R.R. Virdi's Blog, page 12

Stay in your own lane

Writing isn’t a race, it just isn’t, but most people think it is and are going to treat it like one. Fine. But if that’s what you’re going to treat it like, remember, we all have our own lanes. Stay in yours. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not about coming first, because you can’t. You’re not really racing anyone else, only yourself. That’s the truth. It’s not about number 1, it’s about finishing. Getting there. You got it? You get it? Good.

Your job is to write, produce, the best you can, as you can. Not rushed hurried up whatever. It will always take some measure of time to produce anything. That’s okay. Every author, NYT Best seller, or not, will take time to produce a work. Sure, some will produce faster than others but there’s so much variance going on there. Some type more and faster in a day. Some don’t. *Cough cough* A certain best selling author with a penchant for killing characters. Takes his time. Does it diminish his quality, or career? No. Stephen King hammers out 2k a day consistently. It’s up to you. It will take whatever time it takes, that’s okay. Just finish.

You just have to produce. That’s what matters. Getting your work out for fans and readers to see. Not how much how fast. Got it? You sure? Good!

Work. Write. Read. Live. Enjoy and more.

That’s what you’re supposed to do. Enjoy the writing. If you don’t enjoy it, do you think your readers will? Maybe, in truth, some still will. But that’s the sort of thing that permeates your work, your enthusiasm. Have fun. Write. Don’t spend your time worrying, spend it writing, producing, doing what you can, as you can do it. And if your not the Flash of writing, so what? Get it done. Be a finisher. Finish, produce, get it out there. You’ll do just fine.

It’s like one of the greats once said.

“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” ~Ray Bradbury.

^^Listen to one of the greats. Heed his advice.^^

Building Yourself

Brick by brick word by wordy word, that’s how you do it. Do what? Do you! Not like that you dirty dirty ink monkey. Do your career. Make it, make words, make stories!

That’s how writing is done, by the very act of itself, and the repetition of it. It’s how stories are written, novels completed, careers made. Three words, endless power, infinite potential, your potential. Never give up. So don’t. It’s your choice. Only you can kill your dream. There are going to be days where it feels like others can and will, don’t let them. Don’t give up. There are going to be days where you can’t see it, the how it’s going to happen, the whens, don’t worry. Don’t give up.

Keep writing. Keep making progress. Keep learning and growing. Keep going. Keep writing. Never give up.

Listen, life is going to be like the apple that hit Newton upside the head, and more often than not, it’s not going to leave you with a greater understanding of the laws of physics. It’s going to knock you down, brutally, sorry to be blunt about it. So what? You’re a human being, full of endless potential, snark, gumption and grit. Yes, I said gumption, shut up, I don’t criticize your word choices, do I? You can pick yourself up at any time.

Keep writing.

Setbacks happen. So what? Keep writing. Bad days are going to happen, I had one today, when I’m writing this, not when you’re reading this. Guess what? Here I am—writing something. Write. Keep writing. Never give up. Words have power, you should know this by now. Don’t believe me? Say something truly hateful to someone. Watch what happens? No? Can’t bring yourself to do it? Why? Because it will hurt them? Yes. Words have power. Say something wonderfully kind to someone.

Like how everyone reading this, right now, you, are amazing and wonderful people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for still hanging around, for helping me muddle through my life by reading this and supporting me, my dreams. Thank you for your endless kindness, and so much more. You truly are great, you realize you’re helping me, a nobody indie author, continue pursuing his dreams? For that, you’re amazing.

How’d that make you feel? It’s all true by the way. Words, have, power! So use them, use that power for you, to further your goals and dreams. Keep writing.

Three words. Say them. Never. Give. Up.

Now some questions.

Will you?

I don’t know, but it’s a good question. Answer it. Will you give up? Only you can make that decision.

 

Should you?

No. But hey, that’s your call, not mine. But I don’t think you should, what about you? Should you give up?

Lastly.

Can you?

Aw heck naw. Cue the z snaps. I can’t let writing go. Can you?

No?

Then keep writing. Never give up. Writing rewards the persistent.

