Debut Novel - T.J. Bronley

        Hello everyone! Today I'm actually sharing a post. I haven't had a lot of time for writing blog posts, but I was told given an opportunity to write about something that's very special to me. It feels weird to shamelessly plug something, but here we are.

        Today is the day that my debut novel, Which One of Us, releases on Amazon. (Clicking on the title will take you to Amazon.) While I posted this announcement to my personal Facebook page last week, I must share how appreciative I am of the support I've received for releasing a book. For those who've known me for a long time, they know I've wanted to write. Shoot, most of my friends are authors or aspiring authors. 

    But becoming a published author takes a lot of work. I initially wrote Which One of Us in November 2013 for National Novel Writing Month (commonly known as NaNoWriMo for short.) For over ten years, this book has been revised many times, gone through two critique groups, and has had two editors go through different iterations of it. The more recent one was done by Cassie Mae with CookieLynn Publishing.

    A couple years ago, after no real bites from agents and small publishers, I decided I would just go the indie pub route. (Independently published or self-published.) While a tough choice, I started to realize that I had a very negative mindset. Indie books aren't as good, despite the fact that a lot of authors (even internationally published ones who've had massive success) go this route. Now I'm not saying I'm par with any of them. But going the indie route isn't viewed the same today as it was ten years ago and definitely not the same as twenty years ago.

    What was viewed as such a negative thing ("You weren't good enough to get an agent/publisher?") has lost a lot of that negativity--some people still don't understand. There's a lot of sadness I've gone through thinking I'm just not good enough. But the thing is, a lot of my author friends who have read pieces of this book have said it's good. These are some of the most critically honest people I know. If they think it's a good book, then I can take confidence in their words. These aren't people who would throw flowery lies just because they're afraid to hurt my feelings. These are people who want me to write at my best and they point out all the mistakes in my writing they can find and still state they like the story.

    Is this book perfect? Honestly, I don't care. Because my goal wasn't to write some award-winning novel that is praised for its perfect grammar use. My main goal has always been to publish a book--whether I do that myself or not became less important over time. Eventually, I realized I was achieving a different goal all along, one that was very important and much more personal for me: Write and publish the book I would have wanted to read as a teenager. And so, here it is.

Not only that, I absolutely love the cover! Seriously, it grabs my attention. And while I'm probably a little biased in saying this, I can't ignore the compliments I've received for it. I'm still impressed at how perfect the cover is. For those interested, this awesome cover was designed by fellow author, Jaclyn Weist. Doing some numbers here, it took me about two years to figure out how I wanted my cover to look. It took me less than a second to look at this cover and say "This is exactly what I've wanted!"

So, if you're interested in a young adult mystery (no fantasy elements, no science-fiction), then please consider picking up a copy of Which One of Us today. And as always...

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled. 

Five Ways to Keep Your Joy for Writing Fantasy Alive from Brandon Sanderson

            It’s a true delight to share another blog post here! Thank you for welcoming me into the Latter-Day Saint Geeks lair!

One of my primary sources of enjoyment in life is writing. You won't ever read most of what I write, though. I’m the type that works on one book for years and then finally moves on to the next thing, the work of the past a jumbled mess. But hey, puttering around with a story is fun anyway.

If there is one thing that does give me hope that at some point I’ll get my act together and finish a book, it’s that Brandon Sanderson releases very high quality instruction on the internet for free. It was at some point during 2020 that I binge-watched several iterations of Brandon’s writing classes at BYU.

Brandon Sanderson has been teaching a science fiction and fantasy writing class since 2004, before his writing career really took off. When his mentor and creative writing professor, the late David Wolverton (pseudonymously David Farland) retired from BYU, Brandon landed the job.

Because Brandon’s class sizes grew and grew each year, students volunteered to record them, until a later time when Brandon had professional recordings produced. He’s teaching another semester, in 2023, and I’ll be excited to see what changes he has made, particularly in light of his success with the secret projects, and as he nears completion of the first cycle of the Stormlight Archive.

 It’s no wonder the students who came to these classes recorded them themselves, and posted them online with Brandon's permission. He has a way of making people feel welcome, and to engage in a creative process with helpful structure. He very deliberately approaches the art of learning to write in a way that delves much deeper than the hand-wavy “put your feelings on the page” and or cliched “show don’t tell”. 

