Fallon Jones
Well, the results are in!
It looks like I'll have my work cut out for me the next few weeks as I format The Lazarus Serum for paperback publishing! The novel will be approximately 300 pages long, and it should be available before Christmastime. In the meanwhile, the digital version is already for sale here. Publishing a physical version of this book is going to be a long and expensive process, but I really do believe that this is the best thing I've ever written and I want the chance to share it with anyone who is interested in reading it. This story is worth the work.
On a similar note, I've taken a lot of time to think about my future recently. As an English major at a large university, I often worry that I'll get lost in the crowd and pressured to take classes that won't really help me grow as a writer. But I'm ready to cast my back-up career aside, because writing is honestly what I want to do. It's what I've always wanted to do.
Sometimes it's hard to let go of your back-up plan and commit 100% to your dream because there are so many "what-ifs". What if I don't succeed? How will I make enough money to support myself? What if my dream gets contorted along the way, or I change my mind? These are a few of the questions I've found myself pondering, and it's something all of us go through at some point in our lives.
In all honesty, I just had cold feet.
I've been scared because I've come so far in such a short time, and soon I won't have a lot of other options. Once I truly commit to writing, I won't be looking for anything else. All of my other possible futures will fade into the backdrop and eventually melt away. It's sort of like getting married, I guess. But when I set time aside to seriously consider my options, I realized that I do know what I want. And I want this. I want to write, to be a writer, even if I have to take out student loans and work multiple jobs to do it.
So I made the commitment. I switched out of my massive English major into the smaller college on the same campus--into a Literature major with less than a hundred students. Now I'll be primarily taking courses on reading and writing, I'll be in more discussion-based classes, and I get 24 hour access to a typewriter!
I applied, crossed my fingers, and I made the cut. Next quarter I'll be a Literature student taking classes on how to write for modern media and how to read like a writer! I feel very blessed to have this chance to work with other like-minded students who understand what it means to pursue literature as a career.
I'm ready to cast my doubt aside and focus all of my time, energy, and heart on my dream--are you?
~Fallon Jones
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