Selling YOU

No, it’s not like that, no worries. I mean, selling YOU, the brand, the author, your work. Yeah, believe it or not, it’s about more than just the books. Don’t get me wrong, those matter, oh boy, do those matter. But, why do they matter? There are tons of stories out there, nobody reads them all, nobody likes them all. We all have our tastes, and that’s what matters. That’s why you matter. Your voice is unique, it IS going to resonate with, and attract others, it just is. That’s your greatest weapon, and why you have to sell YOU. And you can. It’s the greatest advantage to being you. A selling point.

Write what you love, how you want, whatever you want, and you’ll do fine. I guarantee you, you will have fans. You just will. That’s how this works. I’ve never heard of a book that doesn’t sell at least one copy. But that’s what you have working for you, and you alone, that no other author has, your voice. That’s why we buy certain author’s works, we like their voice, their stories, things only they can craft. Same goes for you. There are stories for the world that only you can put out. It’s not arrogance, it’s true, it just is. Whatever your stories are, only you can tell them, so tell them. It might take time, but that’s okay. You’ve got time, we all do.

But that’s what this is about, not being someone else, and doing things that everyone else is. Write the stories you want and need to tell, because there’s someone out there that needs to hear it. That is the absolute truth. There are endless great stories out there, but for me, The Dresden Files is one of the series I needed to read. So thank you Jim Butcher for that one.

It’s my favorite, my go to series when my depression gets out of hand, when life goes wayward, and more. Your stories WILL have an affect on someone, they will be cherished by someone more than you, just believe me, trust me on these things, huh?

You must trust me author, RR Virdi knows these things.

What do you love?

It’s a good question, isn’t it? I mean in our fast paced world, let’s face it, there are lots of questions. But are you asking yourselves the right ones? What do you love? And more importantly, are you doing it? For most people, the first one is harder than it should be, and the second, is far to easy. They don’t know, and no, they’re not doing whatever it is they love.

I can’t answer those questions for you. All I can do is lay myself bare and share my answers with you. Writing, and yes, I am. Easier said than done. There are up days, like today, where I wake up with a bundles of my book sold, new reviews that are five stars. And then there are down days, where I don’t know where I’m going, when, how or if I will ever get there. There being making a living out of this writing gig, which is all I want.

It’s not easy, but if you’re doing what you love, it does help. It really does, believe me. It makes the downs more bearable, and the ups, well they become something magical. I’m not gonna wax philosophy and say it’s easy, or that it’s going to be when following your dreams. But…it does help. It makes other problems easier to bear, I’m not kidding.

I’m an author battling depression, go figure, a struggling, sad artist type, say it ain’t so! But writing helps, I love it, I enjoy getting lost in mythology, magic and lore, and well, you can even forget about the blues.

So ask yourself, what do you love? If you’re an author, what do you love to write? And lastly, are you writing it? No? How about you try that. It helps. Don’t take my word for it, take your owns. Throw some down on paper or screen, see what happens. Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to get lost, to run away. So here you go, here’s your permission. Go, run. Get lost.

Have some fun. Be wild. Do what you love. It’s scary yeah, but scary doesn’t kill. Well, not always. Sometimes what scares us, makes us stronger. It’s challenging, but challenges don’t kill either, they make us stronger. It’s always going out on a limb when doing what you love, but it always seems to be worth it to. Your choice.

Just remember, you have my permission!

Be your own fan

Every author has fans, but before them all, you have to be a fan of your own work. You have to like it, love it. If you don’t, what’s the point? It’s a cliche, yes, sure, but cliches become cliches because more often than not, they’re right. You have to write what interests you, because guess what, there’s 7 billion people on the planet, so chances are that if interests you, it will interest others. You find and get fans by being authentic. They’re not just buying into your books, but you, the author. That’s how this works.

Be you, be your own fan. Everything, anything you like and love bleeds into your work when you write. That’s a good thing. It add more layers to your stories. Besides, if you don’t enjoy it, what are the odds that you’re going to finish it? Finishing novels and works is kind of important in becoming an author. You can’t sell, share and market work that isn’t complete, now can you.