Like his magic systems, he thinks almost scientifically, providing formulas clear enough to show us how he arrives at his own plot ideas, concepts, characters, and cascading conclusions. What was most interesting to me as I wrote this post was the sense the Brandon knows what it's like to have a dream, and to feel supported by a mentor goes a long way in facilitating an experience that changes a person's life for the better. The inclusivity, intellectual honesty, and playful rigor of these classes not only teaches us something about writing, but it coaches us through resilience, and positive psychology.

So I wanted to review five of Brandon’s lessons from his writing advice, and the ideas that he shares as a mentor and great thinker in the realm of writing fantasy. His website has a section that provides more detail to questions he answers for aspiring authors.

Each numbered item is a paraphrase from one of Brandon’s lectures, or an essay. The comments that follow are how I apply what Brandon is saying, an interpretation that, to me, resonates with his comments. But if you want Brandon’s exact words, I recommend either you check out his website, or his lectures on youtube.

1. Making a living at writing is easier than you think (it’s definitely hard work, but not impossible)

People will tell you that career writer’s are one in a million. The odds are much better than that. The level of one’s monetary success as a writer isn’t a predictable thing, and success like Brandon’s requires the confluence of many different factors working together. However, it is possible to make money doing what you love, and if what you love is writing, don’t give up. In the doing of the thing there is growth and life to experience, so pursue your dream with confidence. In his class every year, there is typically one or two out of a few dozen very serious aspiring writers who get published and kick off their careers.

2. Making a living at writing is not necessary or best for everyone who loves to write

Everyone who has even tried to write a book, and then revealed their writing to a friend has probably heard the question “when are you going to get it published”? 

Brandon likens this to athletes to show how ludicrous it should sound to us. If the guys go out to play basketball, nobody asks, “hey, when are you going to get recruited to the Lakers?” as if playing in the NBA was the measure of how worthwhile it is to play basketball in the first place. We understand that sports are fun, and don’t question why people go out and play. That’s what writing is at its most fundamental level, a form of play. 

We do ourselves a disservice to overlook why people spend hours creating worlds and characters and intricate backstories populating them. They do it primarily for fun. Publishing as the primary goal is putting the cart before the horse.

The enjoyment of writing itself makes it worth it. Publishing is more possible now than ever, but the writing process can be worth it whether or not a piece of writing is ever published. Writers should allow themselves to enjoy their craft at every stage of the creation process.

3. Always Err on the Side of What is Awesome

This is jokingly (but seriously) referred to as Sanderson’s “zeroth” law (as in, comes before first). How often do we pass up opportunities to do this in life and in writing?

You would think they would teach us these things in school.

There are many ways to apply this. Make your writing as unique to you as possible. Use the idea that makes you the most excited to write the scene, not the one you think the reader or agent or editor will prefer. Be willing to fight for what you believe belongs in the book.

Perhaps what is most awesome, is that which is most deeply rooted in what you value in life.

4. Fantasy can Encompass all other Genres

    Sanderson’s thought here is about the expansiveness of the fantasy genre, and its inclusivity. 

Fantasy can comfortably cover romance, adventure, action, humor, drama, suspense, mystery, with the added bonus of dragons. Within fantasy there is a breadth of prose styles, from the most accessible, like Jenny Nimmo, to the literary and sophisticated, like Ursula K. Le Guin, or Guy Gavriel Kay. 

    The potential to experiment with our perception of reality has such limitless possibilities we feel bad for people who don’t enjoy the wonder and possibility available in fantasy. And we also groan when undeniable authors of fantasy (like Rowling and Goodkind) apparently wish to elevate beyond or separate themselves from the genre. 

Fantasy is shaking off the stereotypes it has had in the past, of being fringe, or for undesirable nerds. But still, the case for its worth preceded its popularity.

5. Workshops are Key

    Part of what allows Brandon such consistent and reliable quality to his works is his workshopping process. Yes, he outlines his works ahead of time and is unusually gifted with plot and worldbuilding, among other things. But he seeks the input of alpha and beta readers, and listens to his editors to ensure all the pieces fit together. 

    It’s a challenge to stay true to the vision of the story for beginning workshoppers, and even experienced writers may struggle to provide feedback that aligns with what the author actually intends. Yet, the early and consistent dialog about what the readers expects to come next compared to what the author has planned is extremely valuable data to hear early on.

    The takeaway for me, and why Brandon’s writing classes, and his encouragement to new writers is so invigorating is that he wants us to know that there is room in the community for new voices; for my voice, and yours. If you enjoy writing, please keep that joy alive.

Part of the dream of becoming a writer, the biggest part, is not to compete with bestsellers. I dream of knowing what it feels like to go through the process of getting a book on the shelf. Why couldn't it be me who created all the characters and the story, me who lived in a way that isn’t possible in the real world, through sending a story out like a ship onto the sea of humanity. I’ve always been curious about what I, the published author, would feel if I walked into a bookstore and could pick my book up off the shelf. I can imagine it being just as wonderful as reading a book that stops time for a while and keeps you flipping the pages for hours. 

And knowing that each one of us has it in us to give another person that experience, that is something worth striving for, despite years of unfinished books behind me.

    So when I finish that book, I’ll let you know. For now, how about we write together?

Brandon Sanderson: A Story of Faith

The full interview, “Why I Believe with Brandon Sanderson”, can be found on Facebook…

Earlier this week, the acclaimed fifteen-time New York Times Bestselling author of epic fantasy, Brandon Sanderson, sat down to discuss and answer questions based on his faith and his books. I think this resulted in a deeply insightful and interesting interview, and not just for aspiring writers: he taught lessons for life. What do we do when we can’t seem to move forward? Where should we draw inspiration from? Should we follow the crowd, or be ourselves? How do we deal with uncertainty? Why do you believe? These are all questions that speak to the soul, and what this author has to say is so much deeper than just good writing advice.

There are three aspects of his story that stand out, and the first was the fact that it took him a great while before he discovered writing. He joked how a lot of his competition seems to have had typewriters installed in the womb so they could get a head start. Christopher Paolini comes to mind quite quickly, whose best-selling book Eragon was published at age 18 after only starting writing it at age 15. Sanderson, by contrast, didn’t encounter reading fantasy books until the eighth grade, and only started writing at age 16. Why this change, and why did it affect him so much? His teacher, Mrs. Reeder, gave him a book, and that transformed him. He describes himself as pretty much a constant “7” on a scale of 10 when it comes to happiness, but reading and following the experiences of the characters allowed him to experience levels of emotion and feeling that he had never felt before. Empathy with the characters was something that transported him to their view, and brought him to understand emotion in ways he never had before. Writing came because he wanted to be able to create that himself. The rest flowed from there. Those simple moments become defining. If we allow those experiences to help define us, we can pursue those things that bring us joy.

Brandon was asked what to do about “writer’s block”: what do you do when you experience it? His advice might seem blasphemous to those who, like myself, like to see things done well, or done right, the first time: just jump straight into it. When he doesn’t know what to do, he just writes. Even if it’s horrible, he writes. When it needs to be fixed, he throws out the mistakes, and goes at it again. In his words, it’s much easier to fix something flawed rather than create something good “out of wholecloth.” You can always go back and fix mistakes, but you can’t expect perfection. Especially for young writers, he said, you’ll run into so many things you have to throw out; but as you gain experience, it becomes easier for good writing to flow if you let it out. You have to accept that mistakes will have to be thrown out, and that a better, stronger “you” might be the product of the writing, not the book or the writing itself. If you write, and want to write better, then write! What does a musician do to improve? They practice music! His philosophy is that the journey comes before the destination. If you ever feel stuck, if you feel paralyzed by the task in front of you, maybe just try doing it. A sculptor is only ever able to see the product of the stone once it’s become clear. Our lives and our efforts are precisely the same This spoke to me so much, as one who tends to let perfectionism stop me from acting in a moment. If you want to work on something, just try it out, and throw out the mistakes when they come, and keep trying.

