Read, read, read!
The first bit of advice I’d have to give is to read, read, read! If you love books as much as I do then this should be the easiest part of becoming an author. Just like other crafts like art or sculpting, a writer needs to study and hone their craft. The best way to do that is to read other authors! More specifically, authors that are in the genre that you plan to write. For me, I write urban fantasy or fantasy more than say romance or historical fiction, which means I read authors like Sarah J. Maas or Patricia Briggs.
For poetry, it’s a little different. You read poems that suit your style. For me, I write more free verse than in rhymes or blank verse. Poets like Nikita Gill are who I recommend for people who like to write in free verse rather than in rhymes.
Write. All the time.
Next, which is just as important: Write. All the time. Every chance you can get, write. Even if it’s 200 words or 5,000 words. Take a moment to grab your laptop or pen and paper and just write. There are a hundred places you can look up on Google for writing prompts if you’re not sure what you want to write about or you don’t know how to start. The important thing is to write as much and as often as you can. Like with working out, you need to strengthen your writing muscles.
A topic you love.
Don’t just write something you’re kinda interested in; otherwise, you’ll be less likely to finish it. You should write about something that not only interests you, but it’s something you’re extremely passionate about. Think of writing a story or a poem as a means to express what you love or to bring more light on a subject matter that’s not often covered in your genre or style. For me, I rely heavily on emotion and imagery to drive my poetry, but when I write fiction, I love exploring new fantastical ideas that haven’t been discovered yet.
Don’t be afraid to step out of the box.
It’s okay to be outside of the box. Don’t be afraid to make that leap into the unknown and become a pioneer in an area that hasn’t existed yet. Go for it—reach for the skies and catch that falling star. I could think of a hundred different clichés for going after your dreams and stepping out of the normal—and sometimes confining—box, but this piece of advice is pretty straightforward.
You can do it. Don’t give up.
Finally, you got this. You can do it. Just because it looks like a scary, untamed monster in front of you, you can do it. You can tame the beast and become an author or poet. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Hurricane Vignette
Avery Kilpatrick
Genre: Poetry, Inspirational, Women Poets
Publisher: Avery Kilpatrick
Date of Publication: June 18, 2020
ASIN: B088KTYWPS
Number of pages: 64 pages
Word Count: 4,354
Cover Artist: Anna Claire Garrard
Book Description:
From debut poet and author Avery Kilpatrick, Hurricane Vignette tells the story of a difficult time in her life—a time of struggle, depression, suicide, recovery, and triumph. This poetry collection is a personal diary of Kilpatrick’s most inner thoughts and her journey of healing.
These poems are filled with raw emotion and contain sensitive subjects such as suicide, depression, and anxiety. However, like most stories, there is a happy ending—a moment of clarity that evokes peace and victory over the chaos of life.
An
Artist’s Cage
Sculptors
and painters—bringers
of life and molds.
Fingers feather over
their lines and angles,
providing
guiding hands
for
Da Vinci or Shakespeare,
Aetion
or Nikosthenes—
the
Muses helped bring their
inspirations
to life. A cage of color
and
stone inescapable—unbreakable—
placed
in a gallery for all to see.
A
pillar that others should strive to achieve the
perfection of the woman:
traditional
chocolate hair with
a lean, willowed figure,
cherry
lips, painted face, shining eyes, and smiles.
The
pinnacle of a natural standard of beauty—
pretty, nice, braindead, submissive,
who
relies on the Father,
their Creator—or the Husband.
All
independence erased by
white paint or another block of
clay.
And
the Muses, beautiful
women who guided men,
developed the cage, building a masterful
piece
of iron, entrapping their fellow sisters.
About the Author:
Avery Kilpatrick was born in Flowood, Mississippi, in April 1996. Raised in a small town in the Mississippi Delta, she has a fondness for nature and the cotton fields that create Southern snow pastures in the fall. After writing her first novel when she was thirteen, Avery decided to pursue her dream as an author at a young age.
An alumnus of Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, Avery graduated with a Bachelor’s in English. She also worked on the student-run newspaper, The Delta Statement, during her four-year career at Delta State as copy-editor and Editor-in-Chief.
Avery currently lives in a ranch-style home in her hometown in Greenwood, Mississippi. The mother of three fur babies, Cinnamon the spoiled cat, Ginger the rambunctious old lady, and Remington a.k.a. Remi the service dog, Avery has enough fur from shedding animals to make a fourth pet. When Avery isn’t busy writing her next novel, she goes on walks with her mother and dogs, watches Outlander or Criminal Minds on Netflix, or can be found curled up on the couch with Cinnamon reading a good book.
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Website: https://averykilpatrick.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/avekilpatrick
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1 comments:
Thank you so much for posting! It was an honor to write a guest blog for you!
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