Author: FanTC

Readers, writers, and adventurers, lend me your eye. This blog is for editorial tips as you make your way in the world. I may also insert a little of what I like to call "raw writing," where a writer opens up about herself. Who am I? Just a young adult fantasy fiction author, part-time blogger, and avid fan of National Novel Writing Month.
Raw

Sleep-Drunk

FanTC

Image result for sleep drunk

I. Am NOT. A. Morning. Person.

But let me just preface this with an announcement: I don’t have the actual “sleep-drunk” condition as described here:

Those who suffer from being sleep drunk, officially known as confusional arousal, have a hard time fully waking up. And once the sleeper is awakened, they feel severely disorientated. Sleep drunkenness is accompanied by confusion, strange or violent behavior and even amnesia about the events that occur after waking. Aug 26, 2014

But I dislike mornings. I dislike waking up anytime before 10am and rushing to be somewhere. I sometimes imagine how wonderful it would be to have a job where I work 11am to 6pm instead of 9-5 (yes, dropping 1 hour would be nice too.) By contrast, I can easily stay up til 1am in the morning on a regular basis. I am what is commonly called a Night Owl. The easy solution would to simply find a job on second-shift and solve this whole problem. Not a half-bad idea, actually. It would suit my introverted tendency.

Let’s explore this personality difference. How many of you would consider yourselves Night Owls? How many are Morning Birds? Are you groggy and disorientated in the morning? Or are you alert and energetic? What time of the day do you get your best work done?

I have noticed that there seems to be a lack of understanding between these two individuals – the Night Owls and the Morning Birds. In fact, it can become antagonistic between them. I’ve had morning people criticize me for not being able to wake up. “Just wake up,” they say. “Maybe if you wouldn’t hit the Snooze button so much, you’d wake up the first time.” Contrariwise, I have looked at them and thought, 4am!? How in the world do you survive!?

You have to realize this animosity is not reserved for this case alone. There are so many personality differences in the world, that instead of being open-minded and accepting, we close ourselves off. We seek out our similars and shun the differences. And, really, how hard is it to say, “Wow. You get up at 4am every day? I’m impressed. Hey, we should get coffee. I’ll stay up til 4am, and you wake up at 4am.”

That’s actually a ridiculous idea… I can’t stay up that late. 😉

Keep it real, keep it honest, and accept something different today.

Dream big!

Fanny T. Crispin

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Working on Sequels

FanTC

I made an appointment with my editor for February to discuss going forward with Sir Ivan’s Train; Wizard Ring. I’m excited to get the sequel underway finally, but I’m also nervous. Lately, I’ve had to work an average of 60hrs a week between two jobs, and combined with boyfriend time, that does not leave a lot of time or energy for editing. I also have about eight illustrations to work on as well as the cover to design. It’s a lot of work on my plate. But you never know what you can accomplish until you try, correct?

Wish me luck, folks. This may be my last book published for awhile. Fanny needs break. 😉 
This has been,

Fanny T. Crispin

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Good Advice to Writers

FanTC

As a writer, you need:  

Faith in yourself as a writer; faith in the importance of what you are writing; faith that there will be an audience for what you will write; faith that your writing will contribute ultimately to the flourishing of those who read it; and finally, faith in the source of your desire to write.

This is probably the most humbled, encouraging, and realistic advice on publishing a book I have ever read.

http://www.gracemusing.com/amazon-bestsellers-list-prayer/

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What Writing Has Taught Me

FanTC

I finished the National Novel Writing Month challenge with a squeaked-in 40 thousand words. Just about 10K shy of my goal. About mid-month, I became stumped in the novel I was writing, which is nothing new. I have been writing this story on and off for 3 or 4 years. But there I was in the middle of crunch time, and I couldn’t drudge up anymore words. The only solution (about a week and a half late,) was to work on something else, so that’s what I did.

I had to continually remind myself it wasn’t about winning. It was about writing. All year I did not write or edit except for journaling and small dabbles here and there. I wanted to write novels. I wanted to return to adventure. So there I was with 40 thousand words between two stories, and I was feeling great.

In any project, it’s good to remember how much progress you have made. Otherwise it’s easy to get discouraged and quit. 

This has been,

Fanny T Crispin