Throughout the interview, he spoke to his reasons for believing in God. In the beginning, he referred to his mission a fair amount. When he first went to the MTC, he felt very much like a fish out of water. “What am I doing?” was a question he asked himself. Even when asked about such things as the Plan of Salvation, which he’d heard of his whole life, he’d think “What? What’s that?” Being in an experience where he had to teach things that he had learned made him pay so much more attention to it that simply being told he needed to learn it. Contrary to what this implies, though, he never went on his mission because of cultural or familial expectations: rather, he went because of his testimony. In particular, he feels that, although he doesn’t know the truth of all things, he knows the God loves His children, perhaps in the same way that Nephi meant when you spoke with an angel. Without having a perfect knowledge, he knows that God is there, that God helped him know that writing would be good for him to pursue, and that he knew he should seek to marry his now wife. He said, if you plant a seed of faith, just start small and build upon it. As he tested the Lord, and received a manifestation of His love and power, he followed the path, and the joy and the fruits of it have blessed him ever since. I think we forget just how involved the Lord can be, if we let him.

This interview, though simple, was made in such a way that you do get to access the mind of Brandon Sanderson, and his mind is full of treasure. This interview was an hour, and I hardly was able to cover even ten minutes of interview. I have to admit it, though: I haven’t read one of Brandon Sanderson’s books. I’ve been intending to read them for years, but this just inspires me to want to read them even more now. Brandon Sanderson seems like a genuinely amazing man, one who is deeply thoughtful and empathetic, and wants to see the light contrast with the darkness. He seeks to follow what makes him feel happy, and to include the Lord in all aspects of that. We can find faith, take steps forward, and worry less that we’ll make mistakes, and more that we are able to make mistakes yet still correct what isn’t good. If you could listen to the entire interview, there are at least ten other points that he went into depth about. He is full of knowledge and life, and I hope that I can have some of that when I get to his age. Regardless, if you want good life advice, or just good writing advice, go find his interview, listen, and be edified with him.

Watch the full interview here: 

Why I Believe with Brandon Sanderson

SCP - The Modern Horror

In times when people are becoming so divided it's nice to see when people come together, like a drive-by birthday parade for folks who are in quarantine, or a graduation party held on Animal Crossing: New Horizons for seniors who couldn't have the traditional graduation, or a group of people making up terrifying horrors beyond the realms of sanity. Community building is really the key to getting through these difficult times, so with that in mind I'd like to discuss my latest obsession: SCP

SCP is a series of short stories and case files documenting the exploits of the fictional SCP Foundation, whose function is to Secure, Contain and Protect mankind from dangerous unexplained entities and phenomenon. Based across the globe the SCP Foundation captures and studies these bizarre happenings, from a pill bottle full of pills that can cure any known disease, to a door that leads to an ancient godlike entity that when unleashed will end the world.

The stories themselves are a collaboration of thousands of different writers from around the world who all take turns adding to the mythos of the SCP. Some add new entries in the massive catalog of documented events, others write short stories centered around the creatures, locations and objects others have created. To add to the lore one must only follow the rules of submission before submitting your work. The platform supports stories, videos and artwork of the mysterious world, so let your imagination run wild with what you want to create. The theme is urban horror but I've seen it stretched to fit any number of themes and genres depending on the author's taste. 

While certainly a rare event, collaborative writing like this is not unique. The father of mind-bending horror, H.P. Lovecraft, loved collaborating with other authors to expand his world and monsters. Most of what we know of Azathoth, the King in Yellow and Cthluhu himself are from contributions made by other writers into the mythos. This is a strong departure from the usual one author to rule them all model that prevails most entertainment we see today. 

I was only partially joking when I said in the beginning that building community based on horror was what we need right now. Horror, especially the creepy cosmic horror of Lovecraft and the SCP just isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine. For those who do like an escape from these fearful times into a place where fear comes not from uncertainty of the world but from a giant hulking lizard monster or a lake that constantly spews out monsters, this might be the place for you. 

-JOE

LDStorymakers 2015

Sadly another conference for LDStorymakers is already over. For me, it was a two-day whirlwind where catching my breath (and a cold) have been difficult.

This year was vastly different than any other year, for me at least. With all my studying and house-buying coming to a close, it's been a very busy year. Add teaching a class both days of the conference and you can see how 2015 has started off somewhat hectic. But I was able to laugh and have fun as the pseudo-Survivor meme below suggests. Pretty much, I outsmarted my negative self.


