Ravyn Crescent

I was in junior high and read a book, In The Forest Of The Night, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. She was only three years older than me and it was the first time I realized that being an author wasn’t just for an elite group of adults, it was anyone with a passion and a story. I’d written little stories and poems for as long as I can remember, it was my escape and method for dealing with an abusive childhood I felt trapped in. And honestly, writing is what got me out of that situation soon after I learned about Mrs. Atwater-Rhodes… I’d never considered my future before as I was always depressed and felt worthless. The future was too impossibly far away and I felt so caged. I was suicidal, but the idea of being an author actually caused me to speak to a police officer at my school and get out of my father’s house for good.

My favorite books currently are anything written by Leigh Bardugo. I also greatly enjoy Angelfall Penryn & The End Of Days Series by Susan Ee and Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter . I also honestly love creepy pastas written by various authors, such as Smile Dog, and a huge passion of mine is listening to campfire style ‘ghost stories’. I love the genre, and the idea that a story can be set up, you get a taste of the world, and then can be left in it without any real ending. I love horror, urban fantasy, young adult, and true crime.

While she does not even know I’m alive, I’ll still always credit Amelia Atwater-Rhodes for convincing me to seek publication. As far as improvement goes, I have to give huge thanks to Leigh Bardugo and her twitter/instagram accounts for keeping me encouraged and motivated. I also thank author Cass Alex for being a huge motivator and helping me when I felt lost, she has pulled me out of dark places and kicked my butt any time I considered quitting. Kimberly Gordon for her assistance as a developmental editor.

While there are many others, Kimberly always comes through and is wonderful at sniffing out characters that need to be developed or outright cut and puts up with my begging to save characters/situations rather well by telling me, essentially, to suck it up and trust her. I’ve used so many amazing editors, especially for Answer It, and I owe them a lot for getting it a publication contract and even introducing me to the idea that releasing the story as a campfire style novella is possible, and ensuring that even if I whine about an editing change I’ve come to learn it’s best to listen to the advice of best sellers and people whose lives are dedicated to the craft. Author E. A. Copen has always been an inspiration and a great person. She along with Liz Arthur are always there when I have a question or need advice.

I wish I could everyone, but I fear I’ll miss people who do so terribly deserve the recognition so, instead, I’ll share some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten… Less words make a greater impact; don’t argue with best sellers, they got to where they are for a reason; get second, third, fourth, and fifth opinions that aren’t friends or family; if a scene doesn’t seem impactful, consider that it’s because you’re too close to it and take a step back. Let the story sit for a few days, a few months, whatever it takes for you to look at it again with a sense of wonder; never stop reading! Read like an author and take notice of what you love most about a character, a scene, an event, see what readers get hung up and and what makes it impossible to put the book down, as well as what makes you want to throw the whole thing out, learn from everything.

I will always recommend anything by Rayne Hall, especially her work focusing on how to write horror, such as Writing Dark Stories: How to Write Horror and Other Disturbing Short Stories. I also recommend Into The Darkness: Hook Your Readers by David Wright. K.M. Weiland’s series on how to outline can be very beneficial to those of us who have a hard time sorting through exactly how to outline a novel in a way that works well! Grammar Girl’s Punctuation 911: Your Guide to Writing it Right (Quick & Dirty Tips) and anything else written by Grammar Girl’s Mignon Fogarty also seems to be helpful in preventing my editors from killing me.

James Scott Bell also has a ton of amazing craft books, and HOW TO DEVELOP STORY TENSION: 13 Techniques plus the Five Minute Magic Trick Guaranteed to Keep Your Readers Turning Pages (Great Ways to Write Your Novel Book 1) by Amy Deardon is a wonder! The One Hour Guide to Better Antagonists: How to Write Stronger Stories Using the Power of Opposition by Mary L. Mercer helps remind you that if the reader doesn’t feel moved by the story it ends up being a flop, and that you cannot have a great protagonist without a masterfully done antagonist. Writing a Killer Thriller: An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction by Jodie Renner was very helpful. So much so I went and got the rest of her craft books and they are well written, easy to understand, and inspiring. Finally, Understanding Show, Don’t Tell: (And Really Getting It) (Skill Builders Series Book 1) by Janice Hardy opened my eyes to exactly what I was doing wrong when it came to telling a story rather than allowing the reader to feel it for themselves.

Quite often I get excited about sharing the world and the characters. When I write, I think about them quite a bit, as if they were real people. As I write, I see the scenes going through my head. I’ll make the faces my characters make, and even have been known to speak the words they say, growl if they growl, laugh if they laugh, and cry if what’s happening is upsetting. While writing, if I find myself not connecting with the characters and scenes like that, as if I am physically there, I stop and come back to it later.

When I first started writing, I wish someone had taken the time to sit down and tell me that less words can be more. In my personal life, I get used to not being listened to, so I will repeat myself and drag on a story longer than it needs to be as I feel it’s not being properly expressed. I think also being told that the best thing a writer can do is read would also have helped a ton.

If you are a writer, never give up. If people dislike a story you wrote and love, that’s them and your audience is likely somewhere else. You will find people who read your work and it changes their lives. You will find people who read it, or even just read part of it, and for whatever reason it’s not for them. In everything you do, do your best, be proud of what you produce, listen to critique and remember that even the best authors are improving as they go along. If you’re not a writer, then just remember that you are an amazing person no matter what anyone might say. You have a great power inside you, and if you can be positive and friendly then you are accomplishing more than most.

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