Blog Milestone - 15,000 Pageviews!

The Golden Cricket hit a milestone this week - 15,000 page views. WOOHOO!

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog, and for all of the awesome comments. You guys seriously rock :)

To celebrate, I thought I'd showcase the top three posts I've featured on The Golden Cricket thus far.

Here we go:

1)  How To Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos: This article was one of my very first guest posts I featured on the blog. It's written by fellow author, Christie Stratos, who also happens to be my editor.

If you've ever wanted to write historical fiction, but don't know where to get started, you have to check out her post.

2) TBT Writer - Confessions of a Sugarholic: Each month (give or take), I try to post something I wrote way back when accompanied by an awkward pic. I call is #TBTWriter, or Throwback Thursday Writer.

This particular bad story was written about an ice cream sundae. Get ready to laugh! Check it out. 

3) TBT Writer - Good Ideas, Sometimes: Remarkably, the third most-viewed post on The Golden Cricket is another Throwback Thursday story.

In this post, I share the very first book I wrote, pics, and a peculiar dedication at the front. Hope you enjoy it.

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What's your favorite post on The Golden Cricket? Share below.

Have you checked out my articles about writing? You might enjoy these too:

• How to Write A Novel, Part 1: Let The Journey Begin 
• How to Write a Novel, Part 2: Brainstorming, Drafting, and Getting Organized 
• How to Write A Novel, Part 3: Editing Like A Pro  
• How to Be a More Productive Writer

Why I Left Academia to Write Fantasy Books

I'm honored and thrilled to be a Psychology Today guest blogger!

Click HERE to learn why I left academia to write fantasy books.

Don't forgot to check out the other articles on PT's College Confidential.

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Have you checked out my other articles about writing? You might enjoy these too:

• How to Write A Novel, Part 1: Let The Journey Begin 
• How to Write a Novel, Part 2: Brainstorming, Drafting, and Getting Organized 
• How to Write A Novel, Part 3: Editing Like A Pro  
• How to Be a More Productive Writer 

Get Them While Their Young, Keep Them Until Their Old - Guest Post by Sarah Noffke

I recently had the pleasure of reading Suspended by Sarah Noffke. Since I've also written a book about a dark circus (The Nightmare Birds), I was especially anxious to read her story. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. :)

The more I discovered about Sarah, the more I was intrigued by this "superwoman". She's written fifteen books and is currently working on two more! I'm delighted that she found the time to share this guest post with you today.  Enjoy!

Get Them While Their Young, Keep Them Until Their Old

Scroll the feed on Instagram and you’ll come to a few conclusions. They might be: she definitely shouldn’t be wearing that, is that dude out of his mind, and holy batman young adults love their books. I follow more than a few book addicts on Instagram and they all happen to be ones who are obsessed with taking pictures of their bookshelves, rather than their freckled faces. When was the last time that you saw Helen, the retired widow, arranging her books in the garden so she could take a pretty picture to post on social media? So what’s my point? It’s that we need to be catering to this hungry market. Young adults crave the actual pages of books. They use the hashtag for cover love more than anyone else. Young adult fantasy is especially hot right now, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. And if we know this knowledge, then we might should be using it.

When I was a young adult, I didn’t think I liked to read. Stop gasping and listen to me. It’s because the books I was forced to read were Heart of Darkness and Frankenstein. Now before you forever loathe me for complaining about being exposed to classic literature, please hear me out. While those novels are amazing in their own way, they aren’t something relatable for a young adult. I know, you’re shocked, I’ve never, not once, sailed down the Congo. It wasn’t until later that I accidentally picked up a young adult novel that I fell in love with books. I remember the exact moment. It was like Prince Charming walked into the room and I was instantly in love. That passion for young adult literature then grew and now I read books of all genres. However, too often I think we force the classics before we’ve hooked the young reader. I think we cater to the adult readers, not realizing that it’s the teens of the world that are going to break down doors to get a fresh paperbacks. They are obsessed with covers. Obsessed with collecting spicy fantasy novels. And most importantly, they are consumers who have decades of reading ahead of them.

