For the Love of Writing #1 - Meet the 'writer' me!

Hello fellow bloggers ❤ All of you know what a crazy voracious reader I am but what I've failed to mention to you all is the fact that I'm also a crazy writer 😄 Not published or anything but I have some 3 drafts, and a hundred thousand unfinished stories lying around in my notebooks. When I started this blog I only meant to talk about the books I read but of late after seeing all the posts about writing across the blogosphere I've decided to start a new feature in my blog to talk and discuss about writing. I'll be talking about my writing process, the resources I use and I'll also be sharing links of wonderful posts about writing from across the blogosphere! Let me know in the comments below if you'd like to see more of this feature!

So let's introduce you to my writer's life and get you acquainted with my craziness!!

What Genres do I write and why?

You know those hundred thousand unfinished stories I have lying around? 90% of them are EPIC FANTASY. -Hell, what can I say? I love creating wonderful fantasy lands and entire societies! (Actually I think world building is my favorite part of the writing process!)- 

7% are urban FANTASY and retellings (I'm currently furiously working on a gender bend Sleeping Beauty Retelling by the way!) -Also, I'm starting to think I have a mild obsession with fantasy? Just a teeny one! - 

The remaining 5% are dystopian and Science-fiction (that has more fiction than science and I happen to be a biotechnology student #ShouldBeAshamedButIReallyAmNot ),

I LOVE writing fantasy because I get to CREATE stuff! Really create! I get to draw wonderful maps of amazing fantasy worlds, create species and monsters (Basically I love creating things.)

Retellings are awesome! I mean haven't we all read that book or seen that movie whose ending and many other details we wanted to change? Retellings let you do such stuff - like changing the Prince Charming in Sleeping Beauty into a sassy, cunning 15 year old girl who can talk to ghosts (I have actually done that. And in case you're wondering, it's awesome.)

When did I start writing?

I think it was back in third of fourth grade. Inspired by Enid Blyton's Secret Seven, I wrote a similar (translation - mash up of all Secret Seven books I'd read) book called Exciting Eight ( 10 points for originality.)

I was 15 when I started writing my first ever proper story. I've rewritten it many a times and now finally after 5 years I'm gonna write a final draft (Hurray!!) It's an Urban Fantasy with Angels and Demons (As a different species but not as God's Angels or the Devil's demons.)

Paper or Digital?

Both. I carry around my writing notebook all the time! No saying when inspiration will strike. I gotta be prepared for it! Also I love seeing my written words on the page. It's such an aesthetically pleasing thing. Also, I have gorgeous handwriting. #Proud

Fun Fact - I write a lot during my Genomics and Proteomics class, (Honestly I don't understand a word my teacher says. I totally study half the subjects on my own. And I do a good job of that, considering I'm third in class.) while sitting in the very first row. I've never been caught. I think my teacher thinks I'm sincerely taking notes. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. #WriterConfessions 

But I always type the second draft onwards in my computer. Makes it easier to access and edit (I've been known to literally edit my entire story when working on the second draft.)

Inspiration and Resources?

I've seen that pictures inspire me the most! So obviously PINTEREST is the most inspiring place in the world for me. But I'd never made any writing related boards until I read this obviously intelligent yet hilarious enough to make me choke on ice cream post by Cait about creating aesthetic storyboards for your novels. So then I decided to make boards for my stories! Check them out maybe?

Fun Fact - The Sleeping Beauty Retelling? I got the idea for it while I was making a Pinterest Board for another story! And now the idea has consumed me! I cannot wait for my exams to get over and vacations to start so I can devote all my time to this dark beauty! 

And as I love pictures and am so inspired by them, I also love browsing through  Deviantart

As for resources, my favorite one has to be Fantasy Faction. It totally weirds me out that many people don't know about it? There are articles about writing fantasy, interviews with authors, tutorials for writing tools like Scrivener, fantasy book reviews and SO MUCH MORE! If you write fantasy, just please check out this site! I bet it'll be helpful to you in some manner ☺

Another website I check out regularly for writing articles and ideas is Writer's Edit . Also when in doubt, just google it! You might just find wonderful websites and blogs full of inspiration and ideas. I found most of the images in the board below through Google images. 

When and Where do I write?

I don't really have a fixed time to write you know? Inspiration strikes without giving me any prior notice. That's why I always carry around my notebook. I do try to get in some writing done early morning as that's when my brain seems to work really fast!

Okay so I don't really have a fixed writing place either! But I do enjoy sitting in my lumpy armchair to write or read. I've tried sitting at my study table to write but I always seem to end up on the floor/ my armchair/ my bed so then I thought ..What's even the point? And it helps that I don't write at my table as it always looks like a hurricane ravaged it.  #TrueStory

What story of mine am I most passionate about at present?

The Gender Swapped Sleeping beauty Retelling! I'm absolutely in love with this story and can't wait to completely flesh it out!

What's it about? A sassy 15-year old girl who can talk to ghosts, ghosts who make terrible life decisions (or death decisions?), a prince who thinks the world revolves around him, and witch armies! 

Around the Blogosphere

Like I said, I'll be sharing blog posts about writing that I've read recently and loved!

↠ Cait talks about Aesthetic Pinterest Boards (while being the queen of sass obviously)

↠ Amy shares her writing

↠ Society in Story by Aaron Miles on Fantasy Faction

Questions!!

So this is the first of my FTLOW posts you guys! And I got questions! Lemme know the answers in the comments ♥

1. Did you like my post? Would you like me to do more such posts?

2. If you answered yes above, what should I talk about in my next FTLOW post?

↠ World-building in Epic Fantasy- My Process (I can talk about this topic for one week straight and I'd still have more stuff to say 😝 )
↠ My character creation process
↠ A breakdown of different sub-genres of Fantasy
↠ Lesser known fairy-tales to inspire retellings

Hope you liked my first post of this series! If you've written any blog posts about writing lemme know so I can check it out ☺