Writing is Beautiful

I love writing.

I hate it.

But I love it.

If you're an author, you get me.

Why won't my characters do what I want?

Why can't I think of what to write?

If I go onto Pinterest for four hours will I think of something?

What if I start a new book?

I am currently trudging through the last bit of a novel, and finding very little motivation. The last 10,000 or so words are always very difficult for me.

But when you finally finish a novel

It's beautiful.

Novels are like my babies.

That I don't need to feed.

Or change diapers.

I digress.

Once I started my first novel, I was completely in love with the process of writing, and yearned for more. And I never stopped.

I am constantly coming up with new ideas and planning out my writing.

Writing allows me to explore all parts of life through the eyes of my characters.

~The Whimsical Writer

Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to talk about in anything of the realm of writing. Happy typing!

~

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Writing With Synesthesia

Synesthesia: the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.

For me, I have audio tactile synesthesia. 

Basically, I physically feel words I say or hear. 

Yes I know. Sounds wacko, or like I'm making it up.

From what I understand, less than one percent of the population has this kind of synesthesia.

I do also see/sense auras, and there is debate as to whether this is tied to synesthesia or not, and I personally do not have an input on this. I physically see auras, which I understand some people may not believe. But for me, it's pretty real.

For me, I did not realize this was not "normal" until my junior or senior year of high school. I casually mentioned I did not like the texture of a certain word to a friend, who stared at me as if I had a second head growing.

Later on, I realized I have a form of synesthesia. It really doesn't affect me that much, as I am so used to it and don't know how to live without it. However, it does make it a bit difficult when I am talking, especially in front of a group. With my synesthesia and auras, I tend to get overstimulated and overwhelmed easily. 

With auras, it can make it easier to find someone in a crowd. In my dreams, I often don't see people but instead can identify them by their auras.

Okay, so what does this have to do with writing?

Well, I am glad you asked, myself, what a smart question.

Thank you, myself. 

You're welcome, myself. 

...

...

Alright let's move on from my awkwardness.

 I TRY TO BE FUNNY SOMETIMES M'KAY?

ANYWAY.

For me, synesthesia actually benefits me when I write.

I tend to be better at pairing words together, and achieving that "flow" to avoid awkwardness.

....

Ok we can ignore the above. But awkwardness in writing and how the sentence will sound. Essentially, to further a plot, you can't have a reader trying to read poorly organized sentences and getting so caught up that they can't keep track of the importance of the plot.


It's like trying to run from zombies.


But how in The Walking Dead they just have to jump over people and more zombies.


Sorta.

But it helps me pair words together, making writing more like a painting, where you have to mix together just the right hue or shade for it to fit.

It may be a bit of an obstacle for me, but in the end, it makes me the person I am, and furthermore, it really helps me think of what I am writing and how it will sound. I ultimately have grown so much as a writer because of how much it makes me think of every word I put into my writing with love and care.

So synesthesia, I never thought I'd say this.

But thanks for making me work harder as a writer, and I wouldn't be the writer I am without it. 

~The Whimsical Writer

Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to talk about in anything of the realm of writing. Happy typing! 

~

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FrankenCharacters

One of my favourite things about writing is creating characters.

I love imagining up a whole, new, beautiful person. They're like my babies. That have gone straight into their defiant, rebellious, teenage years. And sometimes have magical powers.

Creating a character is like I'm Frankenstein, and the world of adjectives and descriptors are the parts to make up my beautiful Frankenstein's monster.

I love giving them all their quirks and idiosyncrasies and seeing how they react to it like a strange chemical equation.

One thing I am working on is giving them more developed personalities and deeper flaws and emotions. As a young writer I am constantly learning and changing my writing. One of my biggest challenges is holding on too tight to my characters, and I need to learn to stop controlling them, to set them free.

In writing, characters tend to take hold of the story. And sometimes, they know what will happen before the writer does.


~The Whimsical Writer

Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to talk about in anything of the realm of writing. Happy typing!

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My Writing Journey

Since elementary school I have loved poetry. One of my best friends in elementary school was a gifted poet, and being around her so much exposed me to the beautiful, colourful world of poetry. I would go to her house and feel pure joy listening to her and her father making up rhymes and poems on the spot. She was pretty much known as The Poet of the school.

And I can't thank her enough for showing me the beautiful world of poetry. She showed me how to explore magical worlds through mythical games and magical words.

I began doing poetry and short story workshops in middle school at a writing center in my hometown. Although I grew apart from my elementary school friend, I still took what I learned with me. I was encouraged and praised in my imagination and skill of pairing words together. I was published a few times through the writing center and did a poetry reading.

Then came high school.

I took poetry classes and delved into more intense poetry classes outside of school. The start of high school, I was pretty awkward. Not to say that I grew out of it, I just embraced it and now am just known for it. I was in a poetry workshop that encouraged my creativity and pushed me to challenge myself. I thrived with the teacher, but never felt like I fit in. I was a shy, goody goody all about school freshman surrounded by upperclassmen that skipped class, drank, and did drugs.

