That Adrenaline Rush

Hey, guys. Guess who’s back? This girl! I finally have a little extra time to post and check out your blogs, since my seriously hectic week is over. I’ve also caught up on sleep a little bit, so hopefully I won’t sound quite so crazy in this post.

So to start, I should probably inform you that I’ve recently gotten a job, and so I’ve started earning some moolah of my own. I went a couple weeks ago and got a checking account, and a few days ago I finally got my debit card. I’m younger than practically everyone who reads my blog, and I’m sure you’ve all had your checking accounts and debit cards for ages, but since it’s all new to me, the novelty still hasn’t worn off. I try to play it cool around my sisters, but every time I open my wallet and see that shiny green card, I do a little happy dance.

I just feel powerful now, you know? Like I can do anything just because I’ve got a debit card that says my name on it. Anyway, yesterday, I was absolutely dying to try my new card out, so I went on amazon to search for some books.

Note: You should know that I’m an avid reader. I read basically every chance I get. I read more often than I write, which is definitely saying something. I’m a quick reader, too. I’m the kind of person who reads a thick book in a quarter of the time it takes the average person to read it, and then I wander around for the next couple days in a daze, still taking in everything that happened. Sometimes I throw my book across the room when I get angry. Sometimes I yell at the characters, like they can hear me or something. Occasionally I think about writing an angry email to the author, explaining how upset I am that they’ve ended their incredible book with a cliffhanger when the sequel hasn’t been released yet. I’m a little eccentric at times, I suppose. Anywho, do you get the point that I love books way more than any normal person should?

Back to the story. There I was sitting on amazon, adding book after book to my shopping list. (Did you know that there are like a bajillion books available for a penny + shipping costs?) As I was reading the book descriptions and deciding which books to blow my hard earned money on, I realized something. My heart was racing and I felt like I was flying. You know that feeling that surges through you when you get off a gigantic roller coaster? That crazy adrenaline rush that makes you feel totally invincible? That’s exactly how I was feeling while I bought several new books to add to my collection.

I have a feeling I’ll be buying a lot more books from now on because amazon is just so convenient.

I love books.

That is all.

Reasons To Finish A Book

1. They say the world is going to end on December 21st this year. I don’t believe that, but it works as a good time frame to get a book done by. And maybe we’ll all get thrown for a loop and the world will be thrown into utter chaos… so wouldn’t it just be better to get a book completed before that happens?

2. To prove to other people that a sixteen year old can write a novel. I know that a lot of sixteen-year-olds have written a book before, but not around where I live. Around here, I don’t think anyone has faith in us teenagers. It would be nice to prove them wrong. And also, my sisters don’t think I can really do it, since they’ve seen the number of unfinished books I’ve got on my hard drive.

3. To prove to myself that I can write a novel. Because I tend to doubt myself when it comes to my writing. A lot.

4. Because that will bring me one step closer to getting published. I’ve been dreaming about getting published practically my entire life, ever since I learned what a book was and that people wrote them.

5. It’s on my bucket list, and what better time to cross something off that list than right now? (Note: My bucket list will be posted for you all to see soon.)

6. Because I’ve made up my mind that I’m going to finish a book, and when I make up my mind, there isn’t a lot that can stop me from getting where I want to go.

 

I’m sure that soon I’ll have more things to add to this post, so I’ll just do a part two. What are your reasons for wanting to finish a book? Maybe you’ll inspire me with your own reasons, so share!

P.S… has anyone seen The Bucket List? It’s an amazing movie. Check it out!

People Are Superficial

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I completely agree with that statement. That saying especially applies in my life to book covers, since I’m both an avid reader and an aspiring writer.

Book covers can mean the difference between having your book picked up by a curious reader and being passed by unnoticed. The truth of the matter is, people are extremely superficial. Just think about it. Celebrities are generally above-average in looks; magazines and TV shows feature homes, gardens, and places that are exceptionally beautiful; the prettiest people tend to win awards in pageants and other contests. That’s just how life works. People like things that are aesthetically pleasing. Now, apply this to book covers.

Take a look at some book covers I found while searching the internet, and see if you can figure out which ones would most likely be grabbed off a bookshelf.

[Review] Sleep With the Lights On

Book Title: Sleep With the Lights On

Author: Adrienne (adrienne0047)

Genre: Mystery, Fantasy

Summary: After months of nightmares, Cassie is desperate to be rid of them. When she says an incantation that appeared to her in one of these nightmares, she finds herself sucked down into the Underworld. Turns out getting home wont be easy, especially when a powerful stranger has big plans for her.

Grade: A-

Why Aren’t They Reading?

I ask myself this question almost every day as I log onto my Wattpad account. “Why aren’t they reading?” Isn’t my work good enough? Isn’t it interesting enough? Haven’t I worked hard enough promoting it?

When someone takes the time to read a chapter of my book, all they ever tell me is how good it is and how much they enjoyed it. Rarely have I received a  comment that degraded my book or even suggested things I need to change, save for a minuscule editing error that I missed. So, unless all of those people have been lying to me, I know I’m a decent writer with a decent book in the works.

And even though I tell myself all the time that I can do it, that I can push past those doubts and just write, I can’t help but question why more people aren’t reading my work. Good things naturally rise to the top. So if mine is good, why hasn’t it reached the top yet?

I read other books that are in number one and number two spots, and I can’t help but think that I’ve done a better job in my own book. My grammar is better, my spelling is better, and my plot is more original and well planned. I’m probably biased, but that’s how I feel when I scroll through those books. Yeah, they’re decent. And obviously, a lot of people like them. But they aren’t great. Some aren’t even good, if we’re being honest.

I just can’t help but doubt my abilities when I see that my book only has a couple hundred reads and it’s not within the hundred rankings for its designated genres. I know I shouldn’t doubt myself, that I should press on and finish the book, but it’s so hard to do when I’m constantly being remind that people who work half as hard as me can get millions of reads and thousands of votes on their stories. It just makes me wonder if maybe I’m not good enough to be a writer.

Anyway, I’m sure this is totally normal as a writer. But it’s difficult. Sometimes I want to give in and write the most cliche story I can think of and jam-pack it with terrible grammar just to see the response I’d get. How ironic would it be if that story floated straight to the top of the rankings? I’m not going to give in to that temptation, though. I’ll stick to my writing style. One day, my work will prevail, and I will be the author selling hundreds of books every day.

One day.

Too bad that day isn’t today. Guess that’s life.

Anybody else feel this way?

xx Ashley

Currently Listening To:

The beautiful sound of the computer keyboard tapping out my thoughts.

“If I was given the choice between having the world back and having you, I wouldn’t be able to give you up. Not to save five billion lives.” –Stephenie Meyer, The Host

Derawood

Click to read Derawood.

So a few years ago, I was at camp when I got the idea for this plot. Since then, I’ve developed on it  a lot, and I’m currently in the process of getting my thoughts down on paper and posting it to my Wattpad. Here’s my pitch… it’s still a bit rough, but it’s something like what I want it to be when I publish: