I Vote for Versus

This week we are talking about traditional publishing versus self publishing. As a yet-to-published-in-anyway author, I don't know what I can say on this topic. And so, I vote for Versus. Seems like a good way to go! After all Versus handles many things all at once! Can't go wrong with that. Mutlitasking! Balance! Oh yes, important things all thanks to Versus.

*ahem* What was I talking about? Oh yes...

Traditional publishing has it's good points. You have the backing of professional agents, editors, and a publishing company to help you as you market your book. They handle the formatting of your book to get it in e-book form or in print, they get your books up on the web where people can buy them and on the shelves.

Self publishing has good points also. You keep all the royalties from your sales. You have the added benefit that no one else owns any rights at all to your book or characters. You don't have to wait for an agent or publisher or editor to tell you yes or no to a query, then wait some more for them to get back to you.

Beyond that knowledge, I don't know what else to say. I don't have experience in either type of publishing and so I can't lend much insite into them. I do know that personally in the end, I want to have my book in print. Period. Right now, it's up in the air for me as I wait to hear back from a few publishers and agents but I'm seriously considering self-publishing also, only because I'm tired on waiting! It seriously drives me crazy.

The only thing that really stops me on the self-publishing thing is that I know even less about it than I do traditional publishing. Mainly, formatting my manuscript to get it into ebook and print form. I'm sure the information is out there if I just look for it, but I look at the time it would take to learn all of that. I just don't have it.

So I'm stuck -- I drive my self crazy waiting for an agent or publisher or try to weasle in the time to self publish. Either way, I feel like I'm losing something in the process! (My sanity in both cases...)

I wish I could have my last post be a bit more informative, but alas, that is just not the case. I'm sorry for that.

And yes, this is my last post on Wicked Writers. I'm sad to go, but my family comes first. I cherish the time I've spent here and I've learned so much from all the other authors that write for this wonderful blog. I've made lasting friendships with all of them!

I hope to see you all around the internet! Look me up at my website (http://avpergakis.com) or my blog (http://labotomyofawriter.com) if you want to stay in touch.

Thank you to Greg for giving me the initial invite and to CJ for letting me join in the fun here. I wish every much success in their careers. I love you all and I'll see you around.

Muligans!

Okay, this weeks topic has us talking about muligans - do overs. Was there every anything that we did (or didn't do) that we regretted?

Of course! Many things! But, I won't embarass myself here and stick to just the writing side. *wink*

I have to think really hard on this because I don't really remember anything I have done or didn't do when it came to writing that I regretted later. Even if the project I started bombed or ended or closed or whatever the case was, I didn't regret starting it in the first place. Sure, I was sad it didn't work out, but I didn't actually feel regret over the situation.

I guess I do regret dragging The Faery's Tale series around for so long, not admitting what the real problem with the series was. But then again, I really don't. I learned SO much during that time and applied to my other works - that have turned out great!

No, The Faery's Tale series still is not anywhere near ready for publication. I feel terrible I made my crit partners read the first book as it is OMG terrible. Sideplots run amuck all over the place and just took over the series entirely! But like I said, I don't regret the years I spent struggling with it. I learned a lot and honed my craft and was able to craft many other books written with better quality for sure.

So, do I want to call "Muligan!" on anything in my writing career? No. Maybe because I have so many regrets in the other areas of my life because of my past with alcohol and drug addiction, I just don't have the energy to feel regret in my writing life. I learn from my mistakes and move on. How can I regret a situation that helped me be a better writer? I can't and so I don't.

Romance Under Orders

This week is a fun topic! I get to share a scene from my MS - my fav scene! It was really hard to choose which one too as I love them all really for their own reasons. But, I decided to go with a funny and cute scene from the middle of Cleanse Fire: The Kinir Elite Chronicles. You can read Chapter 1 on my website here if you like.

------------------------------------

Derac scanned the room again and found Tyn and Rakan next to the buffet, deep in conversation with the members of the faery elite team. Where is Kie? He knew she hated wearing a gown, but she still was required to make an appearance. An invitation from the General was not to be ignored.

He ground his teeth and clenched his fist but relaxed when he spotted her at the edge of his vision. She stood in the corner, alone. His jaw dropped. The tight fitting bodice showed off her ample breasts, then flowed down to her toes accenting the shapeliness of her hips. The sleeves hung off her shoulders and her bronzed skin glowed. A bundle of auburn curls sat on her head; the rest hung loose down her back.

Gorgeous.

She wrung her hands and her gaze darted around the room. Derac's chest filled with sympathy but he could not take his eyes off her. A voice in his head told him to look away, but he just couldn't.

"Captain, what are you staring at?" Tyn clapped him on the shoulder.

"Her."

"Ahh yes, she looks great, doesn't she? Aeli did a great job."

"Yes."

Tyn chuckled. "Someone should get her out of that corner, though."

"Is that a hint I should be that someone?" Derac couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Tyn chuckled. "I was merely making a comment."

"Right. I'll go order her to join the party."

Tyn chuckled again as Derac strolled towards the angelic elf in the corner.

"Kie, you should get out of that corner," he said.

"I'd rather not, Captain."

"It is not good for a member of the Elite to be standing alone. You must mingle with the others."

Her brown eyes filled with panic as she glanced around the room.

Derac decided to try a different approach. He held out his arm to her. "Stay by my side. It'll be all right," he whispered.

Her gaze stilled on him and her lips parted. The sudden urge to kiss her filled him and he held his lips between his teeth.

"I ... you ..."

"It is perfectly fine for me as your Captain to escort you around a ball, as you do not have a male to do so." Just admit you want her on your arm, Derac. He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from saying something he’d regret.

"All...all right."

She hooked her arm around his and allowed him to lead her from the corner. A smile crossed his face. As they made their way around the room, he noticed other males stopped to stare at her. He lifted his chin, proud she clung to his side.

Romance and Fashion of Olden Times

I'm so glad to write about this weeks topic - on my birthday! The topic this week asks the question "If we could live in any point of history, when would it be and why?"

Those of you who have read my books will most likely know the answer to this question already. The Medieval Ages.

Okay, so before any real historians go jumping down my throat hear, yes I am well aware that the time period isn't all romantic and beautiful the way it is depicted often times. There was no electricity, no clean water, no real medical technology, etc etc. I get that. My mother is a history teacher mmkay? I know! :)

Now that that is out of the way, let's talk about the reason why I love that time period. And yes I hate to say it has to do with out how movies and books protray the period. I guess really you could say I'm more in love with the legends and stories that came from that time, rather than the time itself - if one wanted to get technical.

The legends of knights in shining armor, death before dishonor, and yes, the somewhat romanticism of the time. But where is the real romance of the time you ask? Since ya know, it didn't really happen the way it did in the movies? Well, I'm totally weird (like you didn't already know) and I find it oddly romantic that during the time women would get married to a man they hardly new and yet people made it work. (And don't tell me it was perfect all the time, because when it history is it ever?) I guess really it's more mysterious, and that's what I'm drawn to. It's not really romantic...just mysterious and it peaks my interest I guess.

And, despite the fact that I do not bother to keep up with current fashion trends and really don't care what I wear from day to day - I LOVE the fashion from the medieval ages, especially the dresses women wore. Such beautiful designs!

When I was a kid, my parents belonged to this group that, well basically they dressed up from the time period and had huge jousts and fights and fairs and all that. It was a lot of fun. My parents - and my and my sister made our own garb! I loved wearing the flowing gowns with the super long sleeves, and the ackward headdresses! It was so much fun. I wish I could wear gowns like that now without people trying to lock me up in the looney bin, but I digress.

Now to answer the real question - would I live during that time? Eh, probably not. While I may love the ideals and fashion I would hate to not have clean water! I might be able to be without electricity or my computer (gulp!) but clean water? Heck to the no!

In the end, I'm happy to live in the present. While I do love certain periods in history, I don't think I'd want to actually live during those times. I can live in them vicariously through my writing - and that works perfectly as I can return to the present whenever I'm ready!

Reading What I Write - Sort Of

This weeks topic asks us what we read vs what we write. I write High Fantasy and, I've admitted this before, I don't read much High Fantasy.

It's not that I'm afraid I'll 'copy' an idea or anything like that. It's the point that quite frankly, I hate the way the majority of High Fantasy novels are written. I know that sounds terrible as a High Fantasy writer myself, but it's true.

I do love to watch fantasy movies however, as it takes away the flowery language to describe the new world - it's just there in picture. This might also be due to the fact that I'm naturally a character driven writer. I want to know about the characters, how they act, their quirks, etc not read paragraphs of flowery adjectives about their house.

I absolutely love to read mysteries! Mary Higgins Clark is my favorite mystery/suspense writer and I own many of her books. I read her books over and over again because the tension is so great that even when I'm reading it for the 10th or 20th time, I still feel my breath caught in my throat in anticipation for what happens next. I don't think I could ever write one though - or anything contemporary for that matter. It's just not in me to write about the world I already live in I guess.

My novels do have a hint of mystery and suspense in them though. I love writing about the many twists and turns of solving some mystery - especially in my series The Kinir Elite Chroicles. The elves are elite warriors and it's their job to bring down the bad guy - much like a cop would! So the mystery element is definitely there.

I also enjoy reading romance novel - but not straight romance. It needs to have another main plot going for me to enjoy it. The romance is the side plot not the main point of the story. I eat those stories up. And as far as my writing is concerned, I always have a romance element in it as well.

Frankly, when it comes to what I like to read - I'll read almost anything. Horror is a definite no in my book and with fantasy it all depends on the voice and style of the writer. Sorry to any horror writers out there but I just can't do it LOL. One of two things happens when it comes to reading (or watching) horror 1 - it's so cheesy I feel like I wasted my money or 2 - it's so scary I can't sleep for a month. Which I know is the point of horror, I just prefer to NOT lose sleep thank you. :P

Since I feel like I've rambled through this post, let's recap. I write High Fantasy but don't read too much of it. My stories also have a hint of mystery and romance. I don't read horror, ever, and I'll read most anything else but my favorite is mystery novels. :) I want to write Sci-Fi some day, and I do read a lot of that.

What about you? What do you like read? Writers, do you read the same as you write? Why or why not?

Anything, Anytime, Anywhere

This week's topic asks us what our best and worst places to write are. For me, I don't have a best or a worst. I can write anywhere.

I enjoy writing on the couch on our backporch while my son runs free in the back yard.

I love writing late hours at night hunched over my keyboard while everyone sleeps.

It's great to write in the living room with a great movie on the tele.

I love writing while I relax in a hot bubble bath.

It's fun to write in a crowded coffee shop or in a park where I can people watch at the same time.

Loud, quiet, crowded, empty, outside, inside, computer or pen and paper - doesn't matter to me. I might pick a particular place depending on my mood or the scene I'm trying to write, but that's on a rare occasion when I'm really struggling with something. Otherwise, I just sit down and let the words flow from my fingers!

This post is a little short for me. I'm normally so long winded it seems, but I am itching to finish this scene in my current WIP Cleanse Fire. Then it's off to the crit partners, then ready for submissions!

What about you guys? Any places you like to write more than others? How about reading? I love reading curled up with a blanket on the couch, but I enjoy reading outside too.

Motivation from the Dark

Sorry this post is a little late. It was hard for me to write as you will see as you read this post. This weeks topic is about motivation. As a warning, this post is going to get really dark for a moment, which might seem out of character for me as I usually try to stay positive in my posts, but it'll get better toward the end I promise.


So what motivates me to keep writing and not give up? Well, to answer that I have to take you back a few years to a sixteen year old girl trapped by alcohol and drug addiction. I couldn't function without a few vicodins or oxycodones to start the day, a few drinks after school (okay a lot of drinks) and more pills at night. The fact that I didn't stop my heart with this combination of chemicals is beyond me.

I should have died.

I wanted to die.


Yes, it's true. I wanted to die more than anything. I would wake up extremely mad I woke up at all. I tried to years to find the right concoction of drugs that would let me just slip away in my sleep. But I never found it.

I guess maybe I have a purpose to fulfill in this life. Perhaps I am destined for something. Who knows. All I know is that for about ten years, my soul was in total agony because of what I was doing to myself and the fact that I seemed immortal!

I don't want to scare you too much with the horror stories of those ten years. But let me just say I can tell you each moment where rightfully and scientifically I should have died. Besides the lethal drugs I was pumping steadily into my system, there was the fact I ran into traffic - on purpose. I purposefully walked into dangerous situations and fights hoping I would come out the loser (and in my mind, really, the winner...) I have more scars than I can count - one of which from a somewhat serious stab wound to my chest. The rest from doing things like, rock climbing with no safety equipment.