Being your own fan means you can keep writing for a long time, and that’s important. Writing isn’t a sprint in any regard, manuscript completion or career building, it’s a marathon. If you enjoy your work, you can keep on working, building your books bit by bit. It will take time, sure, but we all have time. Motivation, dedication, those things wane however. You have to enjoy it to want to keep doing it. So enjoy it. Write what you enjoy.

Seriously, it’s not a crime. Have some fun with it. Remember, I’m a broke indie author, and I’m still doing it, writing novels. I love it. Even during the hard bits, the what do I do next, bits, where I’m lost and frustrated. It happens. No biggie. Just keep writing what you like. Enjoy it, enjoy life, everything else will fall into place.

Kill the things we love

Followers of this blargh, who may or may not be real people…because…I could be totally insane and this is all an illusion…might remember be blarghing about overthinking.

Yes, that thing. It’s a curse. Why? Because, each person kills the thing they love. Or well, they can. How? Great question. I have a knack for asking them.

Keep calm and write on!

It’s another week my loyal, ever so small group of blarghers! So…what’s up? You can answer that one in the comments if you want, use it as an excuse to write something for the day, or to get back into writing.

So today on the docket is this thing called patience. Cue the groans. I know—I know. Not fun, totally not cool. Why can’t we like, just, write and make money, bro? Or sista…W.e. Well first of all, it’s not all about the money. Second thing, you can, but it takes time. Remember, writing is a patience game. Work well done is rewarded with more work, and eventually, that turns into a career. You have to be patient and write on, it will come, believe me. A writing career is no different than writing a novel. It doesn’t happen in a single flash, or keystroke.

Sorry. Not how it works ink monkeys.

But remember, a novel happens word by word, line by line. Eventually you have a whole one and it’s awesome. It’s the same with a career. The sooner you understand it will take a while, the better. And that’s okay. Worthwhile things in life take a while to build. The everlasting things are not built overnight and in a flash. Doesn’t happen. But that’s okay. It takes time, that means you have time to continue to grow, hone your craft and improve along the way. Writing is a slow, patience game. And that’s a good thing. Few good things come with a fast success.

It’s like a flash fire, quick to light, quick to overwhelm everything, and quick to burn out.

If you’ve ever read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, you’ll know that dreams take a long while to come true. There are going to be trials and tests along the way. Things that will and do require patience. And that’s fine. You’re an author. If you can write a novel, you have some semblance of patience… I hope.

Just keep writing, keep focusing on the work, the rewards will come. I promise. They are coming. The career, the bibliography of works, the all of it, it’s coming little author, I swear. The best things take time. Remember that. Any amount of cooking, building, shaping, dream physique, novel, careers…take time. No coincidence. They require the work, dedication and patience, and no secrets…That’s a good thing. Those are all things you can do.

That means success is possible and in your hands. You can do it. You will do it. The only question is, do you want to keep doing it until you see the results? That’s one’s on you!

Be patient. Things are coming together. At one point I didn’t have a published novel. Then I did. Then I had a handful of reviews. Then ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty…fast forward to sitting at ninety one at the time of writing this. I never imagined that. But there it is. Book two is in the works and in editing…

I’m at the moment working a third novel, first of a brand new series. Work work work. But…my bibliography is growing. When these works come out, I’m sure my name might get out there more, maybe not a lot, but something noticeable for me. That’s all it takes.

Write, rinse, repeat. Keep working, good things are coming.

A little bit of trust

Sadly, or not so sadly, depending on how you view things, writing is not an overnight success no matter what the end goal. Whether you want a published career, or just to finish your manuscript. But it will come. It’s an inevitability if you make it one. It will take time, and that’s okay. We’re going to spend that time anyway, it’s going to pass no matter what we do. We can use it to finish novels, publish them, build our careers…or something else. You can write chapter by chapter, and create a novel. As you do, you will get better, you ARE getting better.

