Writing What I Want To Read

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When you’ve written five books, none of them seeing the light of day, for one reason or another, you reevaluate your writing and you wonder what’s gone wrong.

I started out writing what I thought others wanted to see me write, it sucked. It really sucked.

Then I decided to write what the market wanted. So, I wrote a YA book. But that book has been in rewrite and revision hell. It’s been rewritten 3 times and I don’t see an end in sight for that one.

I like science fiction.

A few of my favorite writers are Frank Herbert and Isaac Asimov.

I thought, I’ll write a Science Fiction story with spaceships, aliens, robots and shit like that. I wrote deep into that world and found, I wasn’t having fun.

What happens when you read a lot of one author? You start writing like that author. This happened in one of my books. I’d been consuming Neil Gaiman on a weekly basis, and low and behold, I wrote a book that read like a Gaiman book.

I really loved the story, but it became a mess of two many characters and some really weird shit that I couldn’t control, which happens when you start giving rocks voices.

Through all of the books I’ve written, I never written what I would truly want to read.

Here’s the writing prompt I created for myself. Write a book with the elements you’d want to see in a book.

I love American history, Fantasy, and magic. That’s what I’m going with. I’ll return to the story and leave you wondering.

I will be posting something on Wattpad related to this in the near future. It will be a first draft, but if you like it, I’ll keep going.

Peace,

Bri

6 and Counting

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It was a warm September day, even for Las Vegas.

I’d taken the day off so I could take my wife to her fetal monitoring appointment.

I’d missed all of them to that point because of work and I refused to miss that one.

We were a little more than a month from our due date. Our daughter was scheduled to arrive October 27th, but things changed that day.

I’d dropped our son off at Kindergarten and was able to sit with my wife for a few hours before we had to be at the appointment.

I don’t remember what we talked about, only that she looked beautiful.

We left the house a early because we didn’t want to be late and we both commented on how warm it was.

Once they hooked her up to the machine there was a flurry of activity around us, which got us in a panic.

We’d already had a miscarriage and other complications prior to this pregnancy and were fearful of anything going wrong.

The doctor came in and told us, “Your baby’s heartbeat is low and there’s little fluid in there with her. We’re sending you to hospital. You’re having her today.”

It was 6 weeks from our due date and I immediately called my mom to make sure she could get our son from school.

We arrived at the hospital, the Vegas sun beating down, my wife sweating, my stressing and they wheeled her up to the maternity ward.

My mom was able to get our son, and they arrived a while later.

My wife was hooked up, given her epidural we were ready to roll, then our little girl’s heart rate began to drop.

We were sent in for an emergency C-Section, which scared the hell out of both of us.

They started her and told me not to film them doing the surgery, which if you’ve never seen a C-Section, it’s surgery.

They pulled our girl out, she screamed, but it was labored.

Walking across the delivery/operating room, they were poking and prodding her and took her out of the room quickly.

When we got back to my wife’s room, they told us the bad news.

Our little girl’s lungs weren’t fully developed and they’d be watching her closely.

That night was one of the hardest nights I’ve had as a parent.

I couldn’t sleep and our little girl was in the Neonatal Infant Care Unit or N.I.C.U., a place she’d be staying for the next month.

Over the following month we watched our little girl fight with the feroctiy of grizzly, which is why I call her my little bear.

We were finally able to take her home from the hospital on her due date.

She was and is a strong willed little girl.

Today she turns six and is every bit the strong little bear she was in the hospital.

Happy Birthday my little bear.

Discovery, Direction and Moving Where Your Motivation Takes You.

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You discover yourself when you’re left to your own devices.

You learn about who you are, what you desire and what works best for you.

The devices you’re left to, well that’s a different kind of animal.

When the world around you changes and you’re stuck doing things you’ve always dreamed of, a few things happen.

You’ll slap yourself often. This is to check if you’re sleeping, but beware, when you do this, people will think you’re odd for slapping yourself in public.

You’ll understand that you’re better at something than you first thought. This understanding allows you to be more creative, and willing to adventure to places you didn’t believe you could go.