Obviously this story has a happy ending. I didn't die and I don't want to die anymore. I got into a recovery program, AA, and slowly began to put back the pieces of my life. It's been four and a half years since my last drink - four and half years since I last wanted to die.

So what motivates me to keep going and not quit? The fact that every day I have now is a miracle. Sometimes I feel I didn't earn this time because of the person I once was. I hurt people during those ten years I suffered - I hurt a lot of people. Each day is a blessing that I can't take for granted. I wasted ten years of my life because of my own selfishness and pain and I don't intend to waste another moment. I keep improving and learning and moving forward in a positive way.

I should have died long before I reached the age of 20. The first birthday I had after I sobered up I cried for most of the day. I never thought I would see the age of 23.

Like I said. I must have a destiny to fulfill. I have been blessed with friends who truly love and care about me, a husband who has stuck by my side for the last four and a half years, a beautiful son who adores me.

If I was to impart any knowledge to the readers out there it would be this. Don't waste your life. If you have dreams or things you want to do -- go do them NOW. Life is way too short to wait for "someday." And it's way too short to quit when things get tough.

I'll close with one of my favorite quotes:

"Love like you've never been hurt,

Dance like no one is watching,

Sing like no one is listening,

Work like you don't need money,

and Live like there's no tomorrow."

Knowing is Half the Battle

This weeks topic is a great one for writers, I think. Do I write what I know or what I feel? Like JD, my answer is a YES on both counts.

There is a famous quote that says "To write well, write what you know." That is very true but only half of the equation. Knowledge is important to make your characters, plot, setting, etc believable in a story.

But you ask "Anastasia, as a fantasy writer, what do you need to know? You can just make everything up right?" WRONG! Writing fantasy requires just as much research, if not more in my opinion. And sometimes it might seem like the research I do has nothing to do with my story, but it does. I do a lot of research on government styles, cultures, traditions, etc. - all of them. Why? So that when I do go to "make everything up" I can present a believable world to the readers. Sometimes I even base my fantasy worlds on traditions and themes in our own. So I need to know about them before I can bend or break the rules for my new world.

But that's only half of the equation!

If you don't FEEl what you're writing - connected to it, love it, enjoy it - you're readers won't either. So while I know a lot about the Medieval Ages (technology, traditions, etc) if I didn't ENJOY or LOVE the time period, it would show in my stories. Or when writing my sci-fi, I think one has to LOVE space or technology and adventure to pull off a great sci-fi story. (Then again, that might be me.)

Regardless of the specifics of whatever genre you write, you have to love it. Feel it. I enjoy reading mysteries and crime novels but I don't think I could ever write one. I love to read them sure, but I don't love the minute details of the trade enough to write what I feel. The story would lack in my opinion. Sure, someday that might change, but right now, I'll stick with what I know I love - fantasy and sci-fi adventures.

So do you write what you know or what you feel? I say both are needed to create the best stories. Don't stress about the small details too much as you're writing people! That's what editors are for! Focus on your love for adventure and the seeming useless knowledge bouncing around in your head. My favorite quote is "I'm not dumb, I just know completely useless information" Well guess what? As a writer, none of that information is useless! Put it into a story! I promise if you put knowledge and feelings together, it makes for a great story - and you can always edit your grammar later!

The Magic World of Being a Writer

This weeks topic, about the seeming lonliness of the writing industry I think is left over from the days without internet. Like JD said in her post yesterday, I have SO many people I talk to on a daily basis from twitter, crit groups, blogs, writing sites, etc it's not even funny. I'm hardly alone by any stretch of the imagination.

So why do people still see writing as a lonely occupation? I think it comes from the idea - or illusion - of a writer, hunched over the type writer or paper furiously putting that story onto the page. Locked inside their office ignoring the world around them. Getting caught up in the story and the characters and forgetting there are real people around them too.

While that vision is still true to a certain point (I do lock myself in my office and I'm sure my husband sees me as all hunched over the keyboard typing away, lost in my own world) but is that really lonely or just a sign of pure dedication?

Then of course there are the non-writer's out there that don't GET it. They still see the writer locked away for days on end - alone - in their offices and lost in the world of make believe. They don't see the other side where we network, meet people, attend conferences, and actually come out of la-la land to talk with real live people. The side where we worry about trends and marketing and promotion. Because that takes away the magic of writing to them. It's a magical, awe inspiring vision of the writer plugging away at the typewriter/computer/paper, because as a non-writer they can't imagine doing it themselves. The energy it must take, the dedication, the imagination. Magic.

But in truth, no, writing is not a lonely occupation. I am always 'surrounded' by other people through blogs, writing sites, workshops, twitter, facebook - the list goes on.

Sure, there are times where I turn all that stuff off (surprising I know), I do lock my husband and son out of the office and I do nothing but write or edit on my own in some semblance of peace. I drift away to the lands of my stories and I'm no longer in my office. (And with all my character there I'm hardly alone either!)

I have never met an actual writer that seriously feels lonely in this industry! Even as a writer though, I still have the vision of the dedicated writer all hold up away from the real world - of course always alone. I never have the vision of the author surrounded by people cheering, offering advice, or just talking about every day silly things. It doesn't fit the image in my head of a writer is.

So is writing a lonely occupation? The magical mysterious side to the non-writer folks - perhaps. But to the actual writers, it's anything but. (Heck, even in la-la land we have plenty of characters to keep up company too!)

Grueling Goals

This week we're talking about our writing goals for 2011. I briefly mentioned my goals on my blog, here, but I'm going to expand on that post today.

Last year I changed my tactics and decided to focus on only one book rather than working on which ever one struck my fancy. It didn't work out the way I wanted it to - not even close. I thought if I focused on only one book at a time, I'd get them completed faster and have multiple books done by the end of 2010. I had the idea that jumping around from book to book was wasting time as I had nothing ready for submission yet. I took a workshop in January of last year and set out goals to have at least 5 books done by December.

Not even close. I don't even have one book fully ready. Yes, I am closer than I was at the start of the year, but not where I really want to be.

Granted, I did begin submissions for Burden of Prophecy, part 1 of my faery series, but the two rejections and NaNo made me realize the book was not finished.

So, I decided to go back to my old ways and work on whichever story strikes my fancy. I was getting tired of the one book I forced myself to work on last year, so I switched. So far it's proven a good decision as I'm excited and eager to write and even edit.