This was the first year the Storymakers was held at the Utah Valley Convention Center. It was an awesome location with acrophobia-inducing escalators. Seriously, when you get on an escalator and it takes at least 90 seconds without walking to get to the top, it's really high up there. Rode an elevator once. Wasn't any faster. Other than that (and the spitting soap dispensers), it was a great place for the conference. The main ball room held the 700-ish people. We were then able to go upstairs or downstairs for one of many classes offered. Besides the 2 I taught, I only attended 3. For some reason, I kept falling asleep sitting in any classroom.

Also, the bookstore was awesome. There was so much to choose from. Good thing I only made 3 choices (one of which was the Whitney Award winner for Best Novel of the Year this past Saturday night. Congrats, Sarah Eden!) But it's amazing to go from what I recall seeing in the bookstore in 2010 at the first LDStorymakers conference I attended and compare it to how much it's not only grown, but also features books written by people I've met before they were published. Or friends who were already published but added a few more books over the years. As I was privileged to help out at the bookstore (because Scott and Julie tolerate someone who knows how to work a cash register), I smiled anytime I saw a book from one of my friends pass through the line.

There was a theme around "this is my tribe" from our conference chair, Melanie Jacobson. The theme definitely fit for me. Last year it just wasn't my best year. With the exception of hanging out in the bookstore, I just had lost all my mojo. But this year, I feel revived. Part of that is last year my annual roommate, James Duckett, couldn't make it. After feeling deflated from an agent's remarks, I just didn't have it in me to enjoy Storymakers last year. This year, complete 180. I felt at home the whole weekend. Following James' example of exerting extrovert energy (how's that for alliteration?) I decided to be social. And you know what, I had fun this year. More fun than any other year I've attended.

And as much as the LDS writing community is a tribe, it's also a family. It felt like a family reunion. I don't feel nearly as comfortable around any group of people as I have with my Storymakers family. Especially this year. This year, I felt at home. I had conversations with people I only see once a year (rarely more) and still felt like I was seeing a cousin or other relative I get along with. And as the conference grows, so does this pseudo-family. Every year I meet or talk to someone who hasn't been before or been in the time that I've been going or has been and we've just never crossed paths. This year, I got to meet all three types of people and adding them to my family like Ash Ketchum collecting Pokemon. Okay, maybe not that creepy sounding.

So, if you missed the epicness of LDStorymakers this year, next year's conference was already announced that May 12-14, 2016 at the Utah Valley Convention Center.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

Plug for LDStorymakers

I've probably talked about this before (and am too lazy to go check), but every spring for the last few years, I've got to go to a writers conference known as LDStorymakers.

To sum it up in one word: AWESOME!

Obviously, the main target audience usually meets two criteria: LDS and authors/writers. Even though I've been going since 2010, I recognize that I am still not published. But at the same time, I've had the opportunity to meet many great people and learn from awesome names in the writing biz.

But having been around for the past few years, I've had some unique opportunities that I can only say are "right place, right time" kind of situations.

I've made some good friends who have gone on to publish, whether on their own or through a traditional publisher. I've also just made some good friends who have stayed in the same boat as me. And of course, I've met plenty of published authors.

After my first year, I wrote a blog post on my own personal blog, which actually was pretty popular. Seriously, I felt so special having a few hundred hits to that post.

Because of my...whatever...because I go...one time I got this great lesson whilst talking to J. Scott Savage. I told him that I just didn't get why people were my "fans". It just didn't make sense to me. He...well...he pretty much told me off in a way that only he can do without offending someone. But it was an awesome conversation and I became a more confident person because of it.

This past year had its ups and downs. I just wasn't feeling it this year. I was kind of like the Storymakers Grinch, without going out of my way to make anyone else miserable. I was unmotivated and displeased with my writing. Pretty much, just down on my self. Thanks to an awesome class taught by Julie Wright, I actually felt much more motivated.

So...in the end, LDStorymakers = Awesome! Really, it's like going to general conference.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

LDStorymakers 2014 and Annual Traditions

This past weekend was the awesome annual event of LDStorymakers (which I've attended for the last 5 years) and the Whitney awards (which I've never attended but have been near the last 2 years.)

