Sharing this month’s YouTube vlog and also continuing its discussion about the facets of being a writer—or full-time author.
By John Irvin
This month’s YouTube Author Journey Series episode is out this morning. Here is the link below. Click through to watch yours truly talking about what it takes to be a writer.
I would like to continue the brief chat about being a writer. Many people have asked me of late, how do you do it? Where do you find the time? How do you become a writer?
Personally, I’ve always been a writer, even before I started writing. You can ask my family. Growing up, I was always sharing stories or dreams with my younger brothers. I’d initiate stories with them to the point, my bed was moved out of the shared bedroom.
It was through this move, I think, I decided it was time to start writing my stories down. Sometimes, people begin their writing journal because no one else listens. Not to say my family didn’t listen, but there was a point where they tired of hearing of all these “far-fetched” ideas I had.
So, there was a day, when I was fourteen years old, I sat down and started penning the first line to the first story I ever truly wrote. Years later, I discovered old pictures I’d drawn when I was a young child years before that. I drew these cartoons and wrote little snippets when I was too young to know the proper sentence structure.
You could say I was born writing.
Other people start writing later in life. It doesn’t matter when you start, but start you must. If there is a story inside you, don’t suppress it. Don’t hide it. Let it out or it will strangle you.
Many times, we writers have no idea what is coming out of our fingers. We don’t tend to share this with folk, except for those we feel close to, maybe. Just because an author is successful, doesn’t mean he or she still knows what he’s doing.
We are servants of that muse. Our only duty is to be writing when she shows up.
There are stories inside us that surprise even ourselves. How could we come up with something so dark? How could we sound so evil? Aren’t we good people? Then how did we imagine that murder scene? Aren’t we friendly people? How come our characters seem to despise humanity?
Every book is a piece of its author, but an author is not responsible for the character’s thoughts, words, or actions. The book summons the author, not the other way around.
Writing is our freedom to delve into parts of ourselves we do not dare become. But, it gives us the freedom to explore the consequences of these pieces.
Sometimes, there’s a sense of justice that must be served and these plots are to help us find closure. Maybe someone did us wrong in the past, we’ve forgiven them—or maybe we haven’t—but this book must be written to truly bring justice against that wrong.
By the way, don’t ever wrong a writer. They get their revenge in print.
We can also flip that on its head. If a writer falls in love with you, you’ll live forever.
I find some of my best writing comes from falling in love or being heartbroken.
Sometimes I feel I’m only along for the ride, following my protagonist around and letting him show me things I haven’t even realised myself. It can be a life lesson to follow the journey of an author.
Take my Longevity series. I don’t think I’ve ever been more emotionally involved with a story than with this one. I can’t share how many tears I’ve shared with my character in certain heart-wrenching scenes.
In the last book, Wandering, my editor gave me feedback about my protagonist’s actions. They pointed out, they were enjoying watching how this person was discovering he was standing in the way of himself.
And it hit me. Have I been standing in my own way? I’ve always struggled with self-confidence. Most people don’t realise this, but doubting is one of my biggest weaknesses. I think this is why my career path has been so fettered by one stumbling block after another.
But, I’m slowly understanding myself more and more and beginning to implement more confidence in my actions or my beliefs. Life is unfolding for me just as it is for my Wolf-Born character.
Interesting things these books—even more, when you are their creator.
Another thing I talk about in the YouTube episode is how a writer needs to step out of his comfort zone and take his books to his readers. I feel like social networking is only one way of making connections. The old way can sometimes be the good way.
This is why I planned the Toward the Pacific Author Book Tour for next month. Now, if you’ve been keeping up to date with me, you’ll know my team has postponed it for Spring of 2021. We are, however, keeping the campaign open for the fundraising. Maybe an extra eight or nine months will give us the preparation we need?
It’ll also give more people the chance to show their support and donate to the campaign! Click through to the link below and join our supporters! We’re excited to share these books and our adventures with you as we get ready for next year!
Until next week, y’all have a great life.
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