It’s like kindling a fire. It takes time, gathering the right resources, knowing what you’re doing and then lighting that first spark. You can have that flash fire success, but those can also burn out just as quickly. Or you can keep feeding the fire, making it grow and then sustaining it, keep it ever burning. You’ll figure out all the little niggles as you go around. Finding the right editor for you, the right betas and cover artists. It takes time and trial and error. That’s okay. You can do that. You’ll find your voice and your audience. It just takes time and getting yourself out there. That’s okay, you can do that. You’ll figure out how to market and network, just be yourself, and it will happen. I’m still learning and growing, and I’m figuring all of these things for me. It’s taking time. I’m still no where. But this nowhere is still somewhat further than the somewhere I was five years ago. Time passes. Trust your writing process, your dreams, do the work. You put in the dues, you’ll get the rewards. Sometimes you just have to wait for them. And that’s okay. We’re all waiting for time to pass anyhow. Keep writing

Treat yourself better as an author

Yo blarghers, what’s up!? Today is Wednesday wisdom here on my blargh. Let me shed some perspective and enlightenment on you!

How to treat yourself better as an author. A public service announcement by that annoying dude…

This one is for you writers up late, or early, wherever you are.

Stop worrying about your WIP’S.

I know it’s easier said than done, but remember…they’re WIPS. They will be edited, polished, revised, rewritten and so on until you’re happy with them. And even then, some of you might still worry about other people’s opinions. Fair enough, but remember this, you wrote this for a reason, part of you wanted to write this, you wanted this story to exist. And you either did, or are in the midst of bringing it to life. So stop worrying. You need this, you need this story, and to finish it. And someone else might need it too.

Stop clinging to mistakes. Guess what? They happen. They happen to all of us. Indie authors, and Trad. I’ve seen my fair of mistakes in NYT best selling novels, and I’ve most certainly made my fair share. You know what? I learned from them. I am better now, all because of them. You can let them hold you back, or realize…that like everyone else, you’re a growing writer. There is no end to writing, no perfection. We all just keep learning and writing. Mistakes are a part of that.

Stop looking at other author’s careers as what your career should be like, what you should write like and do. That’s their career. They are they, you are you. Duh. First of all, remember, authors take a long time to build a career. That author or author’s you’re comparing yourself too, have been at this for a looong time, and fumbled and failed. That success, this is their highlight reel. They still have ups and downs, and will continue to do so. It happens. Professional/career authors keep writing, they don’t quit. End.

Write what you really love and would want to write/read. Is it cliched? Yes. Does it work? Most definitely. Look at Stephen King. Love him, hate him, he built his career writing what he wanted. He’s almost his own genre, he made his career and attracted the audience that liked what he liked. If you build it, they will come. Like any great building, it takes time to build. So enjoy that time. Write what you love, that love and fun will permeate your story and shine through to the readers. For me, a huge love is mythos, hence The Grave Report. All the compliments I get are about my unique twists on monsters and creatures I dug up from mythology, because that’s what I love doing. It’s working for me. I’m broke, unknown and piddly. But it’s a start, one that’s working.

Stop worrying/talking about/and harping on about what you do bad in writing or story telling. How about you tell me what you do good? What you do great! Hell, show me. Maybe super fancy prose isn’t your strength, so what? Maybe you’re an epic dialogue writer, evoking endless emotion and them feels with just a few words! Maybe you write kick butt, hard hitting, ballistic action scenes that have our heart box a thumpin’. No author is good at everything. You’re not supposed to be. And play to your strengths. You’re good at action, then make your action the best it can be, so when it happens, we’re all left breathless.

No one talks about every second of an entire movie. Again, only the highlight reel. Make your highlight reel the stuff you’re great at. Action, amazing dialogue exchanges, a mind boggling description of some place only you could/can create. Do you. Be you.

It’s not only happening to you. It’s hard. But remember, you’re not the only author going through struggles. Whether it’s little to no sales (Raises hand) no reviews, finding an editor, cover artist, clients, or dealing with a bad review. It happens. Reach out to your nano fam for advice on how to deal with it, what to do. Worry does you no good. Questions do you no good until asked. Having trouble? Share, ask. Get answers. Learn!

Remember, it can and will be hard at times. Some people wont get it and or support you. Find other people to fill those roles. Every author has a support group, friends, and believers. You’ve already got me. Remember this, you’ve got nano too. That’s 20k writers in all different stages of the writing world, to ask, brain pick, and ask for help when you need it. You’re not alone.

Stop worrying. Read, write, rinse, repeat. You got this. Stop being so hard on yourself. You can do it. Breathe, exhale. You’re a nano, you can already read and write. So just keep doing that, doing what you do. The more you do it, the more you’ll improve. You’ll find your writerly voice little nano, I promise.