Now the only person who seemed to really like the silly idea of framing oneself (besides Julie who created the 'trend') was me. This is the chair of the conference, Don Carey in his framed moment. (see mine below.)

So, there are a couple of annual traditions I have at Storymakers. The first is that I usually end up with one breakfast alone. Yep, I got to sit Friday morning at the restaurant like a friendless loser and listen to Spotify and eat my crepes. (Feeling sorry for me? You should!) Nah, I really didn't mind it that much. It's just funny how many people come up to me and say "Oh, I would've joined you." (Yes, Taffy, that's aimed at you.)


 Writerly friends #selfieday bomb? Storymakers14 @tbronley @juliedaines pic.twitter.com/0xcje37YKP

— Taffy Lovell (@taffylovell) April 26, 2014

(I say I look pensive and awesome. Taffy said I looked concern. There is no vote here and Taffy's wrong. :P )

The other tradition I have is "how many classes do I ditch out on early?" We won't go into my brand of crazy, suffice it to say, sometimes, I just can't stay. But, I really did enjoy the classes I was in.

One of the ones I did not leave early, was taught by the ever awesome Julie Wright. Not only is she a great author (I've read one of her books based for women and would totally recommend it), she's got an awesome spirit about her. What did she teach? Well, the class was called "Taking the Suck out of Success." But really, the true theme I got was "DON'T QUIT!" And yes, that's in caps for a reason.

What made that class so awesome was that it rejuvenated my writing spirit. The previous day, I had another annual tradition of saying "I'm just gonna give up on writing." Yeah, didn't last long, but that's because of Julie. Also, I wouldn't have even had this great spiritual experience had it not been for Scott (Julie's husband) who suggested that Julie feared having no one show up (a common presenter fear) and that Julie and I could just hang out the entire time. So I publicly thank Julie and Scott the awesome Saturday morning experience. (And really, there are no notes I could share because it was just an experience.) And because it was a great experience, I tweeted the following:

If you didn't cry or feel like it in @scatteredjules' class then you're either a Vulcan or a Dalek. #Storymakers14
— T.J. Bronley (@tbronley) April 26, 2014

 And my final "annual tradition" is getting a lesson no one else got. This year, while everyone was hubbubbing in preparation for the Whitneys, I ended up in a conversation with the Storymakers keynote: Orson Scott Card. Now, I know a lot of people (I'm gonna gauge at least 450) who were quite offended by his keynote. However, this conversation was a polar opposite to the hearsay I have of that keynote.

And since this was my only experience in hearing Mr. Card, I have to say that no matter what anyone will negatively state about him, the man has some wisdom to share. And wow, was it awesome. As LDS members, we refer to spiritual experiences. This was such a great spiritual experience between Mr. Card and the four other people in the room, that it made up for everything negative I've ever heard him say. And honestly, you can believe me or you can hold a keynote against him. If you do the latter, than I'll stand high on my soapbox and cry forgiveness. Because he earned it in my eyes.


But the lesson I really learned here is how much I truly let others' hearsay affect my opinion. I didn't stay for the keynote because I'd never heard anything positive of Mr. Card. After speaking to people during the keynote, I had an even lower opinion. That is until I spoke to Scott Wright who helped me understand that not everything said was judgmental and poor. There was a part at the end that was moving (and I don't mean the "moving people out of the room ASAP" parts).

So as much as I did not appreciate some things that he has said, I found a lot of peace and comfort in the lesson that only four friends got. There may not be an excuse for the things he said, but that doesn't give me the right to be offended either.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

On Finishing

Earlier I posted that November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo or NaNo). For a quick refresher, the goal is to write at least 50,000 words during the month. In years past, I've tried to start this, but I end up too buy and/or too sidetracked--I just noticed the comic on my board. It's funny. You should...oh wait, I was saying something else, wasn't I?

Anyway, I seem to have a problem finishing a lot of things in my life. It has always been easy for me to say "I give up" instead of saying "Gotta see this through." But this year, I wanted to finally complete NaNo.

