Congrats to @AriaGlazki - Mortal Musings is Here!
Congrats to Aria Glazki on the release of Mortal Musings! Since the story centers on a writer struggling with his muse, I thought it would be fun for you to get a peek inside the head of the writer of this novel. Here are...
6 Things You Didn't Know About Mortal
Musings
Take it away, Aria...
1: I started writing the first version of this book as a high school senior. I was taking an independent study creative writing class, and my very patient advisor was waiting on pages, despite the fact that I had no idea what to write about. I still remember sitting in our school library, staring at the blank page of the computer, contemplating what inspiration is and how to get it. And then I made a character wonder the same thing, and that is how Mortal Musings began.
2: I gave up on that false start ever becoming a book,
especially after feedback from the Creative Writing instructors at my
University. They all hated it.
But then, as I came to learn, they generally disapproved of all
genre fiction.
Sometimes the pros are right; sometimes they aren't.
It takes time and experience to recognize which advice falls
under which category. This is why you shouldn't throw any of your writing away!
3: After I finished Mending
Heartstrings and sent it out on
submission, I decided it was time to look at that false start again. Oh, the
hindsight of maturity and experience. It
was a mess.
But the basic concept was good, some scenes were solid (despite
lots of head-hopping), and I wanted to finally finish (read: rewrite what I
had, and then finish) this story. I'm so glad that all these many years
later, this finished product exists!
Many people (including ones who should know better) have
insinuated that I'm publishing this book on my own because I haven't received
the "industry approval" of a traditional deal. That simply isn't
true. For a variety of reasons, the offers I received weren't a good match for
this book. Publishing independently is a lot of work, but it was the right call
for this project, and what I really care about is getting my
books into readers' (aka your) hands!
Every project needs to find its own way, and I encourage
everyone not to rule out an option just because some people may look down upon
it. Do your research, and then do what's right for you
5: When lining up for one of our graduation ceremonies, a girl
from my class asked me to name a character in this book after her. Even all
these many years later, I did.
The character didn't exist yet in the high school version, but
that request made naming her a no-brainer. That's also why Erika's name is
spelled with a k
6: The summer after I graduated high school, I met someone who shared my main
character's name (Brett). He was the first Brett I had ever met, and remains the only
one to this day. Life's funny that way.
But besides the name and being great guys, the two Bretts really
don't have anything in common.
Comments
And what's with haters of genre fiction? The nerve...
They say that there's a reader for every type/style of story. So writers should write what's in their hearts.
Looking down on genre fiction is literary snobbery... plenty of that going around.
Remember it WILL appeal to somebody out there.
And yes, the literary snobbery is very annoying and even a bit delusional, which aspiring writers need to hear so they're not discouraged by the wrong perspective.