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 reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
On Writer's Block: 5 Tips
I'll be honest; I started this article with the series of links at the bottom of the post. So you're not alone if you're experiencing writer's block.
Writer's block comes in many different forms. Sometimes I'm busy with life outside of writing, sometimes I get sick of spending so much time with my characters, and sometimes I just don't feel in the mood for writing.
While I am an advocate of taking days ( or weeks) to step away from writing and reacquaint yourself with the real world, there comes a time when you have to sit down, focus, and just get the story out. And what better time to initiate change than autumn? A time of transition when leaves fall, weather is capricious, and coffee shops are full of new students (not to mention pumpkin spiced lattes.)
In case you still need a little inspiration, here's a list of my favorite tips on crushing writer's block:
1. You are a writer. Remind everyone you know.
The Renegade Writer - 6 Proven Tips For Getting In The "Write" Mood
OWL - Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block
Writer's block comes in many different forms. Sometimes I'm busy with life outside of writing, sometimes I get sick of spending so much time with my characters, and sometimes I just don't feel in the mood for writing.
While I am an advocate of taking days ( or weeks) to step away from writing and reacquaint yourself with the real world, there comes a time when you have to sit down, focus, and just get the story out. And what better time to initiate change than autumn? A time of transition when leaves fall, weather is capricious, and coffee shops are full of new students (not to mention pumpkin spiced lattes.)
In case you still need a little inspiration, here's a list of my favorite tips on crushing writer's block:
1. You are a writer. Remind everyone you know.
- Let them hold you accountable for your work. Penning the next Great American Novel? Good! Tell all your friends. Better yet, give them a date when it will be finished. Having friends constantly ask where you are in your work might give you the extra push you need to get going.
2. Play dress-up.
- Sit yourself down at a nice writing desk at home. Put on your glasses. Are you a sensitive and starving artist, a scholarly novelist, or a mysterious poet in black? Play the part! Even if it's just for yourself. If you'd like to take it a step further, go out to the library or coffee shop and let people wonder if you're already famous.
3. Force yourself to write for just 15 minutes.
- Come on, it's not that bad. Just grab a legal pad/moleskine/laptop/typewriter and hack away. It doesn't have to be good. It doesn't have to be more than a sentence. Just try for 15 minutes. You'll be surprised at what comes out of it.
- Reading something will either inspire you or make you competitive. Win-win!
5. Still don't feel like working on that novel? Give up - for now.
- Do something else creative to get ideas flowing. Like writing a blog post. (Example A)
Got any better ideas? Let me know! And as always, good luck on your adventures!
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Links:
HelloGiggles - How To Cure (And Prevent) Writer's BlockThe Renegade Writer - 6 Proven Tips For Getting In The "Write" Mood
OWL - Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Why I Write
Are you still alive? Are you sure? Sit back and shut your eyes. You’re breathing, aren’t you? But are you still alive?
Some stories thread your life together. I hope you have a few. I do. Because these are the things that separate us—the dead and the living. The feelings. The stories. The memories of touch, taste, smell. A man I met only once, but remember every day.
Some memories are bound to stick. Moments seep in, tell you to change, and for once in your life you listen —really listen. You aren't waiting for your turn to speak.
Tattoo these on your body and soul. Someone will ask. Someone will listen.
Other memories seem fleeting at the time.
The first time you touched his hand. Eating croissants in your mother’s bed when you were sick. Driving your first car to a football game in the snow. The smell of grandmother’s black coffee spilled on the carpet.
Things that make you inexplicably sad and happy and beautiful all at once.
Remember these things most of all. If you remember them, you can create them again.
Why do we put ourselves through this? Remembering things that hurt—the last time you ever kissed, your favorite band’s break-up, where you stood when you answered the phone call that sent your world numb?
But I ask again, remember these most of all. If you remember them, you can create them again. And if you create them, you will feel again.
You will be alive—sad and happy and beautiful all at once.
If you are too afraid, too tired, too defeated to accept living, know this. If you remember, you can create.
If you create, you can bring others to life with you.
This is why we are artists. This is why we are alive.
Some stories thread your life together. I hope you have a few. I do. Because these are the things that separate us—the dead and the living. The feelings. The stories. The memories of touch, taste, smell. A man I met only once, but remember every day.
