Blogger Life (1)

So apparently if you want people to actually read your blog you have to put effort into it?

I mean, that sounds HARD.

But here I am anyway, writing an actual post instead of just clicking the 'post to blog' button on my latest Goodreads review.

So.

What is it that book-loving blog readers like to read about? I need hints here people.

Shall I start with why I'm giving this blog-writing thing another crack?

Yes, I say 'another' and that's not a typo. I've tried in the past. I have. I'm not lazy, I swear. I'm just too busy reading. I'm a book lover, remember?

But I've decided to start making a little more effort because I'm one of those book lovers who is a wannabe writer. And of course part of being a writer is writing. Regularly.

I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS. I just completely suck at putting them on paper.

So here's to this blog getting my creative mojo flowing.

I'm hoping it'll be a fun learning experience, and that maybe I'll write stuff that people will actually want to read. If you're paying attention, you might even get that sneaky access to my rough drafts. Which may not seem that exciting now but, trust me, it's gonna make you feel super special when the polished versions are published and I become a household name. (So modest, I am so, so modest.)

So thanks for reading and feel free to leave your thoughts!

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Question Time: (I've seen this on other blogs; it's clearly an important part.) Do you blog? And if so, why?

NaNoWriMo

So I've signed up for NaNoWriMo for the first time in my life.

NaNoWriMo: That's National Novel Writing Month, for the uninitiated. November, every year, people from all over the world dedicate themselves to churning out 50,000 words of a complete novel. Apparently the prep is a year-round thing - so I'm a little late, boarding the ship at the start of the designated month - but hey, I've always been decent at 'winging it'. (I definitely had to Google how it all works, though.)

I have found that it really helps with the motivation. I've felt the urge to write quite strongly this past month or so, and have been attempting short stories and other writing adventures. But NNWM (is there a rule against shortening it further?!) has inspired me to put some serious effort into a novel I've been working on for years. I've got outlines, sketches, spin-off stories, character summaries etc. but haven't put a great deal of effort into writing the actual story and bringing it all together. So it's nice to finally be spending some time nurturing this one, and coaxing the story out of my mind and on to the page.

At the same time, I'm so eager to get my work out into the public domain, so I'm frustrated at how long this writing process is going to be. So I'm also toying with the idea of putting more effort into the side projects and short stories. But I also feel like I can only write these things when I get creative flares and can punch out a story in one go. I'm notorious for failing to finish my work.

All I know is that I have this burning urge to tell my stories, and have other people read them. I need to create, and I want to give birth to characters that truly come alive. I have such high hopes for my big dreams.

Writing is hard work, man. But I'm looking forward to the extra motivation that NNWM will provide.


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Find me, friend me! And share your writing journeys with me! Username: KrystalLee6363

Musings

Sometimes I wish I could express things as elegantly as the hundreds of books I read.

Create characters that I can interact with so clearly in my mind, with my heart; see them come to life through my words as they do in my imagination.

To create is a wonderful, liberating experience, but it comes with a heavy burden of responsibility.

To do justice to words; to use them well, and carefully; to do no harm.

Because with the worlds we create within fiction, we create lives that can be inspirational, aspired to, emulated.

There is no way to tell what effect our stories will have on readers. What characters will speak to their secret hearts, and what deeds will come from it. Hopefully we can inspire greatness—courage, heroism, empowerment, love, empathy. But there is never a guarantee, and the greater the readership, the higher the chance of unexpected—and unintended—consequences.

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