When you discover these places, you won’t believe they were there prior to your discovery. You’ll believe them false and it’s because of this belief you’ll learn that your life wasn’t what you believed it to be.

Belief in yourself should be the motivation for anything you do. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will either.

The belief you have in yourself is the most valuable commodity you possess, use it only with those who share your vision.

If you share it with everyone, it diminishes the commodity.

Trust in yourself and understand that discovery, desire and belief are the greatest assets you have.

When you know these things, then you’ll be headed in the correct direction.

Peace,

Bri

Things you shouldn’t ask a writer.

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I posted this on Medium the other day and wanted to post it here as well.

There are things you can do to be supportive of a writer, there are also things you shouldn’t do. This is will be about the latter.
I’m often asked about what I’m writing, yeah, don’t do that.
“Hey, can I borrow your pen?” Please don’t ever do this.
“So, tell me about your book?” Unless you’re an agent publisher or otherwise related to those I stated, don’t, just don’t. If you’re another writer, piss off.
“What do you listen to while writing?” You want to steal my mojo, and or screw up my writing? Oh, you’re just curious what a writer listens to? I listen to the moans and wails of a thousand screaming angels when I write, sometimes they’re demons, but usually, they’re angels.
“How do you come up with your stories?” I prick a vein, usually a large vein, pull the blood out with my teeth and spit it into a fountain pen, but that’s just me.
“Where do you write? I’d love to come watch.” Right, like its the NHL or another sport? I take my writing time seriously, if you try to interrupt me, you’ll be one of those screaming angels I talked about.
“Where do you find the time?” I actually borrowed the time-turner Hermione used in Harry Potter. It helps me to accomplish my goals better.
“Are you a parent? How do you parent and write?” I’m Superman. I’m able to change a diaper, create a world, help with homework, plot a story and cook dinner.
“Are you published?” If you’re unpublished, this will piss you off to no end. If you’re published, the inevitable, “Where can I find your book?” It’s a book. You find it where you find most books, libraries, bookstores and Amazon.
Remember, these are rules to follow, or else be smote by the wrathful writer gods.
If you break these rules and a writer sends a flock of crows after you, that’s your fault, and you must pay for the crows after they’re done peeling the flesh from your bones.

How I Was Able to Write Full-Time.

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For over 11 years I’ve been struggling to write I’ve written two novels, over 50 short stories and stopped and started numerous others.

I did all of this while working 40 hours a week, struggling with migraines, depression and maintaining a relationship with my wife and kids.

I did all these things, but I never felt complete in who I was.

I know a lot of it had to do with that little voice in my head.

The one with my dad’s voice saying, “I wasn’t good enough” or ” I would never be a writer.”

Guess what, I’m a writer!

I’ve talked about the conversation my wife and I had about leaving Vegas, and how I would be able to write full-time and do another job to bring in money until my writing brought in money.

I am sitting here, telling you that not only did this happen, but in a couple months I’ll begin sending out a manuscript to agents.

Yes, I am a certified writer.

I have set schedule of taking the kids to school, getting a few thousand words in the afternoon, picking the kids up from school and eating dinner with my family.

There are a few nights during the week when I pour alcohol for corporate events, weddings and other such things for extra money, but writing is my main gig.

Here’s how we were able to do all of this:

  • We saved up enough to get us through the rough patches of moving.
  • We got the kids into a good charter school.
  • We paid off the majority of our debt, including credit cards.
  • I got a job, though it took longer than expected.

We’ve been in our new environment for 2 months, we have zero credit card debt bought a new house with money we’d saved and I’m able to work 2-3 days a week to supplement our income.

It helps that my wife has a great job, good health care plan and makes a decent amount each month. Without any of this we wouldn’t have been able to move.

I am now able to do what I want, spend time with my family and get out of the house a few nights a week.

After following the plan I’m able to be a mostly stay at home dad.

My wife works from home, so she doesn’t commute and when I’m doing the events she’s home with the kids.

You can truly do what you want if you have a plan.