Some memories are bound to stick. Moments seep in, tell you to change, and for once in your life you listen —really listen. You aren't waiting for your turn to speak.
Tattoo these on your body and soul. Someone will ask. Someone will listen.
Other memories seem fleeting at the time.
The first time you touched his hand. Eating croissants in your mother’s bed when you were sick. Driving your first car to a football game in the snow. The smell of grandmother’s black coffee spilled on the carpet.
Things that make you inexplicably sad and happy and beautiful all at once.
Remember these things most of all. If you remember them, you can create them again.
Why do we put ourselves through this? Remembering things that hurt—the last time you ever kissed, your favorite band’s break-up, where you stood when you answered the phone call that sent your world numb?
But I ask again, remember these most of all. If you remember them, you can create them again. And if you create them, you will feel again.
You will be alive—sad and happy and beautiful all at once.
If you are too afraid, too tired, too defeated to accept living, know this. If you remember, you can create.
If you create, you can bring others to life with you.
This is why we are artists. This is why we are alive.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
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!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Author Jessica Rising on Writing About the Apocalypse for the Next Generation
I don't know if you've noticed yet, but the apocalypse is getting quite popular. Everywhere you go, books, television shows, and movies are reminding the public that our inevitable end is near. But where does that fit into young adult media? The Hunger Games are a hit, and dystopian books are selling better than ever! My newest novel, The Lazarus Serum, is a dystopian sci-fi fantasy written by a teenager about teenagers. (Click here to check it out!) This article is written by Jessica Rising, a fellow post-apocalyptic author who explains how (and why) to write in the genre for middle grade readers.
~Fallon Jones
Writing About the Apocalypse for the Next Generation
By Jessica Rising
How many times have you heard parents exclaim, “You know what I really want for my kids? Post-apocalyptic books. Where are they, anyway?” I know. All the time, right?
(Okay, so it’s more like, “why would I EVER want my children reading about the end of the world?” but I digress.)
I’ve had plenty of funny looks from people when I tell them I write post-apocalyptic fiction for kids. Dystopian also raises a few brows. I’ve heard all sorts of questions and doubts, from “that must be very difficult to keep child-friendly” to “I just don’t think that’s a good idea at all”. So here you are, all in one gooey, crème-filled blog post – my reasons for doing… what it is I do.
My genre is generally termed speculative fiction, though perhaps a more literal term would be “obviously fiction”. These are the stories that take the world and twist it up like taffy until the colors, swirls and tastes of reality are transformed into something entirely new. Fantasy. Science Fiction. Horror. Steampunk. Post-Apocalyptic. Dystopia. These are all speculative fiction. To read spec-fic is to escape reality in a runaway boat. To write it is to add a rudder and try to steer.
My current series, “Guts and Glory”, is best described as post-apocalyptic dystopia, or Apocalypse-Punk. And yes, it is for kids.
Lately, apocalyptic visions have become extremely popular. The other day I saw some graffiti that perfectly sums up why I believe this is so. It read, “In a society that has destroyed all adventure, the only adventure left is to destroy that society”.
We are all looking for who we are in this world, and the vast majority of us are no longer finding a satisfying answer. The drone mentality of work-and-sleep-and-work-again is slowly killing our spirits. And so we fight back with our imaginations. “What if this stifling cubicle was torn to shreds? What if this highway was bombed to bits so that it could never again carry its mouse-maze of deadlocked traffic? What if this whitewashed world was suddenly painted in the colors of explosive rebellion? What if society was so ruined that I could finally do something that mattered?”
We all want to be the hero.
Two of the best-known pillars of dystopian literature are George Orwell’s “1984”, and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”. Though their totalitarian societies are very different in many ways, they have one major theme in common: nobody is allowed to be an individual. The stifling of individuality is the number-one most powerful weapon any supervillain could possibly wield, for it turns a society of free dreamers into a single lifeless machine which supports the power of the few. Take away someone’s very identity, and they have nothing left to fight for. A nobody has no hopes, dreams, or even family to care about. A nobody only does one thing – work for the one who controls him.
More and more, we as a society are feeling like nobodies. And we don’t like that.
