THOUGHTS FROM AN ASPIRING AUTHOR

FRONT COVER ARTWORK FOR TWISTED
EARTH BY RUSSELL R. CERA

By: Russell R. Cera

 I think in my heart of hearts, I've always wanted to be a creative writer of some sort, or at very least author something from start to finish.  For years I toyed with the idea and eventually took up a contributing editor's position to an industry magazine, turning out "how to" instructional pieces on the processes of art making.

 It was fulfilling to some degree, but at the same time difficult and tedious. All that hard work and effort to kick out an article in a week only to have it sliced and diced to the point of it being the editor's creation over my own.  Let's just say... creative writer's angst unfulfilled.

 So one day out of nowhere, I sat down and started to conceive an epic battle scene into words, which looking back now was more or less a page or so straight up, ripped out of Lord of the Rings.  Oh, I wrote on and on about the emergence of evil forces from the bowels of the underground while a stout hearted beleaguered troop of heroes rallied against them.  Terrifically original stuff right?

 I fondly remember loving it at first review and hating it by the fourth or fifth.  If I were to find it now in the bowels of forgotten Text Edit files I would more than likely read it and roll in the aisles if I had aisles to roll in.  Well, that was the end of that.

 Now before I go on, let me add one more piece to this puzzle.  I am not a reader. No, that does not mean that I cannot read, it is just that I prefer visual storytelling to the written word.  Why?  My imagination is constantly at work, conjuring imagery of all sorts to the point of exhaustion.  While reading I do much the same, concentrating too hard on how I want the people and places I'm visiting to look, sound and act.  There are times I can blow through an entire page only to realize I haven't truly comprehended what I've read as I concentrated on the exact facial expression of the main character back on paragraph one!

 You're more than likely saying, this isn't going anywhere. To which I might be so bold to tell you you're right!

 Let's skip forward now to several years ago.  RJA Creations was in it's infancy stages and myself and James Lincke had begun putting the pieces together of what would eventually become Twisted Earth, an epic illustrated full length novel that is currently in the works.  It happened purely by accident I imagine, for TE up to that point was a series of sci-fi/horror art pieces intended for a merchandise line.  It did however have a twist.  The art and product had a story to tell, and with each new piece of art, the plot would unfold via a web based community site that offered all kinds of special content.  The idea was visionary.

 Yet good ideas often go unnoticed, as did this one, and in picking up the pieces after realizing there was no financial or promotional backing to our efforts, we decided the entity itself was too good to die.

From there, we began to formulate a main character and a villain based on one of Jim's recurring images.  We pieced together the antagonist and protagonist conflict, their motives, desires, eventual victories and downfalls.  Plot line soon followed, storyboarding and outlining next.  Before we knew it, we had something brewing for good or bad.

 Who knew?

 Some time into the project, I began to write again.  This time, I felt or at least I thought I had a good command on prose and the "what to do and what not to do" rules of writing. I would study other's works, albeit their technique over an entire story, applying my own structure and how I wanted it to read over trying to follow a particular formula.

  Ah ha!

 Twisted Earth was finally the vehicle I needed to express my writing aspirations... and so it happened! Now enough of back story, because this blog is not about me, although it seems that way, but more about the challenges of becoming a storyteller and writer, and possibly some advice or general grievances that others out there like me trying to do this can relate to.

  I thought for a while I had it figured out, but what I figured out, was that writing is difficult beyond any means of explanation!

  I have an incredibly renewed respect for the art form and those that perform it to seeming effortlessness.

  At first the process seemed rather linear, start here and end there.  It is not.

A GATHERING OF DRAFTS, PLOTS AND SYNOPSIS WRITTEN
BY RUSSELL R. CERA AND ILLUSTRATED BY JAMES LINCKE

 Countless drafts, ideas, thoughts - words words words... they all seem so wonderful as they emerge. Then you review, and tweak, adding this or that.  Maybe a new plot line comes out of nowhere, and where you thought you were going to write four sentences on a thought, it turns into four paragraphs or even a chapter.  Double back again and you'll find grammar mistakes, or start reconstructing prose to sound more eloquent.

 Later you realize some things are in the wrong place.  Maybe this belongs in chapter one where that belongs in chapter five. Your character descriptions aren't up to par, so you add and revise. Actions occur but you have not explained how the character got into the place they needed to be for the action to occur.

  It's MADNESS I tell you and it can drive a person to drink!

  So here are seven lucky things I'll present, based on knowledge, research or advice from accomplished writers and my greatest inspiration of all, my wife.  An avid reader herself, she has embarked upon her very own vampire novel and is going through much of the same challenges as I and possibly you are!

 Take this then for what it is, and I promise that even I would be the best benefactor to the following suggestions!

 1.  The number one thing I've learned is to JUST KEEP GOING.  DO NOT STOP!  Do not be so discouraged by a lack of ideas that the fire just dies.  Keep writing every day!  Even if what you are kicking out is awful, and you know it, you are making progress.  Put that piece to the side for another day when you've got more juice or an idea on how to tie it in!

 2.  Another thing I practice, which may be wrong, is to write about a particular scene or piece that I am really enthusiastic about doing.  If you have a clear vision or you can play it out in your head... action, even dialogue, no matter what or where it falls in a piece, get it out!  You are obviously going to be more excited to emote something you feel very strongly about.  Write it down. Worry about how it falls into place later.

3. Once you feel comfortable with your plot line, outline it!  Provide descriptions of what each chapter is trying to say, how it starts, what happens, and create the hook that takes the reader to the next chapter!

 4. Write a terribly non descriptive bare bones draft first, very little on description and almost outline like.  Fill it in with all the good stuff from suggestion two once you know what point A and point B is.

 5. Try your best not to be overly descriptive (a challenge I am currently working on).  Allow the reader to piece things together and conjure up their own visions.  If you try too hard to describe a character or setting down to the very last detail, then the reader becomes instantly bored with words, denying them personal creative expression within their mind!

 6.  Know your climax and plan it out.  If you know where you are going to go it is much easier to reach the destination!

 7. Your characters are more important than anything!  A reader needs to connect and identify with your protagonist. Make them do the same with your antagonist - then you've really got something cookin'!  Make sure to develop clear cut roles and motives, attempting to revolve everything around a central conflict!

 Let's face it, writing and storytelling is an unmatched art form - period.  On every level it is extremely difficult, time consuming and nerve racking.  Yet, at the very same time can one think of anything more fulfilling than telling a story from beginning to end, taking your characters through ups and downs to their eventual destinations?  I can't. No one can guarantee how it will be received.  No one can  guess that they might be the next J.K. Rowling.  So don't worry about those things. And even if, as of the posting of this article, I have acquired a horrific writers block and have lost my way, I know it is only temporary.

 If it's inside of you, as this is in me, trust in this. The only means to sanity is to get it all out and just finish it!