"Aspiring"

There is no such thing as an aspiring writer--you either write, or you don't.

If you are a writer, you've probably heard that statement--or some variation of it--at least once, and for good reason.

I feel like, too often, the term "writer" is synonymous with a career--any career--that involves writing. If you refer to yourself as a writer, people automatically assume that you're not only a professional, but successful and financially well-off, as well. I think it happens with other artistic pass times, too; artists, painters, poets, you name it. 

I'm guilty of it, myself. Just look at my blogger bio! "Aspiring writer". How do you "aspire" to write? "Oh, I want to write someday! But not today. I'm too busy today."

Seems more like procrastination to me. Trust me, I'm an expert. (Kinda.)

When I made my first e-mail address, I chose the name "futur_writer". I cringe now, not only because of the terrible spelling (I confused it with the French word, okay? It was one time!), but because of how...wrong it was. I was working on a book series--I think that more than qualifies the title of "writer". No futur/e required.

I think, instead of aspiring "writer", we need to say things like "aspiring novelist" or "aspiring poet". "Writer" is too broad a term, anyway. I love writing, but I definitely like some mediums much more than others. (Has anyone seen me ever enjoy writing an essay for school? Didn't think so.)


You shouldn't aspire to simply write in general--you should aspire to improve.


Until later,

- Justyne

First Drafts

When I was younger, there was no such thing as a second draft. I wrote it all out perfectly (or so I thought) the first go around, and skipped straight to the grammar editing shortly after. No revisions. No rewriting. Just one draft--bam, done, on to the next thing.

I don't know if I've just gotten used to the whole NaNo-approach to things, or if I'm finally realizing that it is nearly impossible to get it right on the first try. Either way, one draft just doesn't cut it anymore.

I used to love first drafts. I used to groan and moan throughout editing, and hiss at even the thought of having to re-write the tiniest of paragraphs. But with several less-than-perfect drafts tucked under my belt, I feel like I've definitely warmed up to the idea.

Just recently, I finished the first draft of a novella I've been working on for the past few months or so. Towards the end of it, I realized that my plot--while prominent in the beginning--was now essentially nonexistent. I had no idea what was supposed to happen, what was going to happen, or how I was going to make it to the end. No vague ideas, no plot outline, nothing. I was stumped.

Although I wanted nothing more than to move on, to switch over to some other project (because anything would be better than what I was working on, I was sure), I knew I had to finish. Because this was only the first draft--if I didn't finish it, I wouldn't have anything to work with later. In the past, the idea of having to work around things I had already written was significantly less than ideal, but now? I yearned for it.

Meanwhile, I'm having the opposite problem with my NaNo novel--the first draft of which I finished just before starting this novella. The only thing I'm sure about is the fact that I want to change the story--but instead of not having a clue, I have way too many. Ideas have been bouncing around my head for weeks now, and I'm relieved to be done with the novella, so that I can return to the WIP I've spent well over a year on already.

Rewriting is fun. It's like writing your characters into an alternate universe--it's almost like writing a fanfiction for your own story! (I'm a nerd, bear with me.) A lot of the basics--characters and their personalities, the world, the basic plot of the story--stay the same, so you're not starting entirely from scratch. At the same time, though, you're starting from a clean slate--every plot point, every event, has been erased. Your characters can learn and grow all over again, and you can grow with them.

In other words: I am very, very excited to get back to this story.

Until later,

- Justyne

A Letter to Grads

Dear Graduate,

Make the best of your ceremony.

It may seem boring, or even a little dorky. But I encourage you--I implore you--to take advantage of this day. Celebrate with your friends, celebrate with your families. Take too many pictures and cheer too loud when your friends walk across that stage. You will not regret it.

Some of you will be happy to leave. Some of you will be sad. Some of you will be--and pardon my French--scared shitless. Maybe you'll even be all three.

That is okay.

I know that people always say that high school is the best time of your life. I don't believe that. Some say that high school was only enjoyable for the "popular kids". But...I don't believe that, either.

I wasn't popular, not by a long shot. But high school? I loved it. It was hard, and it was annoying, and I spent countless times ticking down the hours until summer, until graduation, until the day I could move on to something more. It wasn't all fun--in fact it was mostly anything but--but it changed me. At the start of grade nine, I was quiet. I didn't have many friends. I was too afraid to say or do anything that would really draw attention to myself.

Now? Well, now I'm just obnoxious, overly cocky, and use a lot bad sarcasm. But I'm happy, now, with who I am.

High school changes you. Everything that has happened over the past four years--every person you met, every class you took, every word that was ever spoken to you--whether you liked it or not, it all helped shape you into the person you are today. And the person you are today, after 13 long years, has graduated high school. If you don't think that is an accomplishment, I want you to take a step back and reconsider.

Because, dear Graduate, you did a fantastic job. I don't have to have personally met you to tell you that I, along with dozens of others, am proud of you.

