The Power of Creation

My last post was about the hiking adventure I took on Monday. It got me thinking about something important to me: creation.

The world is beautiful in so many ways. It’s awe-inspiring. I thought about the towering trees around me on my hike; the birds chirping in the blue, cloud-filled sky; the rush of the bubbly water flowing into a rippling creek; and the pretty yellow flowers with white tips. They all started as something small, then grew into something majestic. I enjoyed being there, taking in the fresh air and glories of nature.

I’ve fallen in love with many parts of the world: be it the Great Wall of China, a temperate beach on the Cinque Terre, the dark green pines dotting Portland, Oregon’s landscape, or even my own backyard.

Being an author, I've had the great opportunity to create. I adore crafting a story in which people can enjoy. My characters are real to me. If I wanted to look crazy, I’d talk to them at the grocery store or the local park. My mind is glittered with ideas. Putting them on paper is exhilarating, yet, agonizing at times.

I’ve read many books that have helped me to hide away for a few hours in a different place with diverse people or creatures. I’m thankful for the authors who’ve spent countless hours perfecting their idea for it to reach my eyes, mind.

Creation starts with a small idea that grows into something larger, bigger than we could ever think it could be. My book, Félicité Found, sprouted from a mere dream. The idea stuck with me for weeks until one sleepless night the plot expanded in my mind like a flower ready to blossom. I’ve loved it ever since; sometimes hated it, too, but all good things take hard work for it to be successful.

Continue to work hard on your creations. They may be writing a story, painting a picture, plucking the strings of a guitar, or planted roses in your garden.

There is power in creation. It enriches not only your life, but the lives of countless others.

Cinque Terre (middle photo) Copyright Julia King 2011

Nature Time

I’ve been so busy this summer with writing and the whole slew of other things going on in my life that I haven’t had the chance to do any hiking. Typically, during the summer I go backpacking and hiking, however, that hasn’t been a luxury this time around. But I went on a hike yesterday. Finally! At least I got one outdoor adventure this season.

It was enjoyable to get away from noise of the hustle and bustle, to have some sort of break from life.

I loved the rushing, free-flowing sound of waterfalls and the river. The stillness of environment was much needed. And it felt like an achievement once I got back to civilization.

What do you do to get away from life for a while?

Photography Copyright Julia King 2011

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

I started reading Heist Society by Ally Carter the other day. I'm liking it lots. I have to admit the only reason why I chose to read this book was its cover. When I saw it, I knew I HAD to read it. Of course, I checked out the synopsis of it on GoodReads; that made me want to read it all the more. Look at it peeps...

Isn't it fantastic???

I bought Twilight for the same reason (btw, this was before it was the craze).

I've noticed that book covers have become amazing as of late. I swear a book cover can sell the book. Here are a few I've particularly loved and have made me read the book:

Which covers have encouraged you to read the book?

Thunder, Lightning, Rainstorms! Oh, My!

I've always loved the roaring sound of thunder, the electrifying clash of lightning in the sky, and the splash of rain on the ground. 

I got it all, and more, on Saturday night.

While I was at a zombie-themed dance party, the rain started pelting down. A bunch of us ended up going to the back of the club to dance in the rain. After only ten minutes, I was soaked, no longer fashioning my ratted out zombie hair.

On my way home, I witnessed one of two of the best lightning storms I've ever seen in my life. The first was when I lived in Taiwan. During the typhoon season, I saw lightning striking throughout the entire night's sky. It's still burned into my eyes. Amazing!

But Saturday night, sheesh, it was like watching the coolest firework show known to man. Almost every thirty seconds, fire-like branches of light slashed through the sky accompanied by booming surges of thunder. By the time I neared my house, the rain was flowing down like a waterfall. My driveway turned into a pond of water.

This was such a fun evening of wicked-awesome dancing and a storm I won't ever forget.

The following list includes some books that are like these storms: They're unforgettable to me.

• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
• The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
• These is My  Words by Nancy E. Turner
• My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer
• The Plant That Ate the Dirty Socks by Nancy McArthur (yep, you read it right. Love these books)
• The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Alchmist by Paulo Coelho
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien

I have high hopes that one day my book(s) will be unforgettable to YOU.

Which books fall into this category for you?

Now What?

I’ve finished my first book, Félicité Found.

Now what?

Should I step off the writing train? Should I place all my focus on sending out query letters? Should I become a hermit-like mole, gobbling up other author’s words?

This has been an odd time for me. I took a wee break, then had to whip out a synopsis letter super quick. After that, I really didn’t want to write or read anything. I pretty much felt like I was in blah-blah-land, like I had barely graduated from college with my whole future wide open. I felt aimless, needed something to do.

A wise person told me: once I started querying my completed first manuscript, I should start writing my next—hop right into the next idea. On Tuesday night, I took her advice. Now I’ve got the first chapter of Julia King’s next hot seller done. It was liberating to formulate my new idea into words, especially because it’s been nagging at me for months.

And my WIP is completely different than my first book. The voice sings to me, making butterflies flutter their way through my veins. I love the voice of Félicité Found, too. It’s just different, combining a pinch of solemnity and a splash of darkness.

Writing another book (the first in a trilogy), has opened up my creative mind again. Funny enough, having gone through Félicité Found so many times has definitely earned me the right to start something new.

I’m not putting Félicité Found on the shelf, never to look at it again. I will be querying her out until my diligence gains me an agent, then a publisher. But for now, all I can do is progress forward, crafting another story.

Being an author is certainly difficult, but super fun when the creative juices are being pumped onto the page.

What would you suggest doing after you’ve finished your first, second, or twenty-eighth novels?

Pump Us Up Time

Recently, I’ve listened to some of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. There’s one thing that struck me: the main character Edmond Dantès has been trapped in prison for many years. He comes in contact with the prisoner in the cell next to him, Abbé Faria. Dantès sees all the ingenious inventions the abbé has created, so he could write, light his cell at night, dig into the wall, among many others.

The book says:

“What are you thinking about?” the abbé asked with a smile, imagining that Dantès’ silence must indicate a very high degree of admiration.

“Firstly, I am thinking of one thing, which is the vast knowledge that you must have expended to attain the point that you have reached. What might you not have done, had you been free?”

“Perhaps nothing: the overflowing of my brain might have evaporated in the mere futilities. Misfortune is needed to plumb certain mysterious depths in the understanding of men; pressure is needed to explode the charge. My captivity concentrated all my faculties on a single point. They had previously been dispersed, now they clashed in a narrow space; and, as you know, the clash of clouds produces electricity, electricity produces lightning and lightning gives light.”

As I listened to this, I couldn’t help but think about writing. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. There are a lot of ups and downs when it comes to this industry. I’ve felt my fair share of them, and I know I will feel many more.

I quoted that part of The Count of Monte Cristo because the abbé was in a situation that forced him to use his mind in ways he couldn’t have done otherwise—on the outside world.

As a writer, there are many pressures that force us to overcome intense obstacles; they make us work harder. These might include crafting the story into what you’ve envisioned in your mind, coping with difficult critiques of your book, or the necessity to do a full revision of your manuscript.

Another example, that I’m dealing with right now, is the querying process. No matter how much I’ve tried to prepare myself for rejection emails, it’s still difficult. Although, in some kind of a masochistic way, I like to receive the rejections; it makes me feel special because an agent actually reviewed my work and took the time to respond.

It takes just one agent to represent me and my book, and if I keep on trying I’ll eventually find the right one.

It’s only through these pressures, trials that make me who I am. They make me become a better writer.

I hope this post encourages you in whatever situations are particularly difficult for you.

Keep on writing. Keep on going, guys. It’s worth it.