So stop by the comments and share, brag, tell me what you think you do/write best?! Come on. This is for you, and about you. FEEL GOOD! Everyone has something to be proud of in their writing. You all have skills and more. Show em off. Heck, write a quick piece or snippet showcasing your strengths!

Monday motivation!

It’s Monday, start of another week, start it off right! I’m trying to at least. I’m getting my first novel, Grave Beginnings, ready for a print release and more! Book Two is sitting in editing while I write on a new novel/series, my third fiction novel. But before writing on my novel for the day, I wanted to sit down, collect my thoughts, and share them with you awesome people!

Okay blarghers, so what’s on my mind? Glad you didn’t ask, but probably wondered? Success. That’s right. Now today isn’t the day to talk about/define all of that. It means different things to different people. But to get it, you have to start! Whatever it is you want to do, achieve in life, you have to start. So today, this post is about that, getting started. We all have things we’d like to accomplish, goals to see realized and art to be created. To get anywhere substantial in/with those things, we have to start. And starting is the scariest thing out there.

Why?

The unknown. The human brain and the imagination. The unknown scares, our imagination plays to and on those fears. It’s the what if game? What if I fail, what if I don’t know what I’m doing, what if, what if—WOAH SLOW DOWN. How about you stop running ahead of yourself and focus on the here and now.

What if….you just started? What if you didn’t worry about things until the time came? Hm? Nifty huh!? Because for me, I do that a lot. It throws me off my groove and goals. Talking from experience here. Sometimes it pays to just sit down, shut up, and do what you want to/need to do.

Just start.

For writers that means putting words to paper. Outlining, brainstorming or just starting depending on what kind of pantser writer you are. And those are all fine. But remember, momentum builds. Not just in stories, but in success. It’s hard for me to see it sometimes because I only have one book out…but then again, I only have one book out. What if I had two? Or three?! Or Twenty!? See what I’m saying? To get there, I not only have to start writing each and every book, but I have to just start, all the way at the beginning and learn as I go.

And that’s the greatest thing! Why? Because we can all learn! It’s part of being human. We’re not born with the answers, but we do have the ability to get the answers as we go along and learn. We grow through mistakes, that’s how you learn. Success teaches you nothing. Failure teaches you everything. And having the right attitude helps. It’s a mindset plus work. Not one or the other. There are no secrets. Just time, and lots of hard work. More good things because guess what? You can do those things!

Yes you can!

It’s about starting and finishing, and repeating. It’s cyclical. You’ll fall on the way, and that’s okay. You slow down, make mistakes, but that’s okay. You can fix ’em. You will fix ’em and you will grow. That’s how you get anything done. It’s like riding a bike. You fall, get scuffed, and learn how to find your sense of balance. Because everyone’s sense of balance is difference.

Take the time to start, start, keep going and find YOUR balance. Then it’s just a matter of rinse and repeat. I know it’s easier said than done. But don’t think it’s easy for me to say. Because it’s not. I’m saying this because I too, struggle with these things. And that’s okay. That’s why I’m here at the beginning of my journey, doing this, cataloging my career this way I guess.

We’re on this road together. And that’s awesome. Because it means you fellow readers, writers, blarghers and more, are on this ride with me. We will learn and grow together. Just remember, all you have to do is start. So let me help you with that.

Start!

You have an idea, so ask yourself what it is? It could be a brand new story, the next or first chapter, a line or a word. What is it? Do you know? You do? Great. So write it down on paper. Go, now, don’t come back here until you do.

*Waiting…* Man these elevators have weird music.

Oh yeah, you’re back. Good! Now that you’ve got that written down, guess what? Rinse—repeat. If you’re writing for the day, then write the next word down, the next whatever and keep going. You can form paragraphs, and pages and chapters. Just start with something. Start!

Editing comes later, don’t second guess, don’t doubt, just write and rush. I give you permission to be swept up by all the wonderful words and worlds you can create. You have my permission to get lost, go crazy and have fun. You have my permission to write.

START WRITING THIS MONDAY.

START WRITING NOW!