Melinda Morley

So, I’m taking a writing class at Brigham Young University from the awesome Mr. Brandon Sanderson. (Actually, at BYU I could call him Brother Sanderson, but somehow that seems strange.) Here is a clip of an interview he did for The Daily Herald. Enjoy his advice and general awesomeness.

I recommend his books to you, too. He is a fantastic author and mentor. He has already helped my book improve immensely. (I love alliteration.)

So, yeah life.

Winter is flying by for me. I haven’t posted here in over a month now. I think it’s because I’ve been writing (read: pouring my heart out onto the page) so intently that when I sit down to blog, I have nothing to say. Total. Blank. This is a good thing. My book is getting stronger. (I would high five myself here, but that would be really weird and people would think I was singing along to YMCA on my ipod or something.)

I have a critique group made up of four other members of Brandon’s class. They are all great writers and I enjoy reading their stuff. We were assigned together and as a class requirement must post 2,000 words each week and then read each others by Thursday when we meet for class. After Brandon gives us a lecture (read: organized tangent), we divide into our groups and critique. Brandon rotates groups once a week, so he reads my stuff every four weeks. Brandon=Amazing.

So, critiquing.

This is scary. I’ve kept my book under wraps. Not that it’s so great that it’s a secret and I’m afraid of someone stealing it, but because I wanted it to be mine before it belonged to anyone else. And guess what? I love it. The story is mine. I know where it is going and know where it has been and it’s so fun to share and have people (not just me) enjoy it. To have them care about my characters and analyze them like they are real people. Just like I do. That is pure happiness. Of course my story has flaws and they are pointed out. I’m so glad for that, too. Because now I can make it better, stronger.

So, friends.

This week was LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything) at BYU. A sci fi/fantasy convention. I’m still not much of a geek. But, I’m slowly converting. I met up with my friends. We laughed until we cried. We ate coconut cream cake. We bought chocolate by the pound. We talked writing. We talked life. I love my writer friends. Dearly.

Now I must go and write. I have the Head Cold from H*ll. (You can quote me on that.) But I must find a way to write my next submission for class. Writers don’t have the luxury of writer’s block or head colds to stop their writing. Just ask Brandon.