Let me clarify: I do not shame anyone for doing any of that, but it was not who I was. I have always been very passionate about school and wasn't a part of the drug scene.

It was an excellent experience, but come my junior year of high school, I stopped going. This center was known as the one for the outcasts, where everyone fits in.

Except me. Not my kind of outcasts.

I made amazing friends and don't regret one second of it. Okay, maybe a minute or two, but other than that, it was amazing.

So I stopped going, but continued to excel in English and fell in love with it.

And then, I met her.

My best friend as a senior in high school, and still one of my best friends to this day has been nothing but encouraging. I learned she was a gifted writer, namely writing novels, which is something I have always been drawn to but never had the patience for. Being around her positive attitude and creative nature is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. This lovely girl will come back into the story in a little bit.

Senior year of high school, I blossomed in writing.

I took multiple English classes, and was challenged, and I loved it. I took a women's literature class, which became one of my favourite classes and teachers, and there is one assignment, that I cannot thank my teacher enough for.

The short story assignment.

When I first heard this assignment, I internally groaned.

Then I panicked.

I wanted to hide under my desk. 

I have always seen writing short stories and novels as a pain that I could never actually do. I applauded authors but could never see myself being able to focus for that long on one story. I changed my mind on the plot of my assignment multiple times, came to the climax far too soon, and had to pretty much redo the short story.

But a little bit later, after getting an A on that project. I went on to turn that short story into a full length novel, and then, I became hooked on writing novels.

Remember that lovely girl? This is where she comes in again. As we grew close we began talking more about writing and we showed one another our writing as we grew to be best friends. We began exchanging our novels to one another for edits, and I learned so much from her. And I keep learning from her.

She has read chapter after chapter of my first novel and painstakingly checked grammar and gave me encouraging notes. I message her about plot lines and "Is this stupid??" to receive encouragement and critique and "No that's genius!". She's the kind of person everyone needs.

In college I continued writing books and messaging my best friend about writing and other things. I finished my first novel sometime the summer before my first year of college.

And I never stopped.

I kept writing novels, even through months long writer's blocks and the pressure of school and just wanting to give up.

My writing journey is far from over. It has barely started.

So thank you, to everyone that has helped me in this writing journey.

~The Whimsical Writer

Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to talk about in anything of the realm of writing. Happy typing!

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Finding Motivation in Writing

Writing is difficult.

But I do it anyway.

I started my first novel my senior year of high school, and I started off incredibly excited. And yet, twenty thousand words in (less than half an average YA novel, average is 45,000-50,000 words) I immediately regretted this crazy, far off idea to write a whole novel.

Why did I decide to do this?
 I'm not an author. 
I can't finish this. 

WHYYYYY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF???

I questioned my decision, thought about scrapping my whole novel and moving on in life as if this never happened.

But I kept writing.

Finding motivation to write can be a chore when you are coming about halfway into your novel.

What do I do?

I keep writing.

One of my biggest tips is to grab any bits of inspiration, always jot ideas down, and when you are in the mood and able to write, write! I find that if I put off writing, I lose that inspiration and motivation, and sadly wave goodbye to the could-be fabulous idea that I am prone to forgetting within the minute.

I let words flow from my fingertips, barely even knowing what I am actually writing, let alone if it makes sense.

The best way to keep writing and up your word count is KEEP WRITING.  I tend to get caught up with editing and begin to doubt myself and my writing, wanting to toss my computer over my shoulder and wallow in self-pity and brood over how I can "never" be a writer.

But you have started the hardest part of writing a novel: starting your novel. And you know what that means?

You, my friend, are an author.

~The Whimsical Writer

Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to talk about in anything of the realm of writing. Happy typing!

Images used are Creative Commons-licensed content. :)

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Welcome to Musings from a Writer

Hello!

I'm twenty, a college student, and most of all, I'm a writer.

I have had a few poems published, completed two novels, am in the middle of two more novels, and have had a novel be the runner up to be published with a small publisher in NaNoWriMo.

I love creating my own world in my books, my own adventure that I feel like I may never find in real life. But that's the thing. Writing is my real life adventure.

I am hoping to work as an editor in a publishing company, as helping others write brings me such joy, along with reading the writing of others.

Reading is a beautiful learning experience as a writer, and gives me inspiration and ideas. I always am learning more and more about being a writer by reading anything from newspapers to novels.
But most of all, I have a passion for creating my own world.

With this blog I hope to connect with fellow writers and create a learning environment and discussion for writers to meet one another and learn, as well as learn about myself and grow as a writer.

I am learning and growing as a writer everyday, and hope to one day be on a bookstore bookshelf.
So here is some insight into my writing world.

~The Whimsical Writer

Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to talk about in anything of the realm of writing. Happy typing!