Sunday, March 16, 2014



This past week, I entered a writing contest. A long time ago, back when I was ten or eleven, I entered one for the American Girl Magazine, but does that really count? I mean, it was back when I knew nothing about what an agent was or how to write.

Not that I'm anywhere close to being an expert on either of those things now. But hey, authors are judging this contest, and if you make it to the final "round", an agent reads your stuff. Which let me just say ... THAT IS AWESOME.
 
I wrote a death scene the other day. Do you know how hard death scenes are? I'd written one before, but this time around it happened "off stage", as some people say. In other words, you don't see it happen. And it's not really a death that affects the main character. Well, it does--by affecting someone else, and then ...

Anyway.

So now I only have around 15,000 (ish) more words to go. Hopefully I'll be done by next week if I write consistently. And then I can move on to editing. The fun stuff. Also the stuff that makes you doubt everything you've ever written. 

But it's fun!

ps: I received Bryan Davis's book The Seventh Door a few weeks ago. Comment and I'll fangirl with you. ;)

Oh, and go read Anomally and Angel Eyes. And then you can go sob over how perfect the boys are. AND THE ENDINGS. I need Revolutionary and Dark Halo NOW! 

Okay I'm done now.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

It's been a long time since I posted. And since it's (close to!) the beginning of the year, I thought I would just say, my interests have changed so much over the past year. Or I just got more interested in what I've always been interested in. And it may surprise you, but what I'm interested in is writing. I know, I never actually write a post; I just put up pictures. Sometimes--actually, I think a lot of the time--that's because I want to use that time to work on my book (or because I'm lazy ... but we'll go with the first one!).

I've been wanting to write a post about writing for a while. But writing is hard to write about. It took a long time to get a post about it written. Writing is amazing, and I can't really do it justice, but here's a little peek at my thoughts on it.

Writing is something that takes a lot of patience. You weave in the details of life, give them meaning. Describe the way the sun reflects on the water as it creeps up above the horizon. Tell about how an old couple laughs together. Illustrate the way water trickles over rocks in a stream bed, flowing toward its destination. Explain the way the autumn breeze picks up the flaming leaves and whirls them around in the air. Express joy so overwhelming it bubbles up inside you and begs to be spilled out.

In writing, you have to craft human beings, people who you dream up out of thin air. Some come naturally, already mostly formed. Others come slowly, their personalities seeping into your imagination. They beg you to dive down into the depths of their minds, reach into the recesses of their hearts, draw out what makes them dance with joy, what makes them cry. These characters can be painful. They can make you want to give up.

So you answer the call to dig deep into their being. You find out why the smell of evergreens brings back a thousand memories. What they think of the frost that glitters on the ground in the early mornings of November. Why that one place makes them feel at home.You discover their flaws, the hidden monsters that eat away at their insides. You find out about their virtues, the things that make them people to admire. You fall in love with their quirks. And you write these things.

Writing can be exhausting. It can be exhilarating. It can be liberating. It allows you to pour out your heart, write the words that dwell deep in your soul. Bring forth people you wish you knew. Go on exciting adventures that make your life so much more interesting. And to me, it can be used by God to lead a lost person home. To guide a confused soul to answers. To help someone struggling to find peace.

I think I might post some about my writing. I'm working on a book. And I think I want to talk about it. So look forward to some more posts about writing. :)


xoxo, Emily