Having written five young adult and new adult series, I’ll claim to know a little bit about the genre. New adult is this relatively recent category that is just starting to emerge. It has less rules than young adult and is relatable to a larger audience. However, I will disclose that most of the readers of my young adult series are thirty-something-year-old women. The reason for the wide appeal is that young adult characters have more potentials and I’ve polled readers and found there’s an irresistible draw to that. It’s fun when a character is still developing and doesn’t know who they are, what they want or who they love. The key to good young adult fiction is exploring these potentials. And the key to happy readers is to find the stories that they can relate to, while also creating surprising potentials. Finally, because I like sets of three, the key to success for authors, libraries and retailers is tapping into this hungry market. Hooking the young and young at heart readers is a great strategy. From my experience there aren’t more loyal followers than those who post their TBR lists on social media.

I keep hearing a rumor that the book market is over saturated. Honestly, I can’t find relevant data to support this. If my Instagram feed serves as antidotal evidence then young adults actually don’t have enough books. If I see another picture in my feed of the Harry Potter series with a newly released cover then I’m chunking my phone across the room. #coverlove

~~~

 

Bio:
Sarah Noffke writes YA and NA sci-fi fantasy and is the author of the Lucidites, Reverians, Ren and Vagabond Circus series. She holds a Masters of Management and teaches college business courses. Most of her students have no idea that she toils away her hours crafting fictional characters. Noffke's books are top rated and best-sellers on Kindle. Currently, she has fifteen novels published. Her books are available in paperback, audio and in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. To get a free book from the author, go here: http://www.sarahnoffke.com/free-book/

Connect:

www.sarahnoffke.com
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2n0rnJO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialsarahnoffke?ref=hl
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9830676.Sarah_Noffke
Twitter: @RealSarahNoffke
Instagram: @sarahnoffke

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Have you checked out these other articles? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

• How to Write Fantasy and Have Fun While Doing It - Amie Irene Winters

• Don't Write for the Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

What is the Difference Between a Good Book and a Great Book? - Guest Post by The Regal Critiques

In December I featured a guest post from Fantasia Reviews called What Makes a Good Book? You guys liked it so much that I thought it would be fun to take it one step further. That being a post about the difference between a good book and a great book. Enter The Regal Critiques. Veronika, the book blog's founder, spills all in this month's guest post. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! I’m Veronika from The Regal Critiques! (*waves*). Amie was kind enough to invite me for a guest post, and I was happy to say yes, so here I am today, writing about what’s the difference between a good book and a great book.

To tell you the truth, upon picking this topic from the ones Amie suggested I was convinced this would be an easy post to write. Alas, it wasn't. I was struggling with thinking of a way to start off this topic and doing a bit of research didn't exactly help me in any way. I did discover some information, as this is a wildly talked about topic in the literary world, but, likely very few of the books I find 'great' would make the cut in their opinion. And so, I just left that all behind and am instead writing a fully subjective post about my thoughts on this topic. It's more fun this way anyhow.

Without further ado, let me list and explain the three main differences between a good and a great book.

1. THE UNIQUENESS

Who the heck wants to read a book that has nothing new to showcase, just the same old, same old story? No one, that's who. Ya'll know those authors who keep recycling the same plot, same characters, same EVERYTHING, don't you? Cuz I sure as hell do, and their books are no fun. Nuh-uh. Show me something I haven't seen before, darn it. Don't take ideas from someone else, don't use ideas from your old works, create something different instead, something unique.

Obviously, that doesn't mean using a couple of tropes or cliches is a deathly sin - but my favorite authors are the ones who use them creatively, making them their own.

2. THE EFFECT THEY HAVE ON ME

For me to call a book great I need it to affect me in some way that's more than: oh, that book made me smile like crazy. Sure, that's an effect as well, but not one that'll stay with me for a long while.

What I really want are characters who are so vividly-written that they come off the pages, characters I can connect with, either because they represent some part of me incredibly well, or simply because I admire/understand/love them.

I want a story that I can relate to, learn something from about myself or the world, or educate myself on something that I had little to no knowledge about it before.

3. THE LASTING IMPRESSION

There are books I read, love and then forget like, 99% of what actually happened in them super-quickly which proves they weren't that outstanding to begin with. I don't expect to remember every little detail or even most of the characters' names, but the overall plot? The major characters who were my favorites? I need to be able to recall them even two years after I read the book.

So, what makes a story unforgettable? For me, the two things I mentioned above - their uniqueness and the effect they have on me, this I can say that these three things are, to some extent, connected.

To wrap it all up,

ARE GOOD BOOKS AND GREAT BOOKS SO DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?

Depends on who you ask, but I honestly don't think so. There are various books I adore so so SO much, rate them 5 stars, but wouldn't add to my all time favorites shelf for lacking either of the three things mentioned above. Does that take away from my enjoyment of them? Not much, no.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC?

WHAT WAS THE LAST ’GREAT’ BOOK YOU READ?

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Thanks, Veronika, for sharing what you look for in a book. I completely agree that there isn't much difference between good books and great books. Some of my favorite books I'll probably never read again, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading it.

To all the authors out there, I hope that this post helps steer you in the right direction, or at least opens your eyes to what book bloggers take into consideration when reviewing your book.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and write!

