Writer’s block? More like emotional block.

I don’t think I’m one of the people who get writer’s block. It’s not because I’m a creation machine that just spews out more words than I can count (Although, I do suck at math). It’s more because my perception of “writer’s block” might be different than the general view on it.

To me, a writer’s block is a literal block. You know, the kind of block that says: “Nope. Can’t write here… or there… or there… and not there either.”

^I’ve never had that. There’s been times where I’ve struggled with plot, or character building, or when I’ve written myself into a corner that I can’t see myself getting out of. There are also stories I’ve abandoned because of lack of interest or because it was too far gone to even save.

But an actual writer’s block? I’ve never really experienced.

Instead, I’ve had numerous times of “emotional blocks”. You know, the times where something in your life is so downright shitty that it just affects you so badly that it spews over into your writing.

It’s when you’re writing a love story, but you just went through a break-up. That isn’t easy.

Or when you’re writing a happy ending, but everything about you just seems sad.

Or my favorite, when you try to make a strong character that can overcome almost anything, then realize you just want to curl up under your blanket and cry because reality isn’t like your fictional world.

And it isn’t fair. At all.

Some people suggest to “write it out”, and I’ve tried. It turned into the most whiny poem ever, and it sucked so badly. I’ve tried urging on a chapter where I’ve had to delete all three thousand words because at the end of the second chapter my character was so depressed they just wanted to commit suicide, which didn’t fit into my plot at all.

For some, it might work. And to you, I have to say that I envy you.

The emotional block is my worst enemy. I simply can’t channel all that sadness and rage into my writing. And why should I? I don’t want it in my life. There’s no need to force my characters to endure it either—they get enough trouble from me already.

It goes the other way around, as well. When I won the Watty Awards, I was so happy and motivated that I simply HAD to write something. Which resulted in a scene, in the sequel where my characters shared a joyful moment, some extra powers were added—something I’m gonna pay for later as it’s a crucial plot hole—and all in all, everything was just freaking dandy. That didn’t quite fit into the situation my characters was in at the moment. Vega had just had a seizure like attack, and a magical Star Lion had to watch over her. Joshua and Eric was worried, and were about to embark on the next phase to take on the Black Holes for good. Yet, when the two guys formed a magical bond, Vega was laughing her ass off on the ground—despite the fact it was serious business.

Luckily, I had a friend, who helped me through it. My best friend actually. He’d grown somewhat attached to Joshua, and helped me calm down from my pink cloud of happiness. It’s not perfect still, but more to the point where I’d envisioned it.

My point is. If you’re a writer who can’t write anything at times in your life, then you have writer’s block. I’m not one of those. I’ve got the emo block instead.

You might be wondering why I say this now. And I can only say it’s because I’ve finally managed to return to my actual “good” state of mind. Now, if I just could battle my issues with procrastination—like this blog is—then I’d be all good to go. 

Writers and Copyright

Some of you know me personally, and some of you might not. Most of you know that I’m not easily offended—it comes with having a big family with a horrible humor (I still love it, though)

However, recently I discovered what ticks me off the most, and I’ve been wanting to write this ever since it happened, yet I knew that I had to take some time to cool off.

It didn’t work.

I am still pissed off, offended and at the point where I want to punch my laptop every time I think of it. I know that I should simply ‘let it go’ or ‘just remember I’m better than that’. And yes, I know that. Doesn’t mean it’s that easy, though.

I never aspired to be a writer. Honestly, I didn’t. I decided to try it out for a while, and because of the community on Wattpad, and the friends I made—I wanted to continue. Slowly, I realized that there were people who enjoyed what I wrote.

So, I tried to uphold a certain standard. I am terrified of copyright theft because it’s so easy to accuse someone else of it.

When I wrote Rising Star, in the first draft, there was a scene that used the elements (i.e. Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Spirit) to revive a person. I hated that part, mostly because the idea came after reading Richelle Mead’s ‘Vampire Academy’ combined with P.C & Kristin Cast’s ‘House of Night’.

In the second draft, I rewrote that scene completely, simply to get rid of the elemental magic. Not because I had stolen it, but because it made me feel slightly dirty to have it in there when I personally knew where the idea came from.

That’s how much I hate the act of stealing ideas.

