Veriloquent

Veriloquent: speaking truthfully; truthful

That's exactly how I want to write this blog. I won't hold back, nor will I sugar-coat anything for anyone's sake. These are my ramblings and my thoughts. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on.

To be honest I should have typed this out yesterday when my headache was at its prime. Words can't describe how hard my head was pounding, and I could only imagine what my publisher, MT, was going through. We plucked at my manuscript chapter by chapter, picking scenes that moved the story forward and stayed on the phone for roughly 2 hours working on each major plot point of Dragon Heir.

Now, at this point I realize something rather disturbing...I felt like I knew so little about my story.MY OWN STORY. It was a rather sad and disappointing thing for me at that moment. How could the book's own author barely know the what, where, when and why? Though in my defense, it had been months since I had looked over what I had written and to be quite honest even I'm appalled at the structure, grammar and dialogue of my first book. The more MT asked about my story, the more unsure I felt about it. He helped me quite a bit in these two hours and made me realize how much work this story needed. 

When I first wrote it, I never intended for it to be published or even become remotely popular online. It was meant to help me pass the time since my leg was broken. Throughout the years i've always started stories, but would never make it past the 3rd chapter. There was something different about this one. It felt like i was supposed to write it. Though, I admit I'm kicking myself now for not outlining this story--for not creating a synopsis before actually writing it. 

So, if you're reading this post and are thinking of starting a story, do the following:

1. Write a synopsis. It doesn't have to be great, but outline what plot points will be moving your story forward. Write only what's important. The synopsis shouldn't have suspense. It also doesn't need the smaller details like character descriptions.
2. If you're writing a world filled with magic, set the rules. What is allowed? Are there consequences for using too much? How do you acquire magical energy?
3. In addition to the synopsis, think what the main conflict in your story will be--what is the reason the character does what she/he needs to do?

Since I didn't do any of the above, I'm paying for it now. Using the word "Editing" would be too simple, more like "Revising" or "Re-writing". There's something else i've realized while going through the publication process. When going through these chapters and explaining what happens as well as why to someone else, I learned, is a tad embarrassing. When MT asks me questions about Dragon Heir, I actually feel my cheeks reddening at having to explain my magical world. It's just odd to hear it said aloud to another.

This journey won't be easy, but I know it will be worth it. I just have to keep my head up and i'll get through it with flying colors.