Rules of Engagement//Punctuality and Etiquette August 15, 2013

I would like to pose several indirect questions with this post. Most of them you should be able to pick up on. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.
But first let’s get some things straight.
Now, typically I prefer to rant to someone in person so as not to become known as one of those internet trolls who simply rants on about anything and everything all the time. In fact, this post doesn’t even relate to writing at all, however, I hope that it will be relatable in general nonetheless as I’m sure this has happened to several people.
For a little bit of background, I am a rather punctual person. I absolutely detest being late to any sort of event, and usually arrive around 15 minutes early to most things. I also (and this has been observed by others) highly value the time I get to spend with people in person seeing as it is so scarce now, having to plan around schedules for work, school, and other such things.
That said, I find that many other people don’t seem to have the same kind of respect for other’s time or scheduling. Things always seem to occur very last minute with the people I know, and not in the spontaneous “oh hey, let’s go the beach right now and have a picnic” sort of way.

The Mortal Instruments//Writing and Pop Culture August 13, 2013

Hello fellow writers and any other readers 🙂
I know this is my first update in quite a while and I’m really sorry for that! It’s been a busy summer and I’ve been working hard to keep up with all of my weekly page goals, maintaining a social life, moving, and my job of course.
As the title suggests, I want to address something that pertains strongly to the writing community: the impending release of the Mortal Instruments: City of Bones film.

I think that this is a wonderful opportunity, as are other films based on books, to give the fiction community more exposure.
Now, while I don’t often actually make it to the theater to see movies, I do manage to see my own fair share of teasers and trailers and things like that on TV, online, and other such media. From my experience, it seems to me that Hollywood is running out of ideas for films. Each seems to be more of the same, raunchy, comedic, and thoughtless films that, while commercially successful most of the time, require little actual writing and effort to produce I think. Whereas, for novels to become movies, they must so exceptionally well-written (excluding the Twilight Saga…) to draw in readers that Hollywood seeks to profit off of their success and fame. Harry Potter and The Hunger Games come to mind immediately.
Of course, that’s not to say that every comedic film is unworthy of being scene. In fact, quite the contrary is true. I often find myself tired of the slew of action movies that Hollywood also churns out, and would like something more relaxing to indulge in. To that I reference Pitch Perfect. If you’ve not seen it (which I conclude to be highly unlikely) you must.
My point is simply that I find it incredibly exciting to see another film based off of a quality novel that I have still yet to complete. The writing world is not as easy to break into as other sectors of the entertainment industry in my opinion. As writers, authors, and novelists, we do not have the luxury of a plethora of highly publicized TV shows searching for the next big thing. I do not mean to belittle the work that winners of American Idol, The Voice, X Factor, or any other competition do. Artists successful in those areas have worked hard and deserve what they have earned. I only mean to point out that as writers, we often do not have the same level of exposure as other industries do.
In light of more and more films being based off of novels, I solely redirect more of my hard work to finishing my own novel in hopes that someday I could be that successful. In addition, I encourage anyone else reading this post to press on with your writing even if it seems like you’re getting nowhere. We must always remember that these writers also had to build their audience and start somewhere.
I once read that J.K. Rowling was hardly making rent before she finished the first novel in her Harry Potter series. That first novel took her several years to complete, but she is now wealthier than the Queen of England.
Perhaps none of my novels will ever be that successful, but if my writing is able to one day pay my bills, I think I would be content. However, these novels becoming renown and famous, that is one of my dreams and goals as a writer.
Needless to say, it’s impossible to say who will draft the next bestseller that becomes a motion picture, but it could be any of us. So press on. Every page you write every day will make you better and more polished, even pages that you end up erasing or scrapping later on. Every word you write will further you toward your goal and refine your craft.
Goodnight and keep writing always~