Okay, so a few people have asked me about my blurb under my currently reading section. Well, I've always kept a deep dark secret, and that is that I have often had some kind of book going or started (writing, that is, not reading). I'm either thinking up plots and characters or trying to get them out of my head onto paper (or now, onto a computer). I've done this from a very young age. I once wrote a wonderful story ( I believe I was in sixth grade) about a cheerleader. I even had illustrations to go with it. But just in case anyone read it, I tore it to shreds and threw it away. I wish I hadn't, it would probably be totally hilarious to read it. Anyway, I generally have followed that same pattern with most of what I have written, only now instead of painstakingly tearing notebooks to shreds I just hit the delete button. Why? Because writing, especially fiction, is kind of personal and scary. Dang scary. I mean, what if you really like your story, and you become unobjectively attached to it, and it is just STUPID? Well, a few summers ago we had Anita Stansfield, an LDS author come and speak to our RS. I thought that I ought to read one of her books. Everyone in my ward was raving about them. So I read it and it was about the worst written piece of fiction I could imagine (maybe my critical nature is part of my big fear). Emily and I laughed until we peed our pants over some of her writing (see, I know first hand how cruel people can be). Anyway at the time I was also reading the Bridget Jones books which are wonderfully hilarious, well written books (please don't judge a book by it's movie) which made me start to read a fun genre (in my opinion) of English chic lit. Like Confessions of a Shopaholic, and others I can't remember anymore. So anyway it got me thinking that I could write an LDS chic lit book that would be better by far than Anita Stansfield, and easy to write because First person is the easiest form of writing and chic lit is a cinch as well, fast paced plot, little depth, lots of dialouge. So I started thinking up the plot. My sister Katy came up to spend the night and for one reason or another I actually told her the plot. She said she loved it (she too was on a Bridget Jones binge at time so was into the genre as well) and so I started writing it. I got totally sucked into this book. It was so much fun to write. Time flew. I would start writing and look at the clock and it would be three in the morning. Anyway I finished it, and much to my embarrassment I let my mom and sisters read it (how I let that happen I will never know. Crazy, crazy, crazy). I have since gone back and read it and it was awful! I mean really bad. I still like some of the main ideas, but it was embarrassingly bad (although it was a hell of a lot better than Anita Stansfields books, sorry). So instead of deleting it, I have re-written it three or four times. And I think it is better. But it is still, cringe, an LDS book. Anyway there have been a few stories in between but none that ever really gripped me, like that one did. I just couldn't stop writing that one until I finished it. I thought about it all the time. Well recently I got another idea that seems to have gripped me. It would be a YA genre, semi-fantasy (no magic but kind of fairy-tale-esque, with a big journey and lots of adventure, and hopefully some good characters). I think it will be YA because they are some of my favorites and I don't have to make sure they have post-modern angst and deep undertones of whatever along with deep symbolism. I can just tell a story. It won't be first person which is a lot harder to write. I've discovered, however that I can write a chapter in first person and go back and change over to third person and it makes it really much easier to write.
I talked to Maren and told her the plot basics before she left for London, and she was nice about it. I have a friend in my ward who is writing a book and I got up the nerve and she got up the nerve and we swapped plots. Her plot was amazing and I hope she finishes and finds a publisher because it would knock Stephenie Meyer's work out of the ball park. Anyway she was encouraging and gave me some great ideas as well. And, lo and behold, I got up the nerve to tell Rob the basics of my plot which was scary, but of course he was nice and was glad I finally told him what I was writing. I close the window whenever he comes in the room so he can't read over my shoulder, which I think must have him convinced that I am actually viewing porn on the internet instead of writing.
Well, now, there, I've confessed. I still don't know if I will be able to let anyone actually read my stuff, but this is a step in the right direction, right? Millie's friend AnnDee just published a book, which I need to read. I'm wondering if she was a closet writer. Am I just plain weird? Anyway, here's to coming out of the closet, and hoping I can make this next one worth reading! Am I actually going to post this????
