Pep Talk from Jamie Mitchell

I know what you’re thinking, and trust me, I’m thinking the same thing. Why would you read my pep talk? You don’t know who I am.

Not when you can read pep talks by greats. Veronica Roth and Tamora Pierce have written pep talks for this year’s NaNoWriMo participates. Other famous authors and bloggers have written them this year and in the past. And you read them because they’ve made it. Brandon Sanderson has made it. Rainbow Rowell, Scott Westerfeld, Marissa Meyer—they’ve all made it.

I haven’t made it. I’m a relative nobody in the publishing world. I’m writing this NaNoWriMo pep talk expecting very few people to see it, because I haven’t made it as a writer. I am a writer, yes, but I’m not famous. I haven’t even written a book that’s agent-ready, let alone editor or publisher-ready. All I have under my belt is a few full drafts that are products of NaNoWriMo madness.

By now you’re thinking, this isn’t much of a pep talk. Give me another paragraph or three.

Yes, I may be a nobody in the publishing world. My blog has decent pageviews but doesn’t have many followers. I don’t have an agent, let alone a publisher.

But I’m still writing.

I’m not writing with the goal to be Rainbow or Veronica or anyone else that already has a name in publishing. I’m writing to be me. I’m writing to see MY name in print. That’s what I want. I want to be able to write a book (ideally a great one) that snags an agent and an editor and a publisher and then the GOAL—the absolute goal, which if it happens, I will likely bawl and take a millions pictures acting like a crazy person in the YA aisle of the bookstore—is to have MY book on the shelf.

I admit it'd be nice if my book sold well. I’d throw a happy dance party if it made it to the NYT bestsellers list. I’d love to be able to write full-time. And I still hold these dreams close to my heart. But even if no one reads my book except my mom and boyfriend (though I admit I’ll be sad if that’s the case), I’ll know I accomplished writing a book and getting it published.

So when you write, don’t write to be the next big name. Don’t write to be the next Gillian Flynn or Rick Riordan or whomever it is that you idolize. Write because you want to write. Write because the story is pouring out of you like a waterfall, glinting in the sunlight and thundering in your ears. Write because you have a story to tell and it needs to be on paper even if it doesn’t vault you to author celebrity. Write even if you become the Van Gogh of the publisher world. Write even if no one reads it, not even your mother.

Write for you.

Now, stop reading this, and write.

The Achievement of 100 Posts

Oh. My. God. This is my 100^th blog post!

I almost can’t believe it. Over two years ago, I took a giant leap when I created Jamie, Write Now but I wasn’t thinking about the future of my blog back in May 2012. I hadn’t considered how often I would post or how long I’d keep up with it. And I certainly hadn’t thought about my 100^th post!

It’s taken a lot of determination, some courage and a fair amount of writerly sweat to reach this point. So, what does it mean that I’ve written 100 posts? First of all, I have proof that I can stay on a writing schedule (I’ve been posting every Sunday since September 2012). Also, I have a go-to resume of writing samples. (Though not all my posts are resume-worthy, so I’d highlight the few that are.) Personally, I have a journal of my explorations in writing and reading, something I can share with my family and friends. Most importantly, Jamie, Write Now is proof that I’m committed to this being-a-writer thing. 

After two years, I’ve also learned some things thanks to my blog:

Research is important.

I look back at my Rise of Dystopia post with slight contempt. It was only my 9^th post, but I know now that I didn’t do enough research on dystopia. It was an under-researched post which I realized a few months later. I wrote The Elements of Dystopia and Apocalypse because I knew I could do better.

Don’t back yourself into a corner.

In my YA All the Way post, I backed myself into a corner without realizing it at first. I proclaimed the awesomeness of YA and said I’d only read YA, primarily due to time constraints. Not long later, I realized I should keep an open mind when it comes to my reading list. Reading outside YA is important to keeping perspective, especially since there’s greatness everywhere.

Variety and quality are necessities.

I try to mix it up when it comes to my posts. One week I’ll post a review, the next week I’ll post about an aspect of writing and the following week about a YA trend.  Even though I like to keep it fresh when it comes to my posts, I know that quality is equally as important. I try my best to get my facts straight, eliminate any spelling and grammar errors and ensure my posts are readable and interesting.

Some of my favorite posts to both write and share include:

·         Declaration to Society (June 10, 2012)

 I took to the streets with a sign and declared myself a writer!

·         Why I’m Struggling to Commit to NaNoWriMo (October 21, 2012)

I explained why I was skeptical about writing a novel in 30 days, then publicly committed myself to doing so.  

·         The Experience of Imperfect Travel (January 13, 2013)

Sometimes it’s the imperfect moments that affect us the most.

·         Balancing Work with Passion (June 23, 2013)

It’s difficult to balance job and passion. I opened up about trying to do both without compromising myself or time with my boyfriend, family and friends.

