Patricia L. Atchison

YA Fiction & Non Fiction Author

About Writing

A Year in The Life of a Writer

By

Blogging throughout the year…pfft
Updating my author website… pfft
Social Media Updates… I did a few… pfft
Writing… yess!Patricia on the Golf Course

I can’t believe a year ago I was writing my thoughts during the start of Covid, and here we are still in the same mess. Vaccines have been rolling out; the number of cases has risen throughout many variants. Life with Covid continues, and people struggle to find normalcy with the pandemic issues.

However, I’m grateful to be steps ahead in my writing endeavors. I decided to sink myself into a writing project. Lockdowns forced me into my home, and the writer in me said, “No more excuses.” Over summer last year, I outlined a trilogy, but have since revamped it to a duology. I hope the pandemic lockdowns don’t continue that long! I plotted and created characters, wrote my synopsis and chapter outlines.

I joined National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and sat down for the month of November and completed my young adult novel – book one. Then came the mess, as I was writing without editing. I spent several months on the editing process, then sent the manuscript to beta readers, and editing again. I’m unfortunately not a three-times-editing-and-we’re-done kind of writer. I really play with the words to make sure it reads well.

That brought me to camping season this year. I’ll admit it’s tough working when golfing and camping for four and a half months. But I managed get some work done, and outlined book two, wrote the first half of the books chapter outlines, and the first five chapters (this time editing as I go).

I’m currently reviewing the first book to ensure all beta reader changes are addressed – the difficult suggestions (in my mind’s eye) I’ve put off for awhile. I’ll then find an editor, cover designer and carry on with writing book two and finishing it. Hopefully before next years camping season!

Now, with the year come and gone, my blog and website needs updating, social media and promotion for my, Today I Am… an Empowering Journal Back to Self, need to be continued as does my writing, editing, etc.

The work never ends. Stay tune for updates as I get closer to publication of my Bridge Across Time Duology, a teen and young adult light fantasy and romance.

Hopefully the golf courses close soon so I can get back at it… the writing that is… pfft.

Giving Birth to New Ideas – What-If

By

An author is always flush with ideas, but it’s challenging to refine those ideas into something that will form a piece of work. I liken starting a story project as being similar to conception. I first must decide I want to start a new story or book from some idea floating in my mind, but sitting down and flushing the design out and giving a voice to it takes quite the effort. Many authors use a technique called, “What if.”

See if you can guess what books these statements might belong to:

What if a boy discovers he has magical powers and goes to Wizarding School?

What if a high school girl falls in love with a Vampire?

What if a woman touches a stone, and time travels to the 1700s?

What if,

There is a character who is called or motivated to do something? What obstacles does he have to overcome or challenge to accomplish his task? What is the resolution? Has he grown or changed in any way?

Where I’m at today, is scribbling down ‘what if’ statements for a YA audience. I want to see if something reaches out and tugs at my creative spirit. I’ve come up with one idea. Now that the moment of conception has arrived, I must nurture and allow this idea to grow into something that comes alive. Using creative practices, I’ll determine character profiles, plot, settings, and dialogue. Next, I’ll write my outline and synopsis, and give my idea a title. Finally, my story will take shape as I write each chapter and do multiple edits, which could take months, if not years (hopefully not), before the birthing of ‘what if’ becomes a tangible product.

What if a writer comes up with a great idea, and it becomes a bestseller?

Can’t Make Up My Mind

By Leave a Comment

Confessions of a Multi-Genre Author

Many authors who stick with and write in one genre are successful. They create a following of readers who become engaged because of the expected story lines that are guaranteed by the author. My problem with writing is that there are so many genres to explore. I find it hard to fall in love and stick with one particular type.

When I’m sad, or in a highly emotional state, a poem bubbles up and out of me and scribbles its way across a blank sheet. On a typical day, writing poetry is like looking at the mountains on the horizon over a hundred away. Beautiful, yet unattainable without quite a journey.

When my daughter was growing up, I read many children’s books at night to her, which sparked my creativity, and a couple of story ideas made their way toward publication. I learned how to write a full length novel in the young adult genre, but I’ve never sent them to publishing houses, nor published them myself. Do I revisit them, and see if the characters within and their story still excite me enough to pursue publication?

Journals, writing in them, and creating them have always been a passion that has never left me. Years ago, I had an online journal store when the internet was just in its infancy. I should’ve kept it going, but other interests took over my time, and who the heck buys things online anyway (ha!). I still journal quite often, even if it’s in this format of blogging.

I find many stories are triggered by dreams, events, adventures, news articles, and life in general. Some I know work only as fictional short stories, which I write and send away as contest entries – you never know—other ideas I jot down for later follow-up. Most recently, my interest is leaning toward an adult contemporary fiction story with a romantic plot line. More to come on this idea!

I’ve created a smattering of readership fans through my different writing styles, and I am grateful for their interest in my work. Reflecting now, I believe some authors found their niche within a genre and perhaps are comfortable staying within it (not to mention the healthy royalty cheques!).

Although I’ve been writing for decades, I’ve also been learning as I go along. It’s been a journey, discovering the different highlights of the genres I’ve visited. I guess I haven’t found the perfect spot/genre to nestle into and call my own yet. I know it’s a work in progress.

I invite you to travel with me on this multi-genre writing journey of mine and together, we may find that ‘sweet’ spot, which calls to the reader inside of both us, and it’ll be amazing!