Author R.A. Gasparac

-Dark/Paranormal/Fantasy/Horror AUTHOR -Human/Hyrax Hybrid -Dark Empress of Delayed Reactions

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  • Making art is a form of protest.

    Remember the last thing a fascist regime wants is people to make more art because art makes people think. It’s ok to use your art as an act of protest.

    #writingadvice

  • Soothing The Writers Soul

    Ok, I have yet to work on the most important part of my Query Letter for my Novel, but I have sated the sleeping dragon. I realized recharging my batteries was more important than the multitudes of deadlines I imposed on myself. So, as I left my day job, sleet ( a wintery mix of ice and rain) began to trickle down from the heavens. A familiar bone chilling wind hit my face, and I was brought back to a better time.

    I remembered myself as a child, coming in from the winter after hours of play on the south shore. I grew up in the suburbs between Montreal proper, and the end of the Appalachian ( for my US readers) mountains. I knew I wanted stew, but not just any kind – it wasn’t exactly French, but it was made with French technique. My father, a Serb/Croatian would favor thick hearty stews, and left me with the know how.

    I spent an hour preparing all of the ingredients, and subsequently another two hours of cooking time. All I had eaten was oatmeal for breakfast, and four chocolate chip cookies for lunch ( because we all try to eat healthy meals apparently.) Thirty minutes into cooking. I chastised myself every time I would reach to tear open the pot and devour whatever was there our of sheer survival, but my head won out. Patience would reward me with layers of flavor.

    Sitting down with that first bowl soothed something deep within me. I wasn’t judging myself for what I didn’t do for the day, and allowed myself to take in a bit of life before it starts all over again. This is my mental break. I know I’m no closer to being a bestselling Author the longer my Query collects digital dust, but I had to stop beating myself up about my unrealistic production goals. The Query will come, but like the stew, I have to layer the flavors, carefully prepare each sentence before I combine them all on the page to create something so savory, that I will have my choice of Agents and Publishers.

    So far it’s been three days in a row that I’ve actually written sequentially on here. I should feel bad for that, and calling myself a writer – but it’s ok. I am perfectly imperfect. Rome was not built in a day, and my writing career will not be either. One ingredient at a time.

  • Upswings of life

    Full disclosure- I’m writing this on my mobile phone. It’s clunky and autocorrect is behind the corner ready to gossip inappropriately (her game of telephone.)

    I took a calculated risk in my life last weekend, and it paid off. I let myself get wrapped up in the current of life and I am glad I did. With my divorce on the horizon, and separation concrete I accepted a lost soul into my life.

    This made me think. What risks are you taking with what you are writing? Answer honestly. Without risk there is no reward. (On that note I have yet to submit my work to agents as planned- damnit.)

    When we write, we must ask ourselves if we are creating the highest risk possible for our characters. Others often refer this to me ‘raising the stakes’, but I choose to look at it as the former. When we write we are to put characters we love into the worst possible rock vs. hard place scenarios.

    So, in your writing what is the absolute worst thing that could happen to your main character? Better yet- what are the THREE worst things that could happen? Write out how that would play out. Do it now. I’ll wait.

    Often taking the easy way out is just that- easy. Our job as writers is to ask ourself that question and write our character’s in and out of said situation. That is the heart of the conflict and action. If you choose to not do this, you are not an writer.

  • Logical and Abstract

    I know what I said in a previous post about writing several simultaneous things at once, and that I would be focusing on one thing at a time.

    While I was working towards my art degree in college I spent a lot of time in the painting studio. My professor was an avid painter who had previously worked as an assistant to Picasso’s son, and his art career.

    There is a creative method that Picasso himself taught his son, who taught my professor, who taught yours truly. When painting you need to be working on two projects. ( I know how that sounds contradictory to what I posted previously – just hear me out.)

    I favored the abstract method when I painted, which turned into a slightly realistic pop art look. Examples below:

    ‘The Joker’
    ‘The Passion’
    ‘Zombie Man’

    I show you these because of two reasons. One – creatives need more than one type of creative outlet as mine are traditional media, and writing. Two – when creating it is important to have one abstract project, and one of realism. The reason is simple. There are two halves of the brain, and given the day we will be stuck on one or the other side of that brain.