It's only been a measly two years since I've graduated, so if you're not inclined to take me too seriously, I understand. There are other older, much wiser people out there, with more experience under their belt. They probably know a whole lot more than I do. If anything, I'm probably just blinded by my young naivety.

But...I think that's kind of a good thing.

You literally have the whole world at your feet right now. It's easy to be overwhelmed with the possibilities. But this is a time in your life when anything can happen--take advantage of that! Follow your interests, your passions, your biggest, craziest dreams! There is nothing holding you back!

And please, more than anything, remember this feeling. Remember this idea that everything is possible, that you can do anything--because you can.

Congratulations, Graduates.

- Justyne

Wattpad!

A couple of years ago, I made an account on Wattpad.com. I started up on there at the recommendation of a friend, and then proceeded to never post anything on it ever. (I think I favourited like one story or something? I don't even know.)

Yesterday, though, I dug it up from the Ashes of Internet Past, dusted it off, and began posting on it.

I have six stories on there currently; five of them are short stories, and the other one is the first seven chapters of The Decagon Project (a novel I've been working on for quite some time now). I'll post more things as I write them--short stories, micro fiction, novel excerpts, etc etc--but until then, you can enjoy and read what I have at your pleasure.

Click here to go to my profile, or click on the link in the header above. :)


Until later,

- Justyne

Shiny Objects

Writing a book is hard. I know that. You know that. You have to know your characters better than you know yourself. You have to have a deep understanding of a fictional world that doesn't exist. You have the make the plot run smoothly, with limited holes, all while finding the right words to do it. It's not easy.

But hey, I never signed up for easy.

One of the biggest problems I have is with actually finishing something. A common trend with me is that I'll spend a couple of months on one story, then get distracted by some shiny object and abandon it indefinitely.

That shiny object is usually a new story idea.

Don't you just hate that? When your love and excitement for a current story fades, and as you're struggling to pull some minuscule amount of joy from it, something sparks. It's not a spark inspired by your current WIP, of course. That would just be too easy. No, this spark is something different, something fresh....something new.

I can't count how many times I've left a story to collect dust on my computer because my eye has been attracted to this New Idea. I've lost track of how many times this New Idea has been so GREAT, so WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL that it just can't wait a few more months, until I've finished what I've started.

I also can't count the amount of times this New Idea has, eventually, turned out like all of the rest: abandoned. Dismissed. Left behind with minimal chances of survival, while I pursue the new New Idea, which will most certainly be the one I finish, no doubt about it.

I know I'm not the only one who does this. (At least I certainly hope I'm not.)

Lately, I feel like I've gotten better at sticking to what I start, instead of ditching it in favour of something new. I've developed a new system, which acts as follows:

STEP 1: RECORD NEW IDEA

So you have a new idea. FANTASTIC! No no no, don't start writing it. Put the word document down and step away from the laptop! There's a better way to handle this!

Take out a notebook, your journal, your phone, whatever, and write this idea down. Write down as much info as you can come up with right now; names, plot points, whatever. Use up as much paper as you want, fill up as many lines as you can. Just don't start writing any scenes, and you'll be fine.

STEP 2: SAVE NEW IDEA FOR LATER

Now you have a shiny New Idea, in physical form, in the palms of your hands. Wonderful. Now put it away.

Set the notebook down, real easy now. That's it! Store it somewhere that you'll be able to find it later. Put a post-it note or a bookmark on the page. Type it in a document and save it in a folder on your computer. Whatever works best for you--just stuff it somewhere. Out of sight, out of mind.

STEP 3: FINISH YOUR CURRENT WIP

It doesn't even have to be polished and edited. I'm not picky. Just finish the current draft. You can do it.

STEP 4: RETRIEVE NEW IDEA

So your old WIP is finished (to an extent). Lovely! Good for you! I'm proud.

Now, if you like, you can go back to your New Idea. Go on--you've earned it! Work on it for as long as you want.


I've fallen into a bit of a pattern with this. Once I finish a draft of a WIP, I switch over to a new (or old) project. Then, once I've finished a draft there, I switch back again. I feel like this keeps me from getting too sick and tired of one story--not to mention it gives me the break I need to look at my writing (somewhat) objectively.

(Saving up a bunch of ideas over time also comes in handy around November, when I need an idea to use for NaNoWriMo. The only issues I ever have then is which idea to pick from.)\


Does this system work for you, or do you have a different way of handling the dreaded New Idea? Let me know in the comments below!

Until later,

- Justyne

Back to the Start (Part II)

The following is a continuation of last week's post. If you missed it, you can go back and read it here.

It all started with Sailor Moon.

No, that was not a joke. It will not be followed with some snide, sarcastic remark, or a sentence that provides much better context to it. As silly as it may seem--and I am very much aware that it sounds extremely silly--it did all start with Sailor Moon.

To say I was a huge fan was...well, a bit of an understatement. I watched it religiously, every day--even if it meant waking up at six in the morning. When it was cancelled, I cried my poor little eight-year-old eyes out. I borrowed the two VHS tapes that the local library owned continuously, watching them constantly until they simply wouldn't work anymore.