·         The Lesson of Shitty First Drafts (October 6, 2013)

Writing is hard, but getting it out is what’s important. First drafts are never good. In fact, they are shitty. It’s editing that makes them good.

·         Diversfying my Reading List (May 4, 2014)

I discussed the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign and pledged to read at least 8 diverse books before the end of 2014.

 

I must admit I’m proud of this accomplishment! I plan to keep posting weekly and hopefully grow my readership with relevant and intriguing posts. Here’s to another 100 posts!

As always, thanks for reading!

 

Sharing my Work In Progress

I’m a writer. I’m comfortable saying it, sharing it even. But the next part, when I’m asked the follow-up question, is tougher. What do you write?

My instinct is to keep it to myself, hold my story close to my heart, wrap it up in a blanket with me, hide it on a USB. Call it precious.

But I can’t do that. I know I shouldn’t. So my answer usually goes something like: “Well, I write YA fantasy and I'm currently working on a story about teenage girl who’s an assassin but doesn’t like being an assassin but is trapped into service by an evil Empress.” Which is about the time it starts sounding weird in my head so I stop and say I’m still writing/editing/working on it. And that’s where the conversation ends.

But something AMAZING happened this week that makes me think it’s time to share a few tidbits of my WIP. Of course that something amazing didn’t come without a little internal wrangling.

I won a 10 page critique from Kate Brauning at YA Stands. I was so excited when I found out (and still am) that I opened Scrivener, cut the first 10 pages to a Word document, re-read it for the 100^th time and sent it off before it occurred to me that I was SENDING MY WORDS TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.

This, turns out, is frightening.

That’s about when I started being pelted by my own thoughts. What if my story sucks? What if I’m crazy to think it’s a workable, decent draft? What if it doesn’t have potential? What if I’m a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad writer? What if what if WHAT IF?

I had to tell myself to STOP. Wait. Trust.

Stop thinking degrading thoughts. They’re no use to anyone. Wait to hear back. Whether the response comes sooner or later, I can’t freak out the entire time my words are elsewhere. I shouldn’t be freaking out at all. This is a great opportunity and a logical next step.

And I should trust in myself and in my words. Trust that my passion isn’t foolhardy. Trust that no matter what the critique says (good, bad, great, devastating), I will be able to read it, learn from it and use it to make my story better. And hopefully become a better writer in the process.

So, I’m going to do something new today. I’m adding a tab up top with some information about my WIP. It’s a long time coming. I mean, I have been working on this thing for almost four years. WHOA. It’s time to put a little bit of it out into the world.

And think happy thoughts.

Blog-iversary

One year ago, I began this blog by declaring myself a writer. That post was revolutionary for me. Not only did I tell the world (or the 34 people who viewed that post) that I was a writer, but I was admitting it to myself. I was allowing myself to be a writer. Officially. This year, I want to take a look back over the year since I posted that dirty little secret, remind myself that I can still legitimately call myself a writer and consider all there is still to accomplish.

Over the past year, there have been some changes in my life. I moved to Indianapolis. I started a new job, left an old one and transferred an even older one. (If that doesn’t add up, it might help to note I have 2 jobs.) Also this year, I wrote the first full draft of my WIP, one of my biggest writing accomplishments to date.

On the blog, I shared my NaNoWriMo journey and I resolved to write as well as to read in 2013. I shared my most anticipated new releases for each season and my must-read teen books. I started traveling through fiction (so far just to London and Chicago). I wrote about love, sex and leaving. I wrote to my 15 year-old self. I wrote about lessons I learned from Neal Shusterman and Libba Bray. I made discoveries and shared adventures. And I took my declaration to the world.

Shout out again to my camera guy/boyfriend.

 

This year has been one giant leap forward in the me-being-a-writer-for-real scheme of things. I’m proud that I’ve been writing weekly on the blog since September. I’m proud to say that I’m a NaNoWriMo winner. I’m proud that I’ve been reading a ton, tweeting a lot and writing a reasonable amount. (Not enough though. Never enough.)

However, I still have more to accomplish in the coming years. I’d like to write more yet keep up with my reading. I’d like to keep posting every week on this blog. I’d like to work more towards the resolutions I set out to accomplish in January (to complete by June, but I’m not focusing on the deadline). I’d like to double my NaNoWriMo wins. And eventually I’d like to be published. (Fingers crossed that it’s sooner rather than later.) Mostly, I’d like to keep dreaming and keep working toward those dreams.

Wish me luck! (I may need it.)

