Dare to Dream

Some people don’t dream. They believe that a dream is something unattainable. If you dream you will get your hopes up and life will just let you down. Why would you want to chase after something that will always be just out of your reach? Life is not a dream. It’s dirty and it’s hard. There is no place in the world for dreams. I've heard all these before.

It’s hard for me to understand that way of thinking. I dream, I dream big. I don’t mean I dream that someday I’ll publish a book that I can show to my friends and family and say "I finally did it." No. That’s not a dream, that’s just too easy these days. Anyone could publish a book with just the click of a button, even terribly written ones. My dream is that one day, after I have about 40 books published, people will know who I am like they do King, Rowling or Rice. If you’re a reader, you know these names as well as their faces gracing the back inside cover of their books. I want that. To be known as a writer without being asked.

Writer Ramblings: Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Photo courtesy of Dave R Farmer on WANA Commons

I was always told by coaches and teachers that "Practice makes perfect," but I've realized in the last few years that is not true. The phrase should be "Practice makes consistent." If you are practicing the wrong methods, you will just get more consistent at doing it wrong. For twenty years I wrote by the seat of my pants. Whatever came to me is how I wrote it down, and I was never satisfied with my work. The story concepts and characters were good and well done. People loved the emotions and the action, but there was always something missing.

They say there isn't a wrong way to write. That has some truth in it, but there is a wrong way to approach writing. I'm no self-proclaimed expert, nor would I accept that title. What I am is a practitioner of writing. Like every great writer, the ones who are good at their craft are the ones who have practiced for years. They also listened when an editor or critique partner showed them a right way to approach their story.

Book Recommendation: Inhale

I wanted to recommend a book that is coming out in a month. May 1st the first book in the Just Breathe trilogy will be released on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and other sources I'm guessing. I don't do a lot of book recommendations, and I keep wanting to do more, but I always end up researching weapons instead. But here is one today. Add it to your wishlists or whatever you have (To-Read List on Goodreads) and enjoy!

Inhale by Kendall Grey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I’m floored. I am not a big fan of romances but I am really getting into urban fantasies. This book was more than I expected it to be, and believe it or not, I had high expectations. That said, no book is for everyone, and Inhale was not my usual taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It flowed smoothly, was written very beautifully and it was obviously edited professionally. This book isn’t just a well put together novel by an Indie writer; it was well put together for a traditionally published novel. If you’ve read my reviews in the past, I don’t knock the rating down for editing, but I’ll always point it out. I had no complaints whatsoever with the editing in Inhale.

The Year of the Water Dragon!

2012 is marked the year of the Water Dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar. Are you ready for it? I know I am. This is the year for the free spirits to prosper and shine. The dragon is wise and a sign of good luck so 2012 should be a great year to take a chance and do something to improve your life. Whatever that may be, whether it’s starting a new business or career, or taking that vacation you’ve always wanted, this will be the year to do it. The New Year begins on January 23^rd and ends on February 9^th in 2013. That is how awesome the Year of the Dragon it, it’s almost 13 months!

Funny thing for me is, before I even realized this was the Year of the Dragon I had already set into motion the process to start a new publishing company to assist technologically challenged Indie writers get published and publish myself through the same company. I also have a vacation planned this summer in which I will leave the USA for the first time in my life.

Writer Ramblings: The Heart Knows Your Muse

The heart is a finicky thing. It’s strong and at the same time fragile. It works all day pumping blood but a few words from someone you're close to can make it feel like it wants to stop. It may even feel like it’s bleeding or broken, and yet, it continues on until that day comes where it finally does give out or the brain stops telling it to keep going.

I was a sophomore in high school. I had written several things, a short sci-fi and started a fantasy adventure. I had written a couple poems, but I hated them. I hated all of it. I loved writing but I despised what I wrote. It was raw, untrained and hard to read, probably something like this blog. Anyway, I had spoken to this girl in one of my geometry classes several times. She was smart, had a unique style that made her stand out in the crowd, and she was beautiful. The beauty thing intimidated me greatly. I didn’t know what I felt when she was around, but one day I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Unbreakable Dreams

For some reason the world is full of negativity. I will never understand why someone would try to push someone down a path that would make them miserable and then pretend to care that the person they pushed is now struggling and miserable. Like many writers, I have been tested repeatedly and in the past I gave in to those fears of “responsibility” and walked away from my dreams.

Over the years, I’ve grown stronger and realized my dreams are not irresponsible at all. I no longer care if my own friends laugh at me and doubt me. It’s not up to them, and people like that are not really my friends. Luckily for me, my wife is 100% supportive of my choices in life, and she’s never read more than a few pages of anything I’ve written. I’m not here to say I’m the next Stephen King or John Locke. What I am is me, and I’m a writer. I would rather write than do anything else.

Sometimes it seems as if everything is pushing at me again to walk away. What I don’t understand is why my friends would assume I was going to fail, and for some it feels as if they would prefer I do. I’ve never failed anything I’ve tried to do in my entire life. What failures I have had all came because I quit. Well, I’m not quitting this time. I will be published, I will become a bestseller and I will make this a career. It’s not just a dream anymore, it’s my goal. It’s unbreakable. I’m unbreakable. I don’t care what comes against me to try to stop me. I will succeed.

If you have dreams, then wake up! Stop living them in your mind and go out there and pursue those dreams. Life is too short to just watch it go by because of fear of failure. If you fall short, that just means you need to give it a little more. There are two things that can stop you from achieving your life long dreams. One of them you have complete control of, whether you quit or try at all. The other is what happens if you wait too long. We all have to die someday. It’s better to live while you can, rather than waste away your life in safety and “for sure” things.

My day job involves working with car accidents, and it’s taught me a lot about living safely. There is no sure thing in life. It doesn’t matter how good a driver you are, if the other guy doesn’t see you and runs the light, then your life is over. So stop pretending you’re in control, throw away the negativity and live your life! If you’re a writer, then don’t let anyone or anything stop you from writing. You don’t know when someone else is going to run that light and end your dreams before you reach them.

Thought I'd share an awesome song that I love to listen to when those naysayers try to bring me down. Listen to the words, because what she sings is true.