Why I am a writer

last updated April, 2009

I really don't have any idea why I am writer. All I know it is that it is a basic part of my make-up; I can't go a more than a few days without writing something - whether it's a few random notes on some idea I want to expound on later, to an emotional cleansing (e.g. venting) in my journal, to another chapter in one of the several fiction books I'm trying to finish (and in the past couple years, blogging has become an important to me, too).

I've been journaling ever since I was 9 or 10 years old, and writing stories since about that age, too. I have loved going through my journals and seeing my character growth, how I've changed, things leading up to my decision to follow Christ - and since then, the spiritual struggles God has taken me through to grow me.

I also love to write fiction, and little bits of myself and my journey and my beliefs are sprinkled through out my stories (without being preachy, I hope).

I finished my first book in 2000, at which point I started to go to writer's conferences to see how I would go about trying to get it published. Shortly thereafter I realized that my book had to be completely re-written - it wasn't anywhere near to being fit for publication.

I signed up at several on-line writing workshops (one of them was critters.org) and started to get feedback on my writing, which has helped tremendously. Since 2005, Laramie has had it's own modest little writer's group, which has provided a lot of motivation and fun, getting to know other writers on a personal level.

As of 2008, I finally got my first novel re-written (though I haven't sent it out yet, still polishing it up), and started my second novel - and thanks to the incredible and crazy "National Novel Writing Month" challenge (see NANOWRIMO) I already have over half of it written.

I have a few links below to some writing advice I've collected over the years (much more to add), as well as my own writing progress. I shamelessly use this blog as a means of motivation.

Short synopsis (teasers, actually) to the books I'm working on:

Raining Toward Heaven (genre: Christian)

Valley of the Unicorns (genre: youth fantasy)

A Handful of Scars (genre: adult fantasy)


Writing advice/inspiration:

Fifteen tips for writers (Sept, 2008)

Interview with a newly published writer (December, 2007)

Inspiration to keep writing (January, 2009)