Friendly Friday - Wendy Swore

Originally from Sacramento CA, Wendy Swore's family moved through several states until her father's crop dusting job landed them in Pocatello, Idaho. Now married with 5 children ages 12-3, Wendy runs a farm with her husband Mike. You can see the pictures of the farm here. Three years ago, she began writing her first YA novel, Coyote Dreams, which follows a teen as she strives to run the family farm alone after a family tragedy. It is currently seeking representation. Her second novel, Colorless, is a dystopian novel about a slave girl who must fight to save her family and people from destruction. Her newest, a YA anthology called ,UNLOCKED, Ten Key Tales is available for free downloads starting today.

Thank you Christine for inviting me to your Friendly Friday! You've got a wonderful group here. *waves to everyone*

Today is a big day for my latest book, UNLOCKED, a collection of ten YA appropriate stories that all have something to do with a key. Some are mysterious or scary, while others--like my short story, Crop Circles--are more light-hearted. Each of the 9 authors took the idea to a whole new spin. You can read more about this project on my blog while you watch the very cool book trailer and sign up to win a free physical copy. You can also stop by the official Unlocked Blog for more info.

I've been reading all these fabulous Friday posts and I think the topic I'd like to talk about is making your writing a priority.

Do you believe that you are too busy to write? That if you wait for inspiration long enough, or organize well enough, or do whatever excuse you use to not write, that you will suddenly be able to write the brilliant novel that you've got tucked away in your subconscious? I disagree.

As you can see on my blog I've named it Goddess of the Corn. This is because that title sounds so much better than "unpaid grunt worker" which is what I actually am. In addition to raising my children, I also run the farm, picking produce and selling it at local farmer's markets while my husband works his full time job in town. That picture is of an average row of corn I picked. Often I do this several times a day. That, my friends, is a lot of corn.

The point is, I know what it is to be busy. I know what it means to have so many irons in the fire that you fear you'll lose a few (or a lot), BUT that is not an excuse to let go of your writing.

At Storymaker's, Dan Wells said, "If you don’t have time to write, it’s not a scheduling problem, it’s a value issue." And I whole-heartedly agree. In your life right now, there are moments that you could be writing.

Stephanie Black said, writers must “give up TV or whatever and squeeze that (writing) time in.” She subscribes to the idea that you don’t have time for everything, so make time for the things that matter by eliminating the things that don’t.

I think writing is like any skill. Either you hone it a little more everyday, or you lose it a little more everyday. This applies to languages, testimonies, and even physical fitness. In the simplest form: Use it, or Lose it.

I concede that there are days when I can't put one brain cell in front of another after a long day's work and the words are too jumbled up to spill out onto the paper, but this is where the writer gets a bonus deal. Part of honing the craft is reading. If you are too tired/stressed/whatever to write your own words down, then you can at least read, thus feeding that pesky and glorious creative monster inside you that is both muse and foe--depending on the day.

I find that sometimes I can outline or take notes when I don't feel up to writing chapters. Another idea is to look at your project from a totally different point of view. I took a day off from farming to take photos for the Unlocked book trailer . Sometimes just that one act of stepping outside of the daily grind to do something different will help you see your project or yourself in a whole new light.

In closing, there is no excuse. Make the time to write, read, or create everyday. Feed your muse or suffer the consequences. (writer's block, self doubt, and a whole host of other nasty things)

Happy writing, my friends. And thank you, Christine, for taking a moment to visit with me.

Sincerely, Wendy Swore

http://wendyswore.blogspot.com

***Thanks for being my guest today, Wendy. It's been great getting to know you better.

My guest next week will be Rachael Anderson