My goals for this year I hope are more realistic and actually attainable. I'm putting my main focus into only two books, rather than the 5 I set out to finish last year.

While I'll still skip around to whatever books I feel inspired to work on, I set a goal to have these two start submission rounds this year - by May at the latest for Burden of Prophecy and the other - Cleanse Fire - I'm getting ready for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. So right now most of my time is spent on editing Cleanse Fire, but I visit Burden of Prophecy every once in a while.

One thing I need to do for this year, to help both of these stories get off the ground, is more promotion. Right now I talk about both of them in general terms, like in this post here. I need to really start full promotion, especially for Cleanse Fire. I'm going to see about setting up a Facebook Fan page again. Last time it was pretty much a failure, and while I'm not sure of the exact reason why, I do have a few things I want to try differently this time. We'll see how it goes. (In fact, I might create that page today!)

2010 wasn't a total failure. I did discover that skipping around from book to book depending on my mood, is the best thing for me. It's how my brain works naturally and trying to force myself to work on only one fried my mind for sure. I really got discouraged doing this, especially when the rejections came in. Not that I was rejected but I realized that after everything, the story STILL wasn't done.

So, I'm going back to my old ways and we'll see how far we get this year! What about your guys? Did you discover some things about yourself this year or reach a major goal?

Snowwomen and Other Winter Fun

Sorry this post is a little late, but I totally spaced! I had this post planned out even and still forgot. I blame the craziness of the holidays. Yes...that's my story and I'm stickin to it.

So, instead of posting about the upcoming holiday, I thought to post about winter memories instead.

I grew up in Nebraska where it was a guarantee to have a blizzard or five every winter. Then I moved to Georgia when I was 15. It's laughable how people react to snow down here!

My first day at my new school ended up being cancelled because of the CHANCE that the rain MIGHT freeze. I laughed the entire day! And guess what? It didn't rain at all until 7 pm. Of course I know that Georgians aren't used to the idea of a layer of ice on the rods - under 5 feet of snow. But still. I found it highly amusing.

But I think my greatest winter memory would have to be the time me and my neighbors built a 7 foot tall snow woman (anatomically correct of course).

Across the street from us lived twin boys and I'm sad to report I don't remember their names any more! With a fresh layer of snow on the ground we decided to build a snowman. It was the perfect type of snow too - wet and sticky!

So we made the base but discovered all three of us made a huge snowball each. Instead of deciding which one to use, we put them together and packed in more snow to make one gigantic base. The middle came next, and took some manuervering to get it ontop of the base.

Of course, the really complicated part was putting the head ontop. We dug out foot holes in the back of the snowman and climbed up the top. Then through a sheer miracle and show of strength, we managed to get the head ontop.

Of course came the face, made with large rocks for eyes and a smile and a carrot nose. But we were lost how to dress the thing.

The boys decided to make it a woman and added an *ahem* endowed chest to her. But it was a good thing they did as a large blue tarp made an easy dress!!

I wish I still had a picture of it but sadly I don't. A small article showed up in the town's newspaper about it too! Maybe I should try to look that up but I don't know if the small town would have archives online!

What about you? Do you have any special winter memories of snowmen (or women) or an epic snowball fight?

Randomness about Random Things

We still have open topics going on here and I'm not sure what to blog about today, so I'm just going to wing it!

I normally hop around from working on one book to another. This year, I set out to focus on only one book in order to get it ready for publication. My original goal was to have it edited and start submitting by my birthday in May.

That didn't happen.

I set a new goal to have it ready by the 4th of July.

That didn't happen either.

Edit. Edit. Edit. I decided to give myself some more time and set a goal for September 1.

Once again, didn't happen.

However, in October during MuseCon, I pitched the novel to an agent and a publisher. Both made request for partials. I was extactic! First time ever in my life pitching anything and had TWO requests. Now, I new that it wasn't an acceptance but still, I was highly pleased to say the least.

That spurred me to finish the 'final' edits and I thought I had them done by the end of October. But, when I got the first rejection, I knew more work had to be done. Good for me, it was not a form rejection and I recieved feedback and suggetions for improvement.

So, I set out to make these changes while writing the sequal for NaNoWriMo in November. I realized half way through that the beginning of book 2 (about 6 chapters worth) really could be at the end of book 1. It would make for a stronger ending.

SO - now my book is practically back where it was at the beginning of this year. Since focusing on one novel didn't yield the results I wanted (and frankly drove me to near insanity), I decided to return to my normal habit of hopping from one WIP to another whenever it suits me.

I pulled out the notebook for my other series, blew the dust off of it, and got to work. Suddenly, the words flowed easily! The edits didn't make me cross eyed and I no longer felt like pulling all my hair out! I wish I would have decided to return to my old ways sooner, but I was determined.

I gave the new way a fair shot and plenty of time to see if it would really work for me or not. So I don't feel like I completely failed this year. I learned more about myself and my writing style. I know what really works for me know. Instead of my style being something I just did for the sake of it, I now know that it really is the best way for me to do things.

I'll set a new goal for next year based on my style and see what happens. I will say I feel much better than I have in months!

What about you? Have you tried a new method or style or technique that just isn't working? Have you tried something new that did work?

Sell Yourself the Right Way

Since it is open topic this week, I wanted to talk about author brands. It has become a sort of obsession of mine as of late as I try to update my website, blog, and other sites to reflect my 'brand'.

Now, what is an author brand you ask? Well, to me it is the image that you present to your readers, agents, and fellow writers about who you are as a writer. Key point there. Now myself personally, I would rather have my website full of skulls and barbed wire. However, that doesn't really show my author brand as a fantasy writer does it?

So, part of creating your own author brand is to really think about what you write. What genre or what type of feelings do your stories present? If you write in multiple genres, how could you show the feel of all the genres at the same time?

This part can be a little difficult, especially if you write multiple genres under the same name. However, many people recoomend, and I agree, that if you write multiple genres, you should have a different pen name for each genre. For me that also means having a website for each name, each with the right theme.

Too much work you say? Well, think of it like this. I write High Fantasy right? My website reflects this with a marvelous fantasy theme to it. But I do have some ideas for sci-fi stories. Now, my High Fantasy readers and fans will know that my name on a book means High Fantasy. But if they pick it up and find out it's sci-fi they will be a bit dissapointed and probably feel a little misled. Sure, many fans read multiple genres. But, if they expect a certain thing from you and you change it on them, they still might feel a little jilted about it. So, consider your fans and your reader base when writing in multiple genres - and thus choosing an image or feel for your site and/or blog.

