Encouragement

I was scrolling through the free On-Demand movies (because I'm cheap) and came across old Disney Channel movies. Since I hadn't seen it in a long time, I decided to watch Read it and Weep. For those of you who don't know, this movie is about a freshman girl in high school accidentally publishing her diary and getting nation-wide recognition for it, while also managing to destroy her social life. Anyways, the  movie depressed me. It's unrealistic, but it hurts to think that after one shot at something this character was able to get a publishing deal and a publicist. All while I'm here with my self-published book feeling a tad ashamed of myself. I mean, come on, anyone can self-publish a book. A person could be illiterate and still get their book self-published. It doesn't matter how well you write, because you are literally paying the people to publish your work. Depressing, right?
Well, I walk up stairs dejected at thinking all of this through and turn on the radio. It's tuned in to Kicks 99.5 (a country station) and what comes out of the speakers catches my attention. Maddie and Tae are singing their song Fly (it doesn't matter if you've heard it or not because I'm about to put the lyrics up). And after that horrible feeling of failure this is what I hear—

Baby blue staring in the window
Pane just counting drops of rain
Wondering if she's got the guts to
Take it.
Running down her dream in a dirty
dress, now her heart's a mess
Praying she will find a way to make it.

So keep on climbing, though the
Ground might shake
Just keep on reaching though the 
Limb might break
We've come this far. don't you be
Scared now
Cause you can learn to fly on the
Way down.

Call it what you want. Call it coincidence or call it divine intervention. Heck, call it encouragement from the Fates or nothing at all. The only thing I know for sure is that I never want to stop writing. I just want to get to that level of skill that will allow me to accomplish tradition publishing. I don't care if I succeed economically. My only goal is to be good enough, to write good enough, to be that person that deserves what they get. No, I don't want it to come without a struggle, but the fight to get there is a draining one that leaves me with many unanswered questions. This is an up hill battle and I'm at the bottom.
Yes, I'll complain and whine and rant about how unfair it seems sometimes, but...in a way... I don't think I would have it any different. It's teaching me things that I don't think every author gets taught. It's teaching me patience, building me a back bone, and showing me how to be my own teacher. This is an experience I wish more authors went through.

Stay strong, my loves, the sun rises just before the dawn.
SKW 

Passenger and Coffee

Sometimes it's hard to keep up. I applaud those writers/readers who find time to write/read. This year is starting off like a race. I can't seem to get ahead, only manage to barely keep up. I have finished Emerald Forest in the sense that the story is complete, as for the revising and editing... well... Like I said, I'm struggling with time.
I'm prouder of this book than I am of Obsidian Night. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my books to death, but it is easy to see my writing improving from the first book to the second. I have found that, though I'm busy, taking time to sit in my room with the lights off with a candle lit and Passenger singing in the background with a cup of coffee beside me is like coming home. No feeling can replace that of doing something that puts you back into your element. There is nothing like it. All of my stress and worries disappears the longer I type, the longer I listen, the longer I drink coffee. Life shouldn't have to be one big ball of stress and worry, deadlines and due dates. Life should be that feeling of coming home to something. When I open my laptop and see Emerald Forest or Amber Falls waiting to be written, it's a lovely feeling. All of the characters are frozen in time, waiting to move on with their story as I'm ready to move on with mine.
This is why I started writing. Escape. Family life was bad and I wanted somewhere else to go, so I left and dove into a story that fulfilled my desires. School stresses me, so I write to relax, to laugh and squeal and cry over my characters to avoid thinking of all the things that are waiting to be done.
And I know the stress of a writer! I know every other author's advice is to spend ALL of your time reading or ALL of your time writing, but that isn't an option. If I could, maybe I would, but the point of being an author is write down the secrets of life. What you see, hear, smell, experience! Reading can't teach you how to love or fight or FEEL. Reading can't make you experience things in real life for yourself. Yes, I'll be that one author that goes against EVERYTHING ANYONE has ever told you. But, in my opinion, it's a good thing to make your own progress, to write your own success story. Sure, reading and writing 24/7 may make someone famous, but it's not the secret of writing. There is no secret except for these few:
1) LIVE!
2) Question. Question everything. Question these rules! Question why the heck you have to read every minute of every day and be the absolute best in literature in school.
3) Do what you like. Like writing? Write.
4) Don't compare. Don't compare yourself to other authors. Don't compare your work to theirs. How will you ever stand out if you become the cliche over used everyday somebody? Be whoever you're comfortable being. Write whatever the heck you want! Even if your parents discourage it. You know what writing is? Art. So don't you ever let anyone tell you how to write your Mona Lisa.
5) Take it or leave it. These aren't the secrets. I don't control you. Do whatever the heck works. Print off these "secrets" and rip them up. Because YOU do it how YOU do it.
End of my rant. =)

Stay Rebellious
SKW