A Year in Numbers

Posts: 46

Views: 2549

Most-Viewed Post: Teen Books-to-Movies 2013 &Beyond (244 views)

Least-Viewed Post: The Definition of Unputdownable (5 views)

 

Declaration to Society

I’ve said it once or twice. Maybe I’m closing in on a dozen times. But, here it is again: I am a writer. I tell stories. I dream in dialogue. And the Day 1 Habits of Great Writers Challenge was to tell someone that you are afraid to, or that might judge you. I didn’t have someone particular in mind, so I decided to declare it to society.

I made a sign, and embarked on a journey to campus. I enlisted my awesome boyfriend, Josh, to assist as photographer. At first, I was weary of the sign I carried around in public. I wanted to roll it up or at least fold it so no one would see. But, what’s the point in that?

It was tough as I posed with my sign. I wanted no one to be around, but I understood that wasn’t the point of the declaration. As we ventured into more trafficked areas of campus, I began to feel more comfortable carrying a sign that said, in colorful bold print: “I am a writer.”

Here’s my photo journey:

 


Just across the street from the parking garage, there is one of IU’s great antiquey clocks.



The Showalter Fountain: A mother from a tour group walked around to read my sign. My introverted self explained in short.



Stop! I’m a writer!

In front of the IMU, blocking one of the gated entrances.

No one needs to know what the sign underneath says. Except it might prevent a few crashes. Okay, I won’t leave mine there permanently.

It was such a beautiful day!

Woodburn Hall, where I spent a good portion of my time on campus.



Close-up.

Lost in the woods, or in my imagination.

And there’s my journey. Maybe I didn’t approach anyone (I’m still quite shy), but I didn’t mind the tour groups and their watchful eyes. I didn’t care if all the people walking by judged me. (Except the one time I held the sign upside down for a photo. That was a little embarrassing.) But, by the end, I was proud of my sign.

And that's what it's all about: being proud of who you are. 

Day 1: Declare (Postponed)

Yesterday I joined Jeff Goins' 15-Day Writing Challenge. Today the first challenge was extended. As my great idea on how to fulfill it expanded and congealed in my mind, I realized that I wouldn’t have the time or assistance to complete it today, a lonely Tuesday. My idea requires a photographer, some creativity and a bit of traveling. Therefore, I will prepare, and wait for the weekend. But in the meantime, here’s a temporary Day 1 entry:

My Letter to JK Rowling

Dear Joanne,

So, you are kind of my idol. And by kind of, I mean that I kind of want to be like you. The money would be nice, the paparazzi not so much. The reverence wouldn’t be so bad, who doesn’t want to be worshiped like the Queen? Also, the acts of charity that you can accomplish are one word: awesome! And hey, you have the freedom to WRITE what you want (I’m sure there’s some pressure involved).

But, then, I don’t want to be like you either. No offense, I promise it’s not a British thing.

(I looove London!)

I really just want to be: ME.

I want to find my own way, struggle on my own mountainous journey and—oh yes—write my own (hopefully magnificent) books.

That’s correct, Ms. Rowling, I am a writer. I’m not a published writer, but I am a writer. I am not a full-time, stay-at-home or freelance writer, but I am a writer.

And I just wanted to share that with you, the celebrity author that I adore.

*shouts* Hey JK, I am a writer!

Sincerely,

Jamie

P.S. Can you tell I'm a fan?

Who am I?

I am a… reader. But, a writer?

The books along my wall say I’m a reader. They whisper it from their thousands of pages. My overstocked bookshelf dedicated to teen fantasy screams it pretty loud. My special Harry Potter shelf—British editions (be jealous)—have it scrawled into their spine.

I read, sometimes too much. But, am I a writer?

I was a writer in 3^rd grade, when I wrote a story about a hidden unicorn valley behind my grandparents’ house. In high school, I wrote about a horse stable fire in 18^th century England that turned one girl’s dream of freedom to a duty to stay with her family. And now, age undetermined, I write about assassins and soldiers in a dystopian future.

But for some reason, I’ve never considering myself a “writer.” Don’t you have to be a published author? Or at least have a publisher willing to print you? Even just have an agent that believes in you? Does a supportive boyfriend work?

Wait, are you saying I can just call myself a writer, and it will be true? I can just write every day, even if it’s only in my head, and consider myself a writer? Yes, that’s a question.

I write every day. Whether it’s quickly jotting down my dream from the previous night (intriguing in their impossibility). Or pulling open my latest draft on my lunch break. Or having a conversation in my head with two fictional people that I’d created seconds before. Or updating my to-do list.

Okay, I see how that last one doesn’t count.

So, maybe I am a writer. My Rowling-size dreams say I could be. Maybe if I believe it, I will act it, and then it will come true!  Even though that sounds fluffy and Disney-esque, it’s so happy! My dream can come true. So let’s start by saying it:

I AM A WRITER!

And a big thank you to Jeff Goins, who provided me a deadline to finally get this blog up and running. Please visit him and his inspiration at http://youareawriter.com/.