I'm happy to say that I actually did it. Not only did I write 50,000 words. But I actually hit over 60,000 words in 25 days before I can honestly say my book is done from beginning to end.

You'd think I'm done, right? WRONG!!!!! (where's a buzzer?)

Sadly, there are so many people who think "I wrote it, now I can publish it right?" The likelihood of the books written during NaNo to be level with publishing standards are as high as me going to Vegas and winning and $23 million dollars.

I have this author friend, Betsy Schow who wrote this book, Finished Being Fat. It's an awesome book (that one day I'll read.) It's not exactly a weight loss book, although it is the story of how she lost a fair amount of weight. It is, however, the story of finishing. Most people get discouraged and don't finish.

Well, I've had times when I was tempted this past week to not finish through the skillful art of procrastination. There was one day when I discovered I only had about 8,000 words to go to hit 50,000. So I thought "You know what, I can do that later." Then I figuratively smacked the back of my head and said "No, I'm hitting that 50k ASAP!"

The goal isn't to write a quality, five-star book. The goal is to write a book. After I hit the 50k, I thought "Well, I'll get to say 'The End' later." Once again, I hit the back of my head, still figuratively. I reminded myself that I will not finish it 'later' because more than likely, I'll never finish it.

Then I got to the point where I said, I've only got 1 or 2 more chapters to go. I can just let it wait until I do other things. (You can guess what I did to myself...figuratively.) So I'm pleased to say my book is done. It's over 60,000 words, which I was afraid I'd barely hit 50k. So I'm really pleased with myself there.

Is it quality? No. It is a quality story in my mind. One that will be worth trying to publish once I revise. But the goal wasn't quality. Now I have to force myself to take a break before I become burned out and/or obsessive. But I have a date as to when I will get back to it in mind, if not sooner so I can start revising and adjusting so I can feel like I'm submitting my best work to agents and not some junk.

So yeah, I finished the one goal. Now it's time to look at the other one seriously. I couldn't before now because I wasn't ready yet. I want to finish revisions, but I can't do them all at once. I will do that one at a time and over time. When I'm done, it's submitting time and gearing up for rejection! I mean, acceptance! (But there will be rejection and it's okay.)

Anyway, that's all for now.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

Write Away

Have I ever told you that I like to write? I'm sure there are some of you that are here because you know me in a writing community and are interested in seeing me in my geek world. And there are others that are like "Woah, you like to write. Are you published?" To that question let me say this: if I was a published author, I would definitely be shamelessly self-promoting on this blog. Duh!

A lot of people try to tell me how easy it is to be a writer. (I'm sorry, I don't see your book on any shelves.) It really isn't. Writing science-fiction and fantasy, or speculative, in the modern term? Well that's just making stuff up, right? (That person needs a swift kick to the pants.) I really like what my brother-in-law once told me about writing fantasy. He said that's gotta be so difficult to come up with a brand new world with all its own laws, rules, and cultures. I envy his intelligence. (We're talking about my redneck brother-in-law at that.)

Anyway, as a writer, I discovered the awesomeness that are writing conferences. Here is where I hang out with and meet nerds, geeks, and, by all means, dorks. Ever since I attended UVU's Book Academy (it may be UVU's The Book Academy) in 2009 (which was its inaugural event), I was hooked.

Even though I met very few people at that first conference, I still loved going. A few months later I attended LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything) in Provo and enjoyed it. I did feel more alone at this conference because I didn't know anyone and had too much introvert energy to get me talking.

But then I went to LDStorymakers in May 2010 and that really changed my perspective of being a future author. I even picked up on some rules on getting your book finished and becoming an author. I'm gonna share with you 5 of my favorite rules I've picked up over the past few years. Pay special attention to rule #1 because that's my absolute favorite. (Also, look at that cool guy holding the Dr. Pepper bottle. Wow, I wish I could be him.)

Rule #1: There Are No Secrets to Being Published

What? You mean Brandon Sanderson and Stephanie Meyer aren't keeping something hidden in a spiral notebook inside a treasure chest buried five under their backyards? Yeah, everything you need to know about being published is basically all over the internet: the good and the bad. I once heard a guy at a signing for Brandon Mull ask "What's your secret?" Brandon Mull replied with "I don't have any. I just wrote and wrote and revised and edited and found a publisher that picked me up." This guy looked disappointed. Now there are things we can learn from other authors to be better at our craft. But there really isn't an underlying secret to landing a big deal with a big house publisher.