~~~

Have you checked out these posts? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

• How to Write Fantasy and Have Fun While Doing It - Amie Irene Winters

• Science and Other Scary Word - On Writing Science Fiction - Guest Post By Belinda Crawford

• Don't Write for the Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

How to Write Horror - Guest Post by Mercedes Fox

It's no secret that I love horror, which is why I'm especially excited to share this guest post today. If you've ever been curious about writing horror, or are just a fan of the genre, then you're in luck! Mercedes Fox, author of the Vengeance of the Werewolf series, reveals her trade secrets.

How to Write Horror

Although I put my books in the horror category I’m not sure they are actually scary. I tend to lean to putting them in the horror-splatter punk genre. The best way to write about horror is write about something which scares you. I’ve always had a fear of the closet monster or monster under the bed. Even now at 42 my imagination still rules my impulses.

You must first setup the scene. Make the reader smell it. Make the reader hear the world around them. Put the reader in your character’s shoes by ramping up the nerves. Horror/thriller scenes are best in the dark or a dark room. Somewhere spooky, like an abandoned barn or old mine shaft or old slaughterhouse. Aisle 13 at Walmart is not scary unless the power is out, zombies are breaking through the glass doors and wandering about. You can hear the breath rattling in their chests. Or the werewolf is inside with you. The reader hears the click of its claws on the floor.

A fellow writer and teacher of writing, Rayne Hall, said it best, “cowards are the best horror writers.” Another trick is to not keep the reader on edge the entire book. You must run your story on a squiggle line. Take them up and down or you lose the effect. Allow the reader to calm down and relax and then spring the monster on them.

I find short chapters help keep the story moving and it provides a good scene break. If the chapters are too long I tend to zone out. Although I’ve only wrote about werewolves, I’m going to do some reading of the greats (Tim Miller, Matt Saw, Sam West to name a few). I want to try my hand at psychopaths who don’t go all furry.

To tighten up your writing and really get the reader involved once you’ve wrote your first draft, take a look at all of Rayne Hall’s books in her Writer’s Craft series and then go back through your manuscript. A couple word tweaks here and then make a huge difference. I know from experience. After following the steps above my editor made comment my writing improved 100% from the first book she edited. She also said she never eats when reading my work :)

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Bio:
I’m married for 22 years and the proud mamma to three dogs. I’ve published three books. I love werewolves so my books revolove around them. I write horror/thriller/splatterpunk; my books are explicit in everything from sex to killing. I write what I like to read. I enjoy reading, movies, shopping with my mother, folding origami cranes, crocheting, peg doll painting, and benchrest shooting. I’m also a big Harry Potter fan. Click here to learn more.