Pen names are important to a writer's brand also. My real name as you know is Anastasia V. Pergakis. I went by the pen name Harley D. Palmer for years! But, when I really became serious about getting published, I had to sit down and think what name to use. A friend of mine told me that my real name would look awesome on a fantasy cover and I agreed. So, began the process to change everything in  "Harley's" name to "Anastasia". Will I ever use Harley again? Of course! I plan to use it later when I start to write in genres other than high fantasy. At that time, I will create another brand name and slogan to go with those stories.

And that is point here people. Create an image, a feel, and a name that all goes together. Put out there a "slogan" of a sort that people will remember and recognize. It's all about getting people to remember you and find you when they want. If they put your name into a google search, they should find YOU (the way you are on the cover of your book) all over the place. Website, blog, twitter, facebook, whatever.

For my blog, I went with a theme and layout that fit with me as a person rather than my writings. This is because that blog will be used as a central point for every thing I do under any name. So, I chose a theme that will cover all topics I ever decide to talk about. Some might tell me that my blog should match my website, or match the "fantasy" brand. However, since on my blog I talk about more than just my fantasy works, I don't think including the blog into my 'image' would fit very well. Others might feel differently and wouldn't do this the way I did. That's fine too. The main point here is to create your brand however you see fit - but just do it.

So I challenge you to sit down and really think about your 'brand' if you haven't already. Think about the future and where you want to be and how you want people to see and remember you.

The Heeby-Jeebies

I have to be frankly honest with this post here and say I don’t like, read, or watch, anything horror. Never have. On the rare occasion I have been coerced into watching one horror movie or another and they still haunt me to this day. (Hellraiser 7 and Pet Cemetery being two examples of horror I was forced to watch.)

 This might sound funny to those who know most of my t-shirts have skulls on them and that my car accessories also have skulls. I also have an obsession with the dark side of things, barbed wire, knives, and guns.

 Now, I love villains that make my skin crawl and make me double check to lock my doors at night. The ones that are REAL. Like JD said yesterday, the real horrors for me are the real-life murderers, rapists, etc out there.

 Why do I love these types of villains that do such horrible things? Well, frankly because it’s real-real. (Oh yea, I said it.) I’m a big fan of mysteries and crime dramas because of this.

 Let me put it to you this way. I’ve never seen the Green Mile in its entirety. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I happened to just catch the scene where the man is being electrocuted and they did not wet the sponge. I freaked out!! I’m talking full hyperventilation. This scared me more than Pet Cemetery did (and I didn’t sleep for two weeks after seeing that one). Why? Again, the realism. The fact that is was more likely to happen in real life.

 “But wait Anastasia, are you saying you don’t believe in ghosts and paranormal scary things?”

 No. I do believe in ghosts and demons and other paranormal scary things. And I love a good ghost story every now and then. However, there is a line I prefer not to cross. The problem is that I normally don’t realize I crossed my comfort zone until it’s too late. Take Hellraiser 7 for example. I was told by my friend that it was a great thriller with lots of twists and turns. Evil demons, etc. I thought great! Oh boy was I wrong. I still have terrible nightmares from that movie.

After that, I just swore off horror all together. That way, I don’t ever have a moment where it’s too late.

 On the flip side, I have seen some ‘scary’ movies that made me wish I never paid to watch them. Like House of Wax for example. The only good part of that entire movie was when Britney Spears died. I was more grossed out than scared. Another cheesy ‘scary’ movie was Jeepers Creepers. *rolls eyes* Totally lame movie I think. It didn’t even scare me! I mean, isn’t that the point of horror/scary – to scare people?

So I’m a quandary I guess. I don’t like horror that doesn’t scare me (waste of time to watch it) and I don’t like horror that does either! It’s just the point that there is a level of “scared-ness” I don’t like to go to. Make me gasp and cringe a little, sure. Make me go into hysterics and want to pee my pants? No thanks.

 To actually mention the real topic of this week, I don't have a favorite scary creature. I mean, E.T. scared the pants of me as a kid but now I absolutely love that movie. Roger Rabbit traumatized me as a kid but now I find that movie hilarious! But they aren't scary anymore, so they can't really be my favorites. I guess I have to go with JD's point and say the more realistic the scary creature is, the more I'm apt to like it - just for realisms sake.

Outlining your Goals

Hello again bloggers. This week we are discussing the topic of setting realistic writing goals or outlining. I'm going to try and touch on both of these because I think they go hand in hand.

I used to be a panster. No outline, no character sketches, just go! It was the worst thing I ever did. While I had a story there, it was written so poorly that it sickens me to see the first drafts of some of my stories. I had characters with magically changing hair and eye color, thier personalities would take a sudden 180! The plot would jump and skip and go off on a side direction - completely out of control.

So I tried writing notes and keeping them in a notebook. This quickly became disorganized so I switched to loose paper in a three ring binder. It really made a difference in my writing but even still, I felt like my stories were missing something and I couldn't figure out why.

I took a workshop earlier this summer about outlining and plotting. The workshop used the book JD mentioned yesterday First Draft in 30 Days by Karen S. Wiesner. I enjoyed it so much, I actually bought the book. Do I follow her steps completely? No. But I do use many of them.

I write very, very detailed character and setting sketches using the sketch worksheets in Karen's book. I added a few things of my own of course, to work with my fantasy level stories. I also made a few changes to make them work with my series. In Karen's book, I believe she says to make new sketches for each book of a series (or maybe I heard it somewhere else). I think that is a waste of valuable time and paper. When I go to outline/plan the second or third book, I merely add to what is already there. I don't create brand new sketches.

Now when it comes to actual plot outlines and summaries, I don't do this. Occasionally I'll write down a few notes or ideas in a bulleted list, but I don't actually outline the story in order or anything like that. It doesn't hinder my creativity when I do, I just don't like to do it. Since I character and setting sketch so deeply, I get extremely excited about the story and just want to write it.

Before I edit any story however, I always write an outline. I don't know why I do this, but it seems to help me stay on track. Usually as I go to edit, I come up with great ideas for scenes or things to add that take away from the main plot of the story. So, I have to have an outline handy to make sure I stay on track.