    The same is true for writing. While I was attempting to write up to seven different titles, I narrowed my focus down to ONE NONFICTION, and ONE FICTION title. This way no matter what type of project falls out of me for the day, I can maintain my focus.

    Try this method out. Hopefully, your stream of narrative flows more easily. After all, it worked for Picasso.

  • Aspiring Authors and Imposter Syndrome

    Imposter!  That’s what the negative voice in your head says to you any time you try to explain something about the writing profession. I have a secret for you… It will never go away.  Why? Because knowing you do not have all the answers is a healthy mindset.  If you think you know everything about writing, you had better be a successful writer/ editor/veteran of the publishing industry for a minimum of twenty five years.

    Imposter syndrome cripples even the mightiest of oak trees when it comes to creatives.  The fact of the matter is that they will never go away when we have a healthy dose of reality and our place in the writing world.  What we need to do is treat it like the teething toddler it is, and learn which keys to dangle in front of it to distract it for a little while longer.

    There is no shame in trying to help people. For every step we take in becoming full time professionals, there is someone at least one step behind. It is our responsibility and calling to help others along the way. That is how we grow and learn. We cannot focus on hoarding all of the information, because we stop our own progress.

    It’s ok if you feel like a fake, even though you aren’t. Your genuine call to help others is proof. Humans are pack animals, and we need each other’s help to achieve what we want. No writer has been successful without helping others. You have to give back, in any way you can. You never know when you will help someone who will be able to return the favor.

  • Bullet journals for writers 

    So, what is this new-fangled domahicky?!?  Okay, it’s not terribly new, but I have found it to be an asset to help me with my writing, and it just may have the ability to help you out too!
    So, here is a picture of my personal bullet journal with my daily analog planner ( I’m still a 90’s kid).  I still have yet to name my little duck friend, but when I do, I will be sure to keep you guys updated. I find I like to keep several accounts of the same information in a few different places because I have a hard time focusing, and need to see important information with whatever method I am using at the time.

    Before I go into how to use a bullet journal, let me first explain why it works for me.

    For what it is worth, I get the biggest thrill will filling in bubbles. The only thing I love more than that is to accomplish something while I do it.  So I kept to a VERY simple method of filling in bubbles as I complete my tasks.

    The aim of the game is to find what motivated you to accomplish those tasks.  While my method works for me, it may not work for you. With this in mind the only way you will move forwards is to simply start a bullet journal.

    HOWEVER dont force yourself to adhere to a strict outline of which method you choose.  Treat it as a learning phase where you are building up the habit of checking your bullet journal.

    Your journal should be the Lexicon of all of your tasks. For example- I have my weekly spread of task lists in a seperate journal alltogether that I contstruct on a weekly basis, based on all the tasks or goals I wish to accomplish and break it down into smaller managemble chunks in my weekly journal.

    I find trying to plan anything further out than a week or two gets lost in the shuffle.  Focusing on your present and near future is best, so you can adapt with emergencies or new projects that fall in your lap.

  • Query Letters Part 1

    Ok, this first post will focus more generally on the thoughts and emotions revolving about a first time query. I will go more into depth on how to put together a Query at a later time, as that is a MASSIVE post.

    I started this process absolutely clueless. The closest image I can paint to this feeling is this. Imagine you are a WW2 fighter Pilot, your book is complete and partially edited by a professional ( Seriously go to Fiver.com – you can afford quality editing services there) and you are soaring high. Out of nowhere your engine fails and you are gliding the plane down safely. That’s when it occurs to you that you are above unfamiliar territory, and the tension of knowing you might be on the enemy’s land.

    That’s the tension Queries give writers. It took me too long to realize that is the normal growing pains of transitioning from a hobby writer to a professional. You have to go through it. There is no simple or easy way but through the feelings.