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Have you checked out these posts? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

• How to Write Fantasy and Have Fun While Doing It - Amie Irene Winters

• Science and Other Scary Word - On Writing Science Fiction - Guest Post By Belinda Crawford

• Don't Write for the Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

How to Write Fantasy - The Writing Greyhound Guest Post

I'm a guest author on The Writing Greyhound! If you're curious how to write Fantasy, check out my post.

Science And Other Scary Words: On Writing Science Fiction - Guest Post By Belinda Crawford

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by YA sci-fi author Belinda Crawford. Coincidentally, I just started reading my first sci-fi book (yes, of all time) and am really enjoying it, so when I connected with Belinda, I wanted to know more. The thought of writing sci-fi had always seemed really intriguing...and kinda scary, so, I asked Belinda if she would share some tips on how to write science fiction. Enjoy!

Science And Other Scary Words: On Writing Science Fiction

Here’s a little secret, there’s not a lot of difference between writing science fiction and writing any other genre. Sure, there are some new words (wormhole, nanotech, mecha, thingy-ma-bob, dohickey) and a proliferation of acronyms to learn (AI, FTL, OMG, WTF) but that whole bit where you write a great story with interesting characters…That doesn't change.

It’s all about the worldbuilding

What makes a story sci-fi is not the narrative, but the world it’s set in. In general, sci-fi is any story where science enables extraordinary things to happen, much the same as magic does in fantasy. Usually it’s set in the future (or at the very least, the author’s future—A Princess of Mars was set in 1912 and written prior) and features advanced technology, such as spaceships, robots and lightsabers. There are some notable exceptions, such as the steampunk and superhero subgenres, but for the most part, the above remains true.

The key to creating a great world is making it believable, which can be daunting if you’re just getting started in sci-fi and/or aren't the kind of person who reads Scientific American.

The Science in Science Fiction

A lot of people have the misconception sci-fi must be scientifically accurate, which can be a barrier for readers and writers alike. The truth is, just because the genre has science in the name, doesn’t mean you have to include any in the narrative.

There’s a spectrum to the scientific accuracy of sci-fi, often referred to as its ‘hardness’. It starts with science fantasy, which doesn’t worry about the scientific details (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), progresses to soft sci-fi, which worries just a little (Dune), and makes its way to hard sci-fi, which worries a lot (2001: A Space Odyssey).

The ‘hardness’ of a work of sci-fi is directly proportional to it’s scientific accuracy, and one of the first things you need to consider when writing sci-fi is where you want to fit on that scale.

What Sort of Sci-fi Should You Write?

First decide what sort of story you want to tell. If you want to tell a story about space knights who roam the galaxy kicking butt and dispensing justice with glowy swords and mental powers (The Lost King), science fantasy is probably your gig. If you want to explore how planets could be terraformed for human habitation (Red Mars) then hard sci-fi might be for you.

Second, look at your bookshelf. What sort of books do you like to read? What is it about those books that you enjoy? Is it powered armour (Armored), living spaceships (Warhorse), ecological apocalypse (The Windup Girl) or alien invasion (Battlefield Earth)? Is it none of them or several of them? Whatever it is, that's what you should write.

Third, ask yourself how much you like science and research. If you really, really want to write a detailed, realistic story about a man stranded on a hostile alien planet (The Martian), but the thought of cracking open a book or seeking advice from experts makes you want to throw up, you have a problem. That’s not to say that the softer end of the spectrum doesn’t also require research, but it (and when I say ‘it’, I mean the readership) is more forgiving.

You don’t need to be a science buff, professor or nerd to write sci-fi, even hard sci-fi, but you do need to be prepared to get your hands dirty and ask for help when you need it.

Research

So, how do you research things like faster-than-light travel, honking-big robots and astrophysics?

