Returning to the Journey

While I realize I've been M.I.A., the time I spent away from my book has been eye-opening. As I was swamped with end-of-the-year projects and finals, along with writing projects for my work (I work at a game company), I didn't have time to add anything to my novel. I would've regretted it had I not started reading again during downtime at my second job (I also work at a school). Through it, I discovered a new favorite author and found what to do/what not to do in a book. I never really took any creative writing courses. The only one I've ever taken was an introductory college course, whose only beneficial element to it was the feedback from other students when sharing our original pieces. I believe getting to see other people's work (especially that of whom you admire) helps a writer pick up patterns, grammatical errors, and anything else you may not catch in your own writing. That's how I've grown as a writer for the past ten years. Well, my point is that I managed to learn a lot from reading the past few books that I've had the pleasure devoting my free time to. I also realized that I started to become pickier with how stories are told, which I guess I can use to my advantage when perfecting my own writing style.

For those writers looking for a few tips to make a comeback after a horrible case of writer's block, I suggest reading a new book. Or rereading a book you particularly loved. That'll help revitalize your drive to write and it may give you a few ideas on how to tackle a certain part of your story. It might even spark an idea for an entirely new story.

With that said, stepping away helped me see my novel in a different light, and I think I'll be changing a few things I once couldn't let go. Hopefully, once I finish the book and revise it a few more times, I'll be able to snag a literary agent to help me get published. In the meantime, I will be trying to turn out short stories to practice writing. I'll be releasing a new short story soon as I've now finished school and we're on break at work. Now that I have some time, this could possibly be the summer I query! I'm so excited! Happy writing, everyone!

P.S. If anyone is wondering who my new favorite author is, it's Sarah J. Maas. She's an excellent writer and I highly recommend you read her books!