Rule #2: Read What You Want to Write

This is actually from Stephen King. He's even scarier because he's right. If you're wanting to write a fantasy novel about a troll, then reading Jane Austen is not gonna help you. Exception: if you're trying to see how to incorporate arrogant pride or smug prejudice into the story. (Oh yeah, these rules aren't absolute.)

Rule #3: Going Fanboy/Fangirl On An Author Will Not Help Your Publishing Path

Okay, maybe it will. But authors are people. These aren't Kardashians. They don't want to be treated like they're better than everyone else, generally speaking. Here are the two thoughts here. If the author doesn't like being treated the same as a rockstar, they will think you're weird and annoying. If the author likes the ego boost, they're gonna take your ranting and raving as that, an ego boost. Nothing more, nothing less.



Rule #4: What Works For One Author Doesn't Always Work For Another

There are authors that say "The only way to write is with an outline." There are others that say, "The only way to write is to sit your butt in front of the computer and let your thoughts/ideas flow." Guess what. They're both right...minus this "the only way" business. No, there isn't an only way. One of my favorite things about LDS author Elana Johnson is how she says "This is what works for me" in her presentations. She knows not everything she does will help someone else. She's just sharing what she does.

Rule #5: Being A Published Author Does Not Mean You've Arrived

If your goal is to write one book, and only one, and get it self-published and never write another thing, then this rule isn't for you. There are people out there that believe once you're published everything you write will get published. That has happened for very few actually. Not everyone is John Grisham, Danielle Steel, and a handful of others. Yes, I'm sure you can name about 50 authors that have shelves of books out there and everything they write gets published. Guess what, I can go to the books store and find about 20 authors for each one of those 50 that only has a few books out. There are a LOT of authors competing for publishers' time and booksellers' shelf space.

So there you have my rules. Am I right? Of course I am. But if you don't believe me, go ahead and do it your way. If it works, sweet, you hit the exceptions list. If it doesn't.....well....I told you so. (Yes, I'm immature sometimes.)

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.

Writer's Block: The Fear of Being Stuck

Today's post is going to be more personal in nature.  If you're not interested, you can still enjoy the funny pictures of cats!

Today, for whatever reason, I'm experiencing some bad writer's block.  For some reason, it's reminding me of a fear that I have: the fear of being stuck.

When I was a child (somewhere between six and eight years old) I was playing near some tables that my parents had.  At one point, I somehow got my hand stuck in between some slats that made up the bottom part of the table.  For what felt like an eternity, I was unable to remove my hand.  I remember that it hurt, and I was crying.  Eventually, I was able to remove my hand (probably with the help of one of my parents). 

Ever since then, I've felt a sense of panic if I'm unable to move part of my body.  Sometimes this can lead to particularly violent reactions to people trying to hold or restrain me.  I will fight to try to escape, even if it is causing me pain.  It can sometimes be a little dangerous when I'm playing with my nieces and nephews.  Luckily, I'm able to somewhat distinguish that I'm not 'stuck' just temporarily being held by them.

I've noticed that this fear of being stuck can extend to other sort of situations.  I notice it most frequently in social situations.  If a person is talking to me, and I don't want to continue talking to them, it can lead to some feelings of fear.  In fact, there are some people I try to avoid because I know that I may become 'stuck' in a conversation that I'm just not interested in.  I've found that it also extends to other situations.  If there is a puzzle or a problem that I don't know how to solve, I have a tendency to avoid it.

How does this relate?  Having writer's block is reminding me that I'm feeling stuck.  I feel quite a bit of pressure to produce interest and relevant content for this blog.  Some weeks, I think I'm just writing a post to have a post and that I'm the only person who finds the post interesting.  I often feel myself stuck between the pressure to produce something, and the thought that no one finds it interesting.

Of course, most of that is probably in my head.

Thank you for enduring this post.  Feel free to share this or other posts from Mormon Geeks.  If you don't, the cat below may come to your home and eat all your food.