Blog Hop: The Writing Process.

If you happen to have any questions about the extremely secretive Science Fiction series I've been working on, some of those questions are about to be answered... Sort of. ;)

This is my very first Blog Hop! I was tagged by a fellow writer from Google+ named Emma Lindhagen in this blog. Thanks Emma! I love answering questions, especially about my passions, so I'll never turn down something like this. :)

Blog Hop Rules:  

Answer the four questions below, link back to the person who invited you, and link to the people who will be posting the following Monday.

1. What am I working on? 

I recently finished draft 8 of my very first novel, the first in a Science Fiction series of graphic novels (sort of). So right now I'm working on draft 9, and on getting draft 8 ready for my beta readers. Finishing this book is taking a lot longer than I thought it would, but it's getting there! And I'm already working on some illustrations for the next novel in the series, so that I can have those out of the way and save lots of time. Always something in the works for me, and not just writing related, but that's what I'm working on writing-wise right now. 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well, first of all, the fact that my novels have illustrations is pretty different. It's not a comic book, and I'm not sure it can even be classified as a graphic novel. It's a novel, with illustrations included every now and then. Also, it's more than just Science Fiction (which will be more apparent once the second book comes out). It could also be classified as Romance (Although there isn't much of that ewey gewey sex stuff in it, it is romantic. It's been referred to as "Twilight for robots" if that tells you anything, LOL); Young Adult (which I guess is more of a target audience than a genre, although it's not just for young people - I like to think there's something in it for everyone); and maybe even Horror (lots of gore in both the novels and the illustrations - not so much that it's hard to read, I hope, but just enough to turn the stomach a bit). But I suppose lots of books do that... I think... Which reminds me, I'm probably the only writer on the planet that doesn't like to read books. It's not that I don't want to, I just don't have the patience. Too much going on in my head. So, that probably makes my novels different from writers who do read (hopefully in a good way, but we'll see). 

3. Why do I write what I write?

Because the writing gods demand it, and would probably drive me completely insane if I didn't write what I write. Also, this isn't just a hobby for me - it is my purpose. It feels good to finally be able to say that with confidence.  If I do nothing else before I die, I want my books to be read. Not because I want money or fame, but because I know they will change people. That is the real purpose of my novels. Each of them has a message for specific people. People with a purpose, like me. I want to ignite a generation of dreamers and thinkers, of warriors and peace-keepers. I want to change the world in some small way... But doesn't everyone? (I hope that's the case anyway) 

4. How does your writing process work?

3 words: Music, music, MUSIC. It is what inspires the stories in my novels, it is what keeps me writing when I feel like quitting, and it is what reminds me that this is my purpose. Even as I write this blog, "Like A Ray" by Ki: Theory is blasting in my ears. It's the song that inspired a huge event in my novel (which was also forged in the fires of music from LIVE, Ours, Coldplay, M83, and especially 30 Seconds To Mars, who's music has inspired over half of this trilogy). The very first thing I do when a novel idea comes to me is make a playlist of the music that inspired it, and listen to it while I write (and illustrate). More on my writing process can be found in this guest blog I wrote for a friend a while back, in which I also give writing advice (to the best of my current noob-ability, LOL). 

Well, there you have it. My first Blog Hop. :)

I now direct you to some awesome writer friends from Twitter. 

R. James Stevens (author of Clarity), and

Andrew Baker (author of H.C. To Light State), 
who also has a cool fanboy profile here.

Both these guys are great writers, as well as great friends who have been so supportive. They really are awesome, and I can't wait to read their answers to these questions next week! I hope you'll check out their blogs and read them too ;) 

}i{

Purpose

If it isn't killing you, 

It isn't your purpose in life. 

This may sound harsh and extreme at first, but think about it. From the moment we are born, we are dying. Life is death. Therefore, death is also life. That's not saying you should actively seek out a career path that will kill you, or take drugs that could kill you, or jump off a cliff; it simply means that you must pour your life into your passion. 

When you find your purpose in life, you will know it. You will know it not because it is easy, but because it is hard. It will pull the best parts of you out kicking and screaming, until you are forced to submit to the power inside you. And yes, there is power inside you. It flows through all of us. We just have to recognize it, and put it to use in a positive way.

I wrote a poem a few months ago about the power that flows through all of us. I don't know how good it is or if it goes well with this blog, but either way, here it is: 

 

 Now I'm going to get personal, but bear with me, I have a point.  

At least I hope I do.

When I first discovered video editing, I thought I'd found my purpose. It was and still is one of my biggest passions, but it is not my purpose. Then when I founded   RISE (Rape Incest & Suicide Education), I thought I'd found my purpose. But while helping people is definitely a huge part of everyone's purpose, and while I am extremely passionate about RISE, it's still not my purpose.

When I started writing as a child, I was nonchalant about it, and remained that way until recently. But with the creation of my newest literary endeavor, a series of science fiction novels, I honestly believe that I have finally found my purpose. Writing. Not just writing, but using words and images to attempt to pull out the best in people. Using fiction as a motivational tool. I'm not just saying this to promote my books, either. But I want you to understand how I came to this conclusion. Through writing these books and doing the painstaking illustrations for them, I am learning more about myself and the world than I ever imagined I could learn while being creative. I am learning that it is hard, but worth it. All good things are worth it, and all things worth it are hard. 

I don't yet have children (and if I ever do, they will become my purpose) but I know that many people see their children as their purpose in life. Bringing children into this world and raising them is a wonderful thing, but it is by no means an easy task. Childbirth itself is a testament to this. It is probably the most painful thing a woman will ever have to endure, but in the end, when she looks at her baby for the first time, it's worth it. The pain and suffering we go through while pursuing our purpose is a lot like childbirth. It's hard, but in the end, it's worth it. 

If it doesn't require all of your energy; 
if it doesn't make you cry and sweat and bleed; 
if it isn't killing you, then it isn't your purpose in life. 

So what's your purpose?
What's the one thing that is harder than anything else, but that you also want more than anything else? Don't be afraid to leap into the unknown. You can't have crops without reaping, and you can't have success without work. So when you find your purpose, jump in blindly with everything you have. Put the necessary work in, and in the end it will be worth it. Because everything hard is worth it, and everything worth it is hard.