How does this relate to setting realstic goals? Well first point, if you don't know how you write, you can't set any time frame or goal to complete anything, in my opinion. I can say that I can sketch and write a full draft in a month - without the crazyness of NaNoWriMo. However, editing takes at a bare minimum, three months. (And that's not counting my main WIP that has taken forever - that's how badly it was written the first time.) So, I realistically set a goal to write a new book and have it finished in the next four months. Extra time given for when life gets in the way and to make sure I don't skip school and things like that.

Also, sketching and outlining the way I do helps me to stay focused - so that four month goal I can actually keep. Without focus, it would take me much longer to write and edit a book! My main WIP is a perfect example of this. I've been working on this story for EIGHT YEARS! But I have many other stories that are ready and waiting for a final polish or even the first edit.

Sketching out details greatly helps and I recommend this method even to pansters. At least get some notes written down about the setting and characters to help you stay on track - without hindering any of the plot. It works great for me - and I wish I used this method years ago.

Five Fantasy Faux-Pas

Okay, maybe not "faux-pas" but it started with an 'f' so I went with it!

This week we are blogging about what five things we would like to see in the genre we write in. So with that in mind, I have a confession to make. I don’t read books in the same genre that I write. Now before you start throwing things at my head, I do read Epic Fantasy, just not anything released in the last five years. I prefer to watch fantasy movies rather than read the books. Why? Well, that is what I’m going to blog about today. I quit reading Epic Fantasy because of these things.

 1. Voice and Style – I find sometimes that Epic Fantasy novels are written in such a way that I have to make myself smarter in order to read the book. I don’t feel the need to have my old English dictionary handy in order to understand the story. If I can’t understand the story without a dictionary, I lose interest in reading it. Usually if I don’t know a word in a story, I can at least understand the meaning based on context – what else is going on before and after the word was used. However, in some fantasy that I have read, I can read a page two or three times and still have no clue what is going on. This isn’t the most important thing that this genre needs, but it is the main reason why I prefer movies over books. It might not happen as often as I think, but it did in the books that I happened to pick up. And it's not just actual word definitions - it's merely the style the story was written in. I'd like to see Fantasy stories that aren't -- well I guess the word would be 'poetic'. A more relaxed style would be nice to see, I think.

 2. Dragons – This has two points really. I hate stories where dragons are portrayed as the evil ones or the villains. They eat people and destroy villages. I also don’t like dragons that have this obsession with becoming human. This goes along with originality I guess as it seems that many stories I read about dragons have one of these elements in it. I prefer stories where dragons have a more positive influence. I see dragons as guardians and protectors not out right killers.

 3. Faeries – (Yes, with an ‘e’ not an ‘i’) Besides my spelling pet peeve over this word, I also find two things missing with faeries here. 1 -  Lack of faeries in stories geared for adults. Elves usually seem to take the spotlight here. 2 – When there are faeries they follow the same pattern of being tiny creatures that help things grow and the seasons change. While that’s cute, I would like to see more faeries that do NOT do these things. In my novel I purposely avoided the faery stereotypes in order to have this in my genre. I’d also like to see a more adult type of story with faeries in it as main characters. (Oh and as far as artwork is concerned, there is a lack of male faeries depicted. I'd like to see more male faeries become great heroes in stories and art.)

 4. Character Development – Movies even lack this point to me. The stories focus on the magic and the world and the epic adventure the characters are on but it seems to lack deep character development. Now, this is merely my opinion. I’m sure others out there will disagree with me on this point. However, this is just what I see in what I’ve read and in movies. However, given the amount of fantasy I used to read, I can honestly say I don’t remember a single character out of any of those stories. But I remember the plot and the world they were in. Tolkien did a FANTASTIC job with his characters. Perhaps he just spoiled me and I subconsciously compare other books to his. Do I hate plot driven stories? No, of course not. I would just like to see more memorable characters come from this genre. This relates to numbers two and three really. I want characters that stand out, that make me love and hate them, that make me laugh and cry. I want to feel like I made a new friend.

 5. And this last point might be more of a technical thing rather than an actual story thing. I want to see Epic Fantasy (or all Fantasy for that matter) to separate itself from Sci-fi. Sci-fi is great, I’m not knocking it. However, I have searched for magazines and groups to join, but pretty much every time it’s a combined thing. I have also seen Horror grouped together with these two! It would be nice to see the genre itself be able to be on its own. Is there a Sci-fi Fantasy combo? Yes. I’m not talking about things like Avatar. But in my head, I don’t see how Lord of the Rings relates to Star Wars. (Okay that was a huge leap, but you get my point.) Sure, they are both epic stories of adventure and the battle between good and evil. But look at the differences. Steel swords vs light sabers. Elves vs Wookies. So, I’d just like to see Epic Fantasy (and Sci-Fi) branch out to stand on their own in groups and magazines. (Which most likely means a demand for more people to write in these genres, especially Epic Fantasy. There are a lot of Fantasy stories out there and authors too. However, it seems the authors I actually meet nowadays are Urban Fantasy writers.)

 And on the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars analogy, the more I think about it now, the more I realize how much in common they do have. So, it might be a bad analogy but still. One is clearly Sci-fi and the other clearly Fantasy. Hopefully you got my point anyway!

Giants and Underdogs

This week we are blogging about the great authors of our time or our favorite authors. I fought with myself for days for what to write about, but finally in the wee hours of Monday morning, the spark of inspiration hit me.

 I always root for the underdog - in any arena. I prefer reading books by not so well known authors. Don’t get me wrong, I read anything that looks good. But in a book store, I try to find the books by authors I haven’t heard of or books with new authors. (You can tell these by opening the covers and not seeing the page with lists of other books they have written, of course.)

 Even with that thought in mind, I still don’t really pay attention to who the author is when I’m reading the book. If it looks like something I want to read, then I buy it. I’ve read so many books and I promise you I can’t tell you the authors to any one of them without looking it up.

 I have favorite books but not favorite authors.

 Well, I take that back. There is one author I love so much that I’ll read anything she writes, just because she wrote it. And that is Mary Higgins Clark. The first book I ever read by her was A Cry in the Night. I was browsing through my local used book store and asked the clerk to recommend me something. (It was a shameful tactic just to talk to the good looking guy, but…) I told him I liked mysteries and suspense thrillers and he didn’t hesitate to point me toward Mary Higgins Clark’s stories.