Now, I know there are other similarities, which can be made between Rising Star and a bunch of other stories. Some say it reminds them of Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust”. Other thinks the whole thing with the Lores of Lyra is a bit too close to Phillip Pullman’s ‘Dark Materials’.

And that’s okay. I know that I didn’t make a conscious decision to get inspired from them, and it’s the readers’ own perception of the story, which sees these similarities. That doesn’t mean I “stole” from them in any way because I didn’t—I haven’t even read them.

So when I discover that someone accuses me and my new story of not only copyright infringement (Derivative works, like stealing characters, settings, etc. for fx. Fan Fiction or spin-offs/sequels) but downright plagiarism (Copy/pasting a work and passing it off as my own) then I’m offended. I get really offended.

The part that pisses me off the most is the fact I’ve never read said story, and when I decided to check, then while there can be some similarities (They both have words and sentences—even paragraphs. They both feature a female main character, and they both have a submissive role at some part in the story, and the title is both the name of the species of the character) then it doesn’t even warrant a copyright infringement, and it doesn’t mean I’m stealing/plagiarizing anything.

I get it. We’re all writing online—most are waiting for their big chance. The constant threat of having our work stolen is pretty evident, and it should be. There are too many people who thrive of this stuff. But before accusations are thrown around, then you as the author have a responsibility to check it out before broadcasting it to various medias, and start trouble for no apparent reason.

Even the claim of an alleged copyright theft can ruin a writer’s career. Not only does it create a doubt about the integrity of the accused writer, but it can also be extremely hurtful if not dealt with appropriately.

As it was, I’ve been through some days where I’ve wondered whether it’s even worth continuing this hobby. If I’m going to endure this, every time I pass another milestone—without even being paid for it—is it really worth it?

For the first two days, the answer was no. I wanted to rage, I wanted to whine, I wanted to delete every single word I’ve ever written, every profile I’ve ever made online and simply give up.

On this day, though. I feel a bit better. I’m still tired, hurt and downright pissed off. But I’m also more clear in my head. I realize now that wanting to quit because of a bit of hardship was a pretty stupid thing to even consider. I know that there’s no lawsuit going on, and I know that I didn’t do anything wrong.

I’m trying to look on the positive side, as well. If this becomes a thing, then it means more exposure to me. That’s almost always a good thing. I mean, would I ever have read ’50 shades of grey’ if I hadn’t wanted to see for myself if the writing really were bad? I don’t think so.

This probably won’t be the first time this happens. I’m sure that my other projects are similar to one story or another, as well. And it’s almost inevitable.

However, for my fellow writers and readers, when you see something similar to a story you’ve read/written, check out these things:

- Are the huge chunks of the work that is the same?

- Are the characters names, traits, and relationships the same?

- Does the world (especially for fantasy/Sci-fi) have the same descriptions, names, spells, traditions?

^If the answer is yes, then you might have reason to be afraid.

However, make sure to get a second opinion, and—if possible—a person who understands copyright law. Don’t throw out accusations into the public without being at least 80% certain there’s even a case to begin with. And if you finally want to resolve it without potential expensive lawsuit/authorities, make sure to message the authors involved. Don’t tell a friend who’ll tell a friend without checking it, for then to broadcast it across the internet without checking it.

You can’t copyright ideas. In some cases, that feels like a load of bull—I think so too. But, if a person wants to write up a mythology about stars and how they can save the world, then technically, I can’t do jack about it. And if I want to write about an ancient cursed fantasy creature, which have been forced into submission because humans do stupid things out of fear. Then I can. And it’s not a copyright violation.

Luckily, this issue seems to be resolved for now. And I’m glad. I don’t wish to cause any trouble for myself or other writers. I am just writing this, so you know what can happen once you’ve thrown around accusations, without being sure of it.

With that said, I probably should get back to writing again.

To all my readers

Hi all!

I sent out a fan broadcast yesterday about needing you guys help. After that, it was just:

I decide to pull and allnighter and get this awkward short chapter over with. I was happy in the end though.

Now, I just uploaded it. Keep refreshing to see if it works.

Luckily, I have the best readers in the world.

So if you're reading this:

You're the best!

Don't change, just...

Sincerely, Maja

Accomplishments

I like to write. I like to talk about writing. I like to read about writing, and I like to write about writing.

Anything related to writing—I dig it.

But, one of the things that I see often overlooked—especially among my writer friend—is their own personal accomplishment. Often it feels like a classic case of “This dress makes me look fat” rather than “Booyah! I reached my word goal!”