In “Guts and Glory”, the only free citizens are the Kids. Though they are born nameless, without family or homes, they have created a society that honors the individual. They adopt each-other. They take care of each-other. But most importantly, they have names. Every Nil Kid carries her name with pride, because that name was not given, but earned. Nil Kids have names unique to them, like Papercut, Books, Roach and Turtle. These names define who they are and what they contribute to their society.
And every one of them contributes something that matters.
My stories are for kids -- my heroes are kids -- because this world won’t be fixed overnight. Who knows, perhaps it will take an apocalyptic calamity to set things back to zero. But when the sun finally rises over a new tomorrow, the ones to see it will be the children of today. And those children still believe they aren’t nobodies.
My job as a writer is to make sure that never changes.
Jessica Rising writes all kinds of crazy books for the discerning – and somewhat mad – young reader. You can check out her books at gutsandglorybooks.com or Facebook.com/GutsandGloryBooks
~Fallon Jones
Writing About the Apocalypse for the Next Generation
By Jessica Rising
How many times have you heard parents exclaim, “You know what I really want for my kids? Post-apocalyptic books. Where are they, anyway?” I know. All the time, right?
(Okay, so it’s more like, “why would I EVER want my children reading about the end of the world?” but I digress.)
I’ve had plenty of funny looks from people when I tell them I write post-apocalyptic fiction for kids. Dystopian also raises a few brows. I’ve heard all sorts of questions and doubts, from “that must be very difficult to keep child-friendly” to “I just don’t think that’s a good idea at all”. So here you are, all in one gooey, crème-filled blog post – my reasons for doing… what it is I do.
My genre is generally termed speculative fiction, though perhaps a more literal term would be “obviously fiction”. These are the stories that take the world and twist it up like taffy until the colors, swirls and tastes of reality are transformed into something entirely new. Fantasy. Science Fiction. Horror. Steampunk. Post-Apocalyptic. Dystopia. These are all speculative fiction. To read spec-fic is to escape reality in a runaway boat. To write it is to add a rudder and try to steer.
My current series, “Guts and Glory”, is best described as post-apocalyptic dystopia, or Apocalypse-Punk. And yes, it is for kids.
Lately, apocalyptic visions have become extremely popular. The other day I saw some graffiti that perfectly sums up why I believe this is so. It read, “In a society that has destroyed all adventure, the only adventure left is to destroy that society”.
We are all looking for who we are in this world, and the vast majority of us are no longer finding a satisfying answer. The drone mentality of work-and-sleep-and-work-again is slowly killing our spirits. And so we fight back with our imaginations. “What if this stifling cubicle was torn to shreds? What if this highway was bombed to bits so that it could never again carry its mouse-maze of deadlocked traffic? What if this whitewashed world was suddenly painted in the colors of explosive rebellion? What if society was so ruined that I could finally do something that mattered?”
We all want to be the hero.
Two of the best-known pillars of dystopian literature are George Orwell’s “1984”, and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”. Though their totalitarian societies are very different in many ways, they have one major theme in common: nobody is allowed to be an individual. The stifling of individuality is the number-one most powerful weapon any supervillain could possibly wield, for it turns a society of free dreamers into a single lifeless machine which supports the power of the few. Take away someone’s very identity, and they have nothing left to fight for. A nobody has no hopes, dreams, or even family to care about. A nobody only does one thing – work for the one who controls him.
More and more, we as a society are feeling like nobodies. And we don’t like that.
In “Guts and Glory”, the only free citizens are the Kids. Though they are born nameless, without family or homes, they have created a society that honors the individual. They adopt each-other. They take care of each-other. But most importantly, they have names. Every Nil Kid carries her name with pride, because that name was not given, but earned. Nil Kids have names unique to them, like Papercut, Books, Roach and Turtle. These names define who they are and what they contribute to their society.
And every one of them contributes something that matters.
My stories are for kids -- my heroes are kids -- because this world won’t be fixed overnight. Who knows, perhaps it will take an apocalyptic calamity to set things back to zero. But when the sun finally rises over a new tomorrow, the ones to see it will be the children of today. And those children still believe they aren’t nobodies.
My job as a writer is to make sure that never changes.
Jessica Rising writes all kinds of crazy books for the discerning – and somewhat mad – young reader. You can check out her books at gutsandglorybooks.com or Facebook.com/GutsandGloryBooks
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