 I was hooked! Her ability to grab readers and make them literally sweat from the suspense is magical. I now have a small collection of her books on my shelf and I read them over and over again! I long to have more but it’s not feasible at the moment to go diving into dusty used book stores any more. (An active toddler really takes the joy out of shopping for anything.)

 Are there other authors that top my list? Of course. None of them are published yet though! I would read any story written by Greg, C.J. or J.D. here. Why? They take a hint of mystery, a dash of magic, a dose of technology, a spoonful of sex, and a heap of imagination to craft worlds that are just so REAL. Their characters jump off the pages and laugh, cry, and gasp right along with me. I love it!

 That is what makes an author great in my opinion. If I can read the story and cry actual tears, laugh out loud, and feel like I just lost a friend when the story ends? I’ll be a die hard fan for life.

 I had the privilege to read their WIPs (Greg’s Land of the Blind, CJ’s Vampire Vacation, and JD’s Dark Heirloom) and I can’t wait to see the official copies in the stores.  All three of them have inspired me and my own writing is all the better because I met them.

 What do you think makes a great author? What authors grab your attention and keep you up late at night to read just one more chapter?

In the spirit of great authors, you have the chance to win a copy of A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark! Leave a comment on this post and subscribe to this blog to enter. This contest will run for two weeks and I'll announce the winner on my next post!

Books, Books, Everywhere!

The topic this week is about books and ebooks in the next five years. Now, I don't own a Kindle or any similar device. I spend so much time on the computer as it is, I'd hate to have to sit at one (or something similar) to read a book. I love the smell of a real book! The paper, the ink, all have a distinct smell that no computer could ever capture.

However, ebooks are becoming more and more the norm. Yes, it does have its advantages. Less paper is used, so less trees are cut down. Less paper waste, etc. Also, having a Kindle or such thing can be great! Hundred of books at my fingertips where ever I am? Glorious!

With that in mind, I do think that the future holds a continuous rise in the popularity of ebooks and epublishing. I agree with Jenn though. I don't think regular books will ever be fully out of style, but more of a partner with ebooks.

Many companies nowadays offer both styles, usually with the ebook coming out first and the print copy out a few months later. This is great for authors as I noticed the turn around time from acceptance to release date is much faster. It's easier to format an ebook for download than to print a few hundred paper copies of a book. So, while the ebook is out there gathering fans, the publishers are working on the paper copies. I think it's a great system that works well for all involved - authors, publishers, and readers.

Now, the down side right now for ebooks, are those "fake" epublishers. You know, the ones that say you're published, but you're really not. These companies give epublishing a bad name! They have no standards of publication (as in no requirements or real query process) nor do they offer any sound royalty returns or official contract. Others are more difficult to spot as they have all the pieces in place but when the author doesn't get their royalty check, they realize it's too late. Now, this could apply to some print publishing companies also, but I don't hear of it too often.

I suppose that there is to be corruption anywhere, as that is the way of the world. So, for the ending part of my post here, I want to warn all authors to make sure you do your research into a publishing company and agents. There are a lot of scammers out there so gather all the information you can BEFORE submitting your work. Read over any contracts - with a lawyer - before signing (with ANY company). In this great world of technology, it's even more important to make sure you keep yourself - and your work - safe.

There is a great site out there - Preditors and Editors. They have a great list of agents and publishers, along with reviews and notices about which ones to avoid. Every writer of any type, should check this list often.

Ebooks and print books are around to stay for years to come, I'm sure. While I prefer print books, I can definitely see the good points to ebooks. They are sure to flourish and become more popular as time goes along. And who knows - maybe in a year or two, I'll own a Kindle too!

I Think, Therefore I am Not Blocked...

Ok. Now let me see… it’s, what? 22:30? (…so the little digital time piece in the corner of my Windows 7 task-bar tells me). That is… precisely… one hour and thirty minutes within which I have this target to complete a post on writer’s block!

Any ideas, anyone? ANYONE! Please… PLEASE! ANYONE! PLEASE…

I look to my fellow authors hereabouts…

C.J. – our darling of no little acerbic wit…  (no digs! Respect!) – has never experienced writer’s block and is not so sure it exists… Mmmm… Can I build on this?

[caption id="attachment_3051" align="alignright" width="150" caption="I say, Descartes?"][/caption]

Philosophically speaking, and maybe I can blame Descartes here (at least I shall try to), if I can think, therefore I exist. If one can talk of the concept of writer’s block then surely, at least as a concept, it must also exist? (Ooops! I can feel the knife entering between 5^th and 6^th ribs, angled sharply upwards, twisting… (Ouch! Thriller writers… don’t you just love their attention to detail… sometimes!)

C.J., may you forever hold your beliefs… they are part of what makes you who you are! As I say… Respect!

And what of Greg? Me thinks he knocketh a nail on the proverbial head… (And don’t apologise, Greg… late night stints on writing to deadlines have become a part of my own life and MO!) An interesting concept, too… the blah! But forgive me, here, for I knoweth not what a blah is, and cannot, therefore, dispute it! Q.E.D. (Funny how philosophy works!)

But clearly blahs do appear to work… even if going to clubs and spending three hours nursing half a bottle of Smirnoff Ice gets “real old real fast”. Truth is, Greg, you do write, your blog posts are great and people enjoy reading your words. Your views on time management may not make a seminar at Harvard, but (again) they make you who you are! Respect!

[caption id="attachment_3052" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Einstein... on writer's block?"][/caption]

Anastasia? Of mythical proportions! Such passion grounded in reality… harnessed, how could such passion fail to break through even the cloudiest of days? But, as Einstein (I did science at school, too!) would no doubt suggest, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; for every force, a counterpart. The very tone of Anatasia’s frank analysis is suggestive of personal beliefs that are borne of opposites; that could not exist without them. The words say as much. Indeed, such a strong a belief that there is no such thing as writer’s block suggests that there is… (oops, sorry, Anastasia – I feel your sudden urge to aim a slap!)

Beliefs are what we use, create, or otherwise rely upon to make sense of the world we live in. However, no one person can quite see the world in the same way as another person. But, in knowing this, lies the greatest of freedoms… that we are entitled to our own perspective, as much the other is entitled to theirs! So, again, I say: Respect, Anastasia! (And kudos to you for the delivery of your words about your beliefs with your passion.)