When I was around nine years old, I got a tiny little locket for Christmas. Lord only knows where it is now, but at the time, the very first thing that went through my mind was the locket that Sailor Moon had used (that's what they had called it in the English version, anyway) to transform. With this locket, I could be a Sailor Scout, too.

I was nine when I wrote my first real story. It was a story about a group of girls, who used magical lockets to transform into superheroes. Sound familiar?

For me, that story was more than just a story. Just like that show became more than just a show. It was a way for me to be something more--more than just an ordinary girl. That stupid little story, the one I wrote all those years ago, that was my way of being a Sailor Scout. That was my way of saving the world. I often complain about how badly written my first writing attempt was, but really?

That story is my favourite.

Back then, there were no dreams of publication. There were no terribly unrealistic fantasies of becoming rich and famous through writing. (Well, not at first, anyway. Trust me, those came quickly.) There was only me, and the daydreams I spent saving the world. It was the first time, the very first time, that I was excited to write, and live in a fictional world all my own.

That is what I need to be looking for. Not stories that will make me money, but stories that make me excited. Excited to write, to feel, to live. One of my favourite quotes is from Neil Gaiman, who said, "I decided that I'd do my best in the future not to write books just for the money. If you didn't get the money, then you didn't have anything. And if I did work I was proud of, and I didn't get the money, at least I'd have the work."

I heard that quote a couple of years ago, in a video I stumbled upon while browsing the web. I've carried it with me ever since.

I'm not saying that I shouldn't aim for publication. And I'm definitely not saying that I'm going to stop aiming for it anytime soon, either. I will not rest until I can walk into just about any Chapters or Indigo bookstore in the country and see my book--my story--sitting on the shelf.

What I'm trying to say is that, for a moment, I forgot why I started. I forgot how wonderful it felt to be truly, genuinely excited about writing; to not worry about whether it was good, or whether people would like it, or how much money it would make.

To write for the thrill;

To write myself into the person I always wanted to be;

To write for the sake of writing;

That is my goal.


Until later,

- Justyne

Back to the Start (Part I)

It's no secret that I want to make a living off of my writing. Being able to focus whatever hour of the day on my creative projects, without having to schedule around a day job, would be absolutely incredible. It's my ultimate goal of where I want to end up.

I think there's a risk associated, though, with striving to achieve such a thing. Generally, people don't begin creative hobbies for the money--we're attracted to them because we love to create new things, be them stories or paintings or movies or whatever. It's what makes us happy, and that's wonderful. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to make money off of something that makes you happy.

The thing is, though, there is a fine line between writing for yourself and writing for money. And it's very easy to cross it. I would know; I crossed that line, myself. And I didn't even realize it.

I suffered a bit of a slump during April. Or maybe that's just what I've been telling myself, to feel better about having come so close to my goal for Camp NaNoWriMo. Either way, I was stressing. When I returned home from PEI a year ago, I promised myself two things:

1) I would move out by my 20th birthday, and

2) During this time at home, I would finish a manuscript. Written, revised, edited--everything. Done. Completed. Fini. Simple, right?

Not so much.

Despite the constant planning with my friends--and the constant discussions at work--the whole moving thing seemed a million years away. It wasn't until a few months ago, probably around March, that I realized it was only five months away. Five months.

And suddenly, life was moving too fast. Weeks were racing by at break-neck speed, days were soaring out the window as though they were nothing, and I was left in a frazzled, stressed, panicked state. It was like my final year of high school all over again--a day was coming, and once that day arrived, my life would change forever.

I am excited to move out, I really am. I'm excited to be independent and on my own and just to have a fresh start in a (semi) new place.

But I'm also terrified.

And, among all of this chaos, there was my writing. Projects that I had anticipated to be well on their way to completion were left at an eerie pause halfway through the first draft. Suddenly, my goal to have a manuscript finished and polished didn't seem so plausible anymore. It wasn't just discouraging--it was downright frightening. This, the very reason I had left university in the first place, wasn't even going the way it was supposed to. If I couldn't handle this now--living with my parents, with only a part-time job and minimal bills to worry about--how could I possibly hope to handle it in the months to come, with bills galore and a full-time job and other independent, adult things to worry about?

I wasn't sure if I could do it. So, my mind turned to the prospect of money.

The goal was no longer to have a polished manuscript--no, it was to have a manuscript ready to sell and several ebooks on the Kindle market, to help the flow of money. If I start making money, I assumed, then I couldn't consider the past year a failure.

No. Just....no.

It dawned on me, halfway through April, just what I was doing. I wasn't writing for myself anymore--I wasn't focusing on the stories I loved more than anything, on the things that actually made me excited to sit down at my desk. I was just writing for the sake of being published, for making money.

I write for the story. I write because there's a message I want to share, characters I want to introduce, a whole world that I want to make known. I write because I have a story to tell, and only I can tell it.

But honestly? That's not why I started.


To be continued next week!

Until later,

- Justyne