I find the whole idea that writers should be humble and silently grateful for anything thrown their way to be pointless. So at the risk of sounding arrogant and—god forbid it—like I’m bragging, I’m going to list all my personal accomplishments for the world to see.

Now, before I get a ton of messages about how I’m not even published, or that I still have problems with English grammar. Then I’d like to say: Yes. I know that I’m far from being truly accomplished. I have a long way to go—I know that. But if the road to success is only littered with stones, branches and burning coal, then nobody wants to go there. Me included.

In 2010, I got my first smartphone. At the age of 20, this was huge for me. I’ve always loved reading, and the android market was filled with illegal apps of full books. Day in and day out, I was reading the latest vampire books, for then to search for more, read them etc. I wanted more and more. One lucky day, I stumbled over the Wattpad App. I didn’t know it at the time, but this app changed my life.

I loved reading, and the neverending supply of books was amazing to someone like me. It took me awhile to discover what all the random messages at the end with “vomment” or “thanks for all the comments” meant. 

But finally, I figured out that it was a website, as well. It took me approximately two hours before I had made an account and uploaded the first chapter of something I’ve written.

It sucked of course. But eh, I’d never written before and my education in English was lacking—to say the least. If you don’t believe on how much it sucked, you can look at it yourself: http://www.wattpad.com/710991

Around a half year after I’d joined the site, I applied to be an ambassador and was accepted.

This was in 2011, where I had studied English as an online course due to some illness. At my oral exam, I got a D-, or “F” which is just barely passed in Denmark. It wouldn’t have meant so much, except for the fact that it was on C-level—the lowest level of them all, and I almost didn’t pass.

I was devastated. I mean… I wrote stories in English, and could just barely pass an oral exam? The reason was my lack of vocabulary, my pronunciation and my limited knowledge of Australian Aboriginals.

My ambassador friends cheered me up, and to look on the bright side, I had passed so I could move up a level. Around six months later, I started the story that you might know as “The Lores of Lyra – Rising Star”.

I had to take another exam in English on B-level right after I finished Rising Star. I was a wreck. I promised myself that I wouldn’t write anymore if I didn’t pass. Two years of writing, talking and living in English online had helped though. I passed with an A+ in my oral exam, along with a B+ in my written.

All this, thanks to Wattpad and the fans, the friends, and of course my best friend Shawn who encouraged me to study hard. He helped me by looking over my homework, along with talking to me on Skype helping me with pronunciation.

After that, everything moved to fast for me to even begin to fathom.

In November 2012, Rising Star was nominated as a Watty Award Finalist in Fantasy – On The Rise.

In January 1013, it won the Watty Award for Fantasy – On The Rise. I got a prize of 200 dollars for this.

In March, I finished the sequel “Shattered Star”.

In July, I finished my second standalone story “Retro-cognition”

In August, I came home from my first trip overseas. I’d just been two weeks in America, in the big apple. For the first time, I met two incredible authors from Wattpad.

And now, I’m here at home, writing this.

I’ve just started a new story called “Immortalia” which people seem to like very much, and I’m almost frantically refreshing my newsfeed to see if people have voted, added, followed or commented on anything of mine. And for the most part—they have.

Does this make me an accomplished writer by social standards? No. Not even close. But all of this is my personal achievements during these three years I’ve dedicated to Wattpad. And I need to sit down and just be proud of all of these. Because in the future, when I’m getting bad reviews or plugging through one of my Novels for misplaced commas, then it’s these things that I’m gonna remember. It’s these things that made me to the person I am today, and it’s these things that make all the sweat, tears, hair-pulling, sleepless nights and bad reviews worth it.

And it all started by me finding the Wattpad Application on my smartphone.

Bad query letter Challenge.

Some of you might follow Erin Latimer from Wattpad. Others might not know who she is, but never the less she has recently posted some blogs and some youtube videoes about queries. You can check it out here: http://www.museslibrary.blogspot.com/

Now, her challenge was to make the worst query letter ever, and I took up the challenge. I've made a video if you want to watch, it can be found here: http://youtu.be/mog_csKcYrI 

If you don't want to watch me ramble (or if you simply can't follow my accent)  then you can read it here. I wrote it in a hurry, and it's not edited or anything. So. Enjoy, and hopefully none of you will ever do this:

"Dear Agent.

Wouldn’t it be cool if there were such a thing as vampire wasps? I would think so. Just a random thought to set the mood.

You’re like the first agent I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering, and I have to admit, that based on other books, this will freaking blow your mind. I mean, we all know that stuff like 50 shades of grey, and Twilight wouldn’t actually have gotten anywhere if you’d be in charge. Am I right? *winkyface*

On to my story. It’s just an idea right now, and I haven’t actually written it yet. But I figured that you should have the honor of getting the “first taste” of this masterpiece. Some people advised me not to be this bold, but I confided with God, who by the way, was a big inspiration in writing this, and he said I should go for it.

My family really supports me in this, and they tell me that this is the most original idea they’ve ever heard of.

Let me introduce you to the characters, well. There’s only one right now. Which would be me. HI!

I’m an avid reader, and I’ve seen many books become popular because of an element. Wattpad. Wattpad is the greatest hotspot for everyone with a dark and sometimes dirty secret. When I signed up, I did it mainly because I wanted to be cool like the other kids at school, because for some reason, even though I’m like totally gorgeous and stuff, they just couldn’t see it. But Wattpad changed my life. 

On there, I met the sweetest and most talented guy ever. And we fell in love. Needless to say, it was all happy and joyous, until the day I found out that he was a vampire. Dun dun dun. Now, I need to get in gear, and see if I can write myself away from being attacked by the bloodthirsty and vicious Vampire-overlord who craves my pulmonary vein.

My Wattpad Vampire is gonna be the first in a series of 28 books, which follows me until I finally gathers the skills necessary to write my nightmare away. With the help of one shitty laptop, I’m armed and ready to go. Will I be able to finish of the dark vampire overlord all alone? Or will I die a horrible death by pencils and red markers? There’s only one way to find out.

Bio:

My name is Maja, and I’m the second oldest of 6 kids. I don’t really have much to say about myself, because when I was a kid, I didn’t really know how to speak without adding a bunch of pointless words to the mix. So now I’m basically just trying to tone everything down to seem less extraordinary than I actually am.

I’m looking forward to making money with you. Let’s show these authors who’s the boss, shall we.

Let’s get this bitch!

Sincerely, Maja.

P.S. I’ve sent this to around 50 other agents, so if it takes a while to get back to you, I’m deeply sorry." 

Interview with Natasha Preston

Introducing Author Natasha Preston. This 25-year-old, English woman has been writing for three years now. Starting out on Wattpad.com, she has now reached over 37 thousand followers, and even more fans through self-publishing her stories.

She specializes mostly in the genres Romance, Young Adult and Thriller, and with nine finished novels, and three published, it’s just a matter of time before she hits a bookstore near you.

I was lucky enough to get her to sit down and answer my questions about how she started and what transpired after that.

The start:

What inspired you to write your very first story? What was it about?

- It's about a girl that loses her dad. He donates his organs and her family end up meeting the heart recipient and his family. She falls for the son, but is torn between him and her friend with benefits. I was inspired to write it when I saw a TV show about donating organs and wondered what would happen if the two families met - usually you're not told who it is.

How many stories did you write before taking the step to publishing?

- I'd written about six or seven before I published my first one.

Have you always aspired to be an author?

- Nope. I never even thought about writing a book before I found Wattpad!

Publishing:

 

The first book you published was ‘Silence. How was the feedback for that? What made the turning point in self-publishing it? What was the response for the sequel ‘Broken Silence’?  

- The feedback is awesome. I'm lucky that so many people bought the book, even after reading it for free! Broken Silence has better reviews but I think that's because 'the voice' is more mature. I went from a 16 year old to a 20 year old. I prefer it too. 

How did you come up with the title?

- I hate titles. Hate them. I eventually manage to come up with something but I usually write about a million down before I decide!

Is there a message in your works that you want your readers to grasp?  

- The message in the Silence books is that no matter what happens there is a way out. Things can get better.

How much of the book is based on real life events?

- Nope. The things I write are based on thoughts I've had or dreams and I've wondered 'what would happen if…?' My life is pretty boring so it wouldn't make good reading lol! 

How long did it take for you to edit the books? Does it get easier with time?  

- Ew. Editing. I hate it. Usually a couple weeks if that's all I concentrate on. It does get easier because with each book you write you improve so there's less to fix!