[caption id="attachment_3053" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Block? ...Pah! A temporary lack of direction!"][/caption]

Writer’s block! It must exist! Mustn’t it? Surely? If it didn’t exist, why have I taken this path? What forced me on this discursive ramble through the week’s collection of Wicked Writers musings?

I can’t say I was looking for an excuse not to write… I did not seek a label to explain my situation: not knowing where to start – and it hasn’t been the first time in this space, dear reader(s), I can assure you.

I had a purpose, a goal; but I lacked a direction.

Let me, for a moment, court controversy here on the Wicked Writers blog! Let me suggest that there is such a thing as Writer’s Block… (though I’ve never knowingly experienced it, I must admit)

How do we go about getting over it? As the topic for the week suggests… Writer's Block - how do you cope? Getting past this issue can be crippling for some writers and a non-issue for others. For this, I am going to assume that there may be some writers there to whom overcoming a mental block can be an issue, however imaginary, temporary or constraining that blockage might be.

How would I “get over it”?

I am a writer! I want to write… but I know not what to write… But, as an artist first, I am also an explorer… What drives me to explore is some idea that there is something out there to be seen, to be discovered, to be described. But such “somethings” can only ever (generally) be a result of something else. Such “somethings” are built on the ideas of others who have gone before. In truth, consider how many ideas are truly original? How many plots are there, from which countless stories have been built.

[caption id="attachment_3056" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Damn wood... where is it?"][/caption]

Sometimes, just possibly, the cause of a mental blockage could simply be a failure (or refusal) to accept that there is no big, new, virgin idea! A struggle to find the new, when the new does not exist. When an explorer looses his or her way, the action to take is to retrace ones steps to a place of familiarity. And then, build slowly, incrementally, upon that familiarity through mapping the terrain ahead.

So, when I was unsure of where I was going, (OK, let’s call it a block then) I took a look around and grounded myself in what was familiar to me. I built on the work of others who had gone before, adding my own interpretation and creating my own path through the subject!

Is it a response to writers block? It could be for someone out there; and if it is, then I’ll sleep easy tonight… noticing it is now, precisely 12 midnight! And I have finished my draft post at around 960 words!

Bon chance, mon braves! :)

Writer's Block is a Myth!

I just had to jump in on this topic, so I'm posting on Wednesday this week. This week we're discussing Writer's Block. Both Greg and CJ had some great posts about it already, so make sure you read their point of view also.

Like the title of this post says Writer's Block is a myth! I truly believe that. I hear so many people say that they suffer from this ailment, only to discover later that it wasn't a true diagnosis. In truth, Writer's Block really turns out to be the following:

"I don't feel like writing today/this week/this month."

"I'm bored with my current WIP."

"I'm disappointed from the reviews my MS has received."

That's just a few. There are so many other excuses. Yes, I said excuses. You see, to me, writing is life. It's everything to me. The only thing that should ever stop me from doing it is, death or serious illness. Anything else I come up with to not write, is an excuse. I seriously have the urge to slap some people when they give excuses to not write.

"My muse went on vacation." No it didn't. You just aren't listening hard enough.

"I'm just so busy." No. Bad time manager, perhaps. And for me, I have no problem getting 1 hour less of sleep in order to work a little more on my MS - but maybe that's just me.

"Everything I write lately is crap." This is the worst one and bugs the ever living daylights out of me. So, let me get this straight. You want to quit trying because you think you write badly? Wouldn't it better if you kept at it - so that you can improve? Right?

Now, I have used all of these excuses and more myself. I do have ADD, chronic depression, and I'm dyslexic. There are just some days where it's too hard for me to write. But does that mean I still don't have ideas? Of course not. I muscle through the issues as best I can.

For the sake of honesty, there was a time in my life where that happened. I'm a recovering Alcoholic. During the years of my drinking, I had no ideas, no urge to write, nothing. I didn't even have the urge to live much less do anything else. It was the emptiest and most horrifying time of my life and I refuse to go back to that. So, for me, anything that prevents a writer from writing, is something they are dealing with outside of writing.  

Give you an example. I was trying to write a scene about one of my characters who had been physically abused by her boyfriend. I avoided it for days and told people I had "Writer's Block". In truth, the scene was just so close to my own personal experience that I couldn't write it. It was the hardest thing for me to do, to relive that same moment inside my head. In the end I wrote the scene - and goodness did I feel so much better afterwards! Not because I finally wrote the scene, but because it made me face a problem that I had been avoiding. I had lost relationships because I hadn't dealt with the feelings of that experience. Writing that scene helped me do it.

But - it wasn't Writer's Block. I was blocking myself, my own work. I was doing it to myself. Making an excuse to cover up the real issue. And I think that is what a lot of writers do at times. "Writer's Block" is the scape goat for all of us not to admit the truth. Maybe that scene is emotional for us, or perhaps a review really hurt our feelings. "Writer's Block" gives us the excuse we need to continue to hide the truth, even from ourselves. It's the umbrella to all the real problems that prevents a serious writer from writing.

Am I saying writers need to start professing all their problems to the world? No. Some things are better left private. But if we don't at least admit the real issue to ourselves, everything else suffers.

So, I have a challenge for you this week. Sit down and find out the real reason why you haven't been writing lately. BE HONEST! You don't have to tell anyone - but at least admit it to yourself.

Here, I'll even share my recent experience. My recent excuse is "I'm burned out." I participated in a Writing Boot Camp in June then jumped right into JulNoWriMo. I've had some wonderful writers crit my MS this month too. So what's the real reason that I've quit writing entirely these last few weeks? Was I really burned out? No. Not even close. I have been working on this particular MS for YEARS and when the reviews came back and said I still had SO much to fix, I was devastated. And I quit working on it. So the real reason here for me, was once again, me getting in the way of myself. I started thinking "What's the point?" and "I might as well quit writing all together if I suck that bad." Bunch of hogwash! What I really needed was a break from the MS. I had tried to edit too soon after rewriting. I wasn't ready for the crits and so reacted in a negative way.

How do I get out of this funk? Well, I could work on another WIP. But I'd feel like I'm quitting. I need to just sit down and do it. I know that once I get started, I'll be right back into the thick of it! Sure, the crits hurt. But if they make my story better, why would I feel bad about that?

Be honest with yourself about what is really blocking you from writing - then knock that wall down! Nothing can stop you unless you allow it.