Google and Wikipedia are excellent first steps. Depending upon how close to the ‘soft’ end of science scale your story is, it may be all you need. If you want something more in-depth you’ll need to hunt down academic websites, books, journals or an actual expert.

Your local library, or an online one, should be your next step, and don't forget to ask the librarian if you need help. Often, if you need the advice of an expert, you can email the author of a particular book or journal article. You’ll be surprised how often people are willing to help, and quite flattered to be asked. You can also try talking to your local doctor, vet, car mechanic or any other professional whose expertise fits with what you’re trying to research.

For topics you're unlikely to find in a research book, such as cyborgs or Godzilla-sized monsters, consider TV Tropes–a website that categorises and discusses all sorts of weird and wonderful things–read other sci-fi books to see how they deal with it, or delve deep into Internet discussion boards.

Do It Your Way

Writing sci-fi is just like writing any other genre. There is no right or wrong way to do it and you don't need to be a super-duper library person, nerd or PhD of Future Sh— err, Stuff. All you need are a few characters, an interesting story and a little bit of the future, sprinkled with just as much research as you need to write a great book. How you go about doing that is up to you.

A Few More Resources

• Curiosity.com isn’t that good for in-depth research, but it’s full of fun little facts to expand your mind and inspire you.
• If you have a specific question (like ‘Could superpowers be scientifically possible?’) Quora is the place to find an answer, or at least a discussion.
• The Worldbuilding Stackexchange is great for discussions about worldbuilding topics, like ‘Would the human body support living on planets with a greater gravity than Earth?’. 
• Listopia on Goodreads is your resource for finding books in specific genres or about certain topics.
• The Tools section on this site has a handy-dandy faster-than-light travel calculator, among other things.

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Wow! These are great resources and book recommendations, Belinda, especially for someone like me who doesn't know a thing about the sci-fi literary world. That faster-than-light travel calculator is quite nifty by the way. Maybe writing sci-fi isn't so scary after all. :) Thanks so much for sharing.

~~

Bio:
Physics makes Belinda’s brain hurt, while quadratics cause her eyes to cross and any mention of probability equations will have her running for the door. Nonetheless, she loves watching documentaries about the natural world, biology, space, history and technology (Megafactories is one of her favourite TV shows). Oh, and she writes science fiction.

Hero is the first book in The Hero Rebellion, a science fiction trilogy about a girl with a plan to get a life. There are alien steeds, AIs, illegal street racing and a conspiracy to change the world. The second book, Riven, will hit shelves on September 25 this year.

You can keep in touch with Belinda, or just pick her brains about sci-fi, via her website, Facebook or by sending her an email (she loves email).

How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

I'm very pleased to have met Christie Stratos. We actually met serendipitously after I posted one of my very first #TBTWriter stories (Confessions of a Sugarholic). She reached out to me and was eager to participate. Since then, she's shared a bunch of her writing throwbacks, complete with funny pics. You can check them out here.  I'm told that she'll also be posting one this Thursday. Yay! 

I eventually picked up Christie's book, Anatomy of a Darkened Heart, and couldn't put it down. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started to read it because I had never been a big fan of Victorian-era or historical books in general. I always suspected that they were boring and dry, but after having read Anatomy of a Darkened Heart, I can tell you that myth is bunk! I was absolutely and totally addicted to this book from the very first sentence. Whenever I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and dying to know what was going to happen. As the story unfolded, it became darker and even more haunting (my favorite!). Now that I know that Victorian/historical books can be enjoyable, I seem to be reading them all the time now.

After that, we partnered on a few projects, including the GoIndieNow: Women in Publishing/Exhibiting Strong Leadership panel, and the editing of my latest book, The Nightmare Birds via her editing business, Proof Positive. So, as you can see...I'm very pleased to have met Christie and I'm excited to share her guest post about writing historical fiction with you today. Enjoy :)

 
How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying

I never thought I would write historical fiction. In fact I specifically thought while reading a Sharon Kay Penman book, “I could never write historical fiction. It’s way too hard.”