Tell me a bit about all your books: What’s the most glorious moment with them?  

- The most glorious moment is that final full stop! Haha. No what I really love is reading people's comments and see in what they think.

Who made your covers?  

- Most of my covers are made by Mollie Wilson - she's amazing. The Cellar was made by Kelly Ashten - also amazing!

 

Reading:

What were some of your favorite authors while you grew up? Who’s your current favorite Author?

- Growing up I didn't read all that much, I did like the Jacqueline Wilson books though. My favorite author is Kirsty Moseley. 

Have you ever met any of them? What was it like?

- I've met Kirsty. That was an awesome day!! 

Which genre do you prefer to read? And why?

- Romance. I love love. Haha.

Current work:

Do you have someone specific cheering you on? 

- My followers on Wattpad and my friends and family.

What are you focusing on now?

- Bleh. At the minute I'm almost at the end of one book (finally!) and working on another. And editing two more to publish.

Can we expect more published and/or free works on Wattpad?  

- Both. I love Wattpad - without it I wouldn't be here today. I'll publish and write some more Wattpad exclusives too.

Do you have anything-specific change in the future that you’d like to share?

- Hmm… now that would be telling. Something is coming this year but at the minute my lips are sealed ;)

A bit of goof:

What’s the most blatant lie you’ve ever told about your writing? 

- Um. I don't know really. I've never felt the need to lie about it. For a while I never told my family I wrote so I guess that one.

How do you deal with bad reviews of your work? Do you have any specific way to cope?  

- Oh bad reviews are a part of writing. If you can't deal with it, don't publish. 

What’s been the greatest joy during the process of writing and publishing? 

- Seeing something I've written up for sale, like a proper writer! 

What time of the day do you prefer to work on your books?

- When my son naps and in the evenings is the only time I can write. 

Have writers block ever struck you, and what did you do to come over it? 

- A lot! I can't push it or it's all crap. I usually take a few days off and then come back to it with a fresh mind.

Are the names of your characters important? How do you chose them?

- Names are whatever pops into my head usually, for main characters anyway. Once I have a name it's difficult for me to see them as anyone else. That's what happened with Oakley. It's not really a common or well known name but once I had it she couldn't be anything else.

What’s the best part of writing for a living? What is the hardest?  

- Writing for a living means I get to spend more time with my son. I can be home for him every day and I love that. The hardest is self-motivation. Sometimes you just want to relax and because no one is making you do it you have to make yourself! 

What are some of your greatest accomplishments?

- Being named one of The London Evening Standard's 'London's 1000 most influential people 2012: Generation Next, Rising Stars Under 25. That was amazing!

Why do you write?  

- I love it. 

What’s the strangest thing that has happened while writing?

- A man in an Indian prison contacted me thanking me for my stories. He had a smuggled mobile phone that he read from!

Have you ever killed off a character? Was it hard? 

- Yes and hell no! *evil laugh* although I've never killed off a character I like…yet!

Do you feel emotional connected with any or all of your characters? 

- Yes. You get in their heads so much it's hard not to. Editing fixes that. Editing makes you want to kill them all.

Do you have any tips for the aspiring writers who read this?

- Just write as much as you can and write what YOU love, not what you think other people will like.

Is there something you want to say to your readers?

- Thank you. Love you all.

---

Natasha Preston currently have Silence, Broken Silence and Covert for sale, you can buy them all on smashwords and amazon: 

Amazon.com 

smashwords.com

 

For further contact with Natasha, you can either like the Facebook page, follow her website, or connect with her on Wattpad.

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Natasha-Preston/497930476930728

Website - http://www.natashapreston.com

Wattpad - http://www.wattpad.com/user/natashapreston  

Promonation.

Hi all.
I've been slightly out of the loop lately, and this is because I've been writing. I've started re-writing an old Teen-Fiction - Romance, called 'I Made You' -- Feel free to check it out. :)

I of course hope that it will give something off, and that my loyal followers will like it :)
Now for something else:

Other than that, I've started a little project to promote free reads across the internet. Of course the base would be Wattpad. We simply help each other with some spread. This is great. and the current progress can be seen here

Message me if you're interested. The only thing you'd have to do, is of course help me out :) Also, for some other news, I might have some interviews up with some VERY talented authors who is well-known on Wattpad.