    What helped me more than anything were writers self help books about agents, and Query writing. Before I wrote the first line of my curent and first query I read over five books on the process. Learn how the publishing industry works, and why it works that way. The secret? They want to weed out the hobbyists from the professionals.

    Once I got that idea through my skull, my uneasiness vanished. It was then that I wrote the first and last paragraph. Those are the easiest bits to get through – its the sales pitch of the second paragraph that I was still stalled on. For two months I let that letter sit while I figured out how I wanted to best pitch the story of my life in my head.

    You will be stuck there for a little while, worrying about sales tactics and trying to find some gimmick that will enthrall the agent or publisher. It’s going to happen. That is also okay.

    Then one day when you least expect it, you re read what you have and you think to yourself ‘f*ck it.’ You type some loose gibberish. I kept rewording it, and somehow I was done. This agonizing process was done. Even with all the time it took to get ONLY THREE PARAGRAPHS the way I wanted it, it needed to take that long. There is no way to rush the process, especially your first time. We are learning how to be professionals, and we have to learn how to get out of our own way.

  • Don’t Shine Too Bright

    I’m the type of person, that I don’t like to halfway do any sort of job. Therein lies my current situation. There is a glimmer of light in my hopes of becoming a full time writer. It took a lot of hard work to get here even though there is more work down the road.

    Which brings me to my current thought – if you shine too brightly others will try to knock you down. Just because you don’t fit into a perfect little box others want you to be in, is no reason to be discouraged. In the past I would ball up into the corner and cry rocking back and forth, but now I am so numb to it that I take in a deep breath and continue with my work.

    Is it disheartening when you give people chances and they choose to slap your hand away. What matters is that you extended your hand. Continue to wish them well and move on without forgetting their behavior. Remember they are good people that just don’t get you, and that’s okay.

    A good friend reminded me that people who manipulate and undermine get ahead only temporarily. I am where I am because of my own work and merit. So keep plugging away. Only you can write your stories. Without you they will die. Brining that to the world is our focus as writers.

    It is a selfless act, like childbirth if you think about it. The pain, sorrow, joy, and agony creates something we gift the world. Long after the human race – our stories will be our legacy. It is a duty we toil over to learn the best part of ourselves.

  • Beware of Wallowing

    I gave some advice earlier to not let someone wallow in the sadness of their situation. I woke up three times in an hour and realized I spent my day off in bed doing just that.

    That’s when it hit me. These past few days I have noticed my mood declining. Suspiciously- When I stopped my daily posts. I can measure my optimism and happiness based on that criteria.

    Is that what being a writer is? Better yet, is this what an artist is? Doing some action day after day for our mental and emotional wellbeing? How can something to seemingly trivial send us so easily down into the maelstrom of insanity?

  • I didn’t forget

    I know it seems like I have been slacking in my promise to you guys. Unfortunately, my day job requires the most out of me this week, so my posts will be spotty. Daily posts will resume next week on schedule.

  • Progress

    Ok. Query Letter Draft 1 is complete. I will let it sit for a few days until I can look at it with fresh eyes.

    My marriage has officially ended, and the healing can finally begin ( for both of us). All that is left is the official filing of paperwork. Only thing stopping that is affording the fees associated. Luckily the plan is to half the cost.

    As far as my writing career, I’ve surprised myself and the ‘short and sweet’ aspect of my Query. I’m honest about the fact that Olympians are an overused trope, and I attempted a new way at looking at them.

    Book two in the series is already being spitballed. My near future will involve a LOT of WW2 footage and documentaries.

    Today I learned what is often difficult to do is most likely worth it.

  • The Writing Flow

    I was right. Today is a good writing flow day. I just banged out three times my daily writing goal since I last posted. I live for moments like this. Those moments when attaining a writing career seems like the easiest thing in the world.

    Steven king writes 10k everyday. The best I have ever done in one day was 5k. It was rough and I struggled through all of it. That was the last day of NaNoWriMo 2014. I was at the finish line and I wanted to end early. I wanted to chase that feeling.

    It’s like you are in a ