Lately, I have been doing well with overcoming my “munchie” dilemma. However, tonight, as I sit here fiddling on the laptop watching The Boyfriend play PUBg I can’t get passed the urge to munch on something. Now you’re probably thinking, go get something. While I applaud the thought, I stopped buying “munchie food” and bringing it into the house. Mostly, because if it’s not here, I don’t usually want it. Tonight, though, I really want a bag of chips.
I never want chips.
Why am I rambling about having the munchies? I told myself at the beginning of this year that I was going to post more on here. But I am failing at it miserably. I started off well – I was on a writing steam engine headed on a fast track. I guess I fell off and now I am laying in a pile of trash on the side of the road.
I think it’s because in the last couple of years I haven’t read much. I am told a lot “to write you need to read”. I’ve been in a huge reading slump, which is a sad slump to be in, but I am trying to fix that. While fiddling on Facebook the other day I downloaded fifteen books onto my Kindle and began reading them. I finished two books I had started earlier last year: “Twister Tales” by Steve Lenore &&& “On Writing” by Stephen King. Then I began reading the first three books of a 10 book series called “Brie’s Submission”, by Red Pheonix: the first three are “Teach Me”, “Love Me”, && “Catch Me”. I’ve already finished the first and I’m beginning the second. At first, I didn’t think I was going to like the story, it seemed…. silly. But I kept reading thinking I need to read more this year – so I can finally finish editing my book. So I kept going and the more I read, the more I actually liked it. Will I like it enough to make it through book ten? That will be a toss up.
The “Twister Tales” was written by a local meteorologist here and I found it very fascinating. I mean, come on! It was a book about tornadoes! Who doesn’t find those fascinating? I was hesitant when it came to reading the one by Stephen King – I didn’t want to purchase a book if I wasn’t going to be able to read it. When it comes to him, he’s a good writer, I know this – however, just like most books written by men, I get bored quickly. This one, though, everyone kept saying needs to be read if you’re a writer. So, I bought it and I’m really glad I did. Some of my major issues when it comes to writing he addressed and spoke about them in length. Afterward, I realized that I wasn’t writing wrong, I was just being told wrong. I marked that book up along with sticky notes, highlighters, and notes. I’m getting on the bandwagon, if you’re a writer, you NEED to read that book.
Now I feel as if I need to read one of his actual books.
***Also, while writing this I went to the store and got potato chips, cheese dip, a Slim Jim &&& a Sunkist. Munchie emergency averted!
♥The Barbosphere♥ 
What were those mistold issues of writing to you that king’s book solved?
The number one issue: I tend to write the way I talk, even when it comes to writing stories. I have been told many times that I should be writing “properly” – perfect grammar, perfect sentence structure. But I don’t &&& once I read that book he talks about finding your voice. Writing the way YOU want to and not letting anyone silence that. It helped a lot because I realized that I may not write the way they want me to, but I write for myself and I have my voice found.
Another: Passive verb versus active verb. For the life of me, I could not figure out what a passive verb was and when I wrote Word always told me to change that. He goes into great detail about it and how to avoid it.
That’s just a couple of examples.
“Finding our own voice” now that’s a good lesson. Come to think of it, it does feel refreshing to read when the writing style or the narration varies from the norms.
I’ve always thought so, so I never thought much about how I write – considering that I am from Texas/Oklahoma. I’m always told there is too much “hick”. But if Maya Banks can make a fortune on sounding hick, I’m pretty sure there is a market for it. :P
haha is it? I have to go through your blog to find it. I am actually from India, so let me see