Then I sat down to write Anatomy of a Darkened Heart, my debut novel that takes place during the Victorian Era: 1840-1861.

“I’ll just write the book for now and do the research later,” I thought. That was my plan so that I didn’t get bogged down in basic research and slow my creativity. Note the phrase “basic research”. I really wasn’t planning to include enough Victorian-specific objects or traditions to need to do much research at all.

Wrong again!

I found that I couldn’t more forward through some parts of the manuscript without checking to see if something was possible, whether it existed, or if it was believable for that time period. And when I did pigheadedly plow ahead prior to doing research, I heavily regretted it later because I had to do massive rewrites to make that section fit into the Victorian period (for example, using candles for nighttime lighting in a home instead of the time period appropriate oil lamps), and sometimes the consequences of that lack of research spread their tentacles farther through the book than I’d anticipated. I then had to clean up and sometimes drastically alter multiple parts of the book.

Then something strange happened. I got excited about inserting exact descriptions of real things that existed in that time period as well as only using accurate terms and words that were used then. It became one of the most exciting parts of writing the book. I changed words like “rug” to “floor cloth”, found out how Victorians cleaned a wood floor, researched exactly what kind of materials were used to make wallpaper and far more. While these things sound trivial, they’re part of what makes the book authentic, realistic, and visually accurate. And now the same excitement has spread into writing the rest of the four books and three short stories in the Dark Victoriana Collection.

And so without meaning to love writing historical fiction – or rather without meaning to write anything more than fiction that was generally accurate for the time period – I ended up with a 10-year publishing plan that revolves around historical fiction in different time periods. Because getting those details right so that you feel you’re really in the time period is more than just satisfying – it’s fulfilling.

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Awesome post, Christie. Writing historical fiction is something I'm definitely interested in, so this certainly gives me hope. I can't wait to read your upcoming book - Locke and Keye!

~~~

      

Bio: 

Christie Stratos is an award-winning writer and editor who holds a degree in English Literature. She is the author of Anatomy of a Darkened Heart, the first book of five in the Dark Victoriana Collection. Christie has had short stories and poetry published in Ginosko Literary Journal, Andromedae Review, 99Fiction, and various anthologies. An avid reader of all genres and world literature, Christie reads everything from bestsellers to classics to indies. 

Book links:

Amazon

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble

Createspace

Or buy the paperback directly from the author for the same price as Amazon, but signed and with a personalized note! http://christiestratos.com

Social Media Links:

Author website

Editing website

Amazon author page

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Goodreads

Pinterest

Google+

Don’t Write For The Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

I'm excited to share a new guest post by the very talented J.D. Estrada. Communications specialist, Public Relations strategist, creative copywriter, translator, brand strategist.... these are all terms used to describe J.D. Estrada in his day job setting. The fact is that these are all masks he has worn at some time to earn a living and he's done pretty well for himself, focusing on results rather than awards. Yet still something inside him begged for attention... the desire to write... not functionally or strategically but creatively. 

After years working in advertising, J.D. decided there were better ways to write fiction. Where some people choose to invent new products, he has chosen to invent worlds through words. He has since published multiple books in the fantasy/sci-fi vein. 

J.D.'s post below chronicles his quest to remain true to his writing and to himself. Hopefully his words will inspire you to do the same. 

Don't Write for the Market

You know that job you hate, the one you do just to pay the bills? The one that sucks your soul? If you’re in high school, do you know that class you are FORCED to take? That feeling of helplessness, of doing something that’s not worth the time or the effort?

That’s what it means to write for the market.

Or at least that’s what it means to me.

People have often said I made a smart move by including vampires in my book because obviously vampires sell like hot cakes. This line of commentary has led me to clarify that my novels aren’t vampire books, they simply have vampires. Might I add that they are not your typical vampires because I focus much more on the character traits that make them unique rather than the unifying elements of blood drinking and other vampire specific themes. To be honest, the vampires I write about are as heterogeneous as they are disparate, two seeming synonyms that imply different things. To me, the main thing that unites vampires is the drinking of blood. The Human Cycle is a lot more about the aspects of humanity and how they manifest in different races and species and ends up being an intense mashup of sci-fi, fantasy, philosophy, etc. It is also one of the most personal works I will probably pen in my life, even being full on fiction. That’s because I wrote for me, obeying the vision I have of my exploration of humanity and the human aspect.

The first book (Only Human) is 164,000+ words long and the second (Shadow of a Human) is around 89K. When asked about the difference, my answer is simple: the story is as long as it has to be. Period. I’ve been told the first one is too long and although I can see why some people would think that, a lot of people haven’t minded and it allowed me to set the stage to do exactly what I want to do.

I know people who are writing something in the vein of [ENTER WELL KNOWN NOVEL OR SERIES HERE] because they want to make it big. Although I’m of the mind that everyone is entitled to their path towards happiness, let me be the one to say that this method will more often than not lead to misery instead. This happens because writing became a means to an end, rather than a true passion.

Every writer wants to make it big. Every single one. Some people write something that sells and on occasion, some people meant for that to be the case. But when you look at JK Rowling, look at how many times she was rejected before she was given a break. Tell me Neil Gaiman’s trajectory makes any sense and you’ll need to bring some hard evidence to support that because it is as crazy a journey as I think you can imagine. That’s because in both examples, they write from the heart, what they believe in, their vision, what drives them. They weren’t thinking about likes, hits, or bending their story to fit to what sells.

So why not you?

Why do you have to settle for writing the next Twilight, the Next 50 Shades of Gray, the Next Lord of the Rings? Why can’t you just write the next great novel? YOUR great story.

By the way, the reason why I suggest this is far from altruistic. (altruism: (n) the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism).

It’s actually the opposite.

I suggest you write with passion and what drives you because if you depend on external validation, writing will be a brutal road and odds are you won’t make it. Many a day I need to lose myself in my work, hoping beyond hopes that I am true enough, unique enough, and genuine enough for people to give me a chance and possibly find something they like. But I don’t write thinking about them. I write following what my heart compass dictates and walking that path, whatever it may bring and wherever it may take me.

I am well aware at how blessed I am at the luck I’ve had that my work either appeals or resonates with people, but that wasn’t intentional. I didn’t say, “let me do this so people enjoy.”

I wrote for me.

I write for me.

I will write for me.

I do this because by doing so I guarantee myself that even on the tough days of life, writing will be something I love and enjoy. It means I won’t have to push through something I hate to get to what I love, because the act of writing itself is what I love so much.

I am far from a point in my life where I can live off of my writing alone… but I am also in a point in my life where writing has become such a part of my genetic makeup, that I have basically guaranteed I’ll write for the rest of my life. So I wish upon you to do the same in spirit if not in method or route. Be true to yourself. Write to what speaks to you. Dare to dream and then dare to capture that dream on paper and share it with us.

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

J.D. Estrada's obsession with the human aspect of who we are is deeply embedded in all his work and his first book is no exception. Though still starting its journey towards the top 100 Amazon books, Only Human is the first link within the Human Cycle, a three book exploration of humanity through fiction.

He recently released his second installment of the Human Cycle, his first bilingual compilation of essays, poetry and short stories, and his first Spanish poetry collection. He is currently working on a sci-fi novella and a young adult adventure of a boy who dreams of flying. In addition, he consistently puts out free material on his blog (jdestradawriter.blogspot.com) and rants with zest on Twitter via @jdestradawriter. He also has instagram and youtube if you want to see what he’s getting up to or what delicious cuppa tea he may recommend.

It's extremely important that authors write for themselves, to remain passionate about their art; otherwise, what's the point? As soon as I stop thinking about what I think I should write, and write what I want to write, all the pieces fall into place. Just let it go. Seriously...Let it go. Now. You won't be sorry.

Thank you for sharing such an inspirational post, J.D.! I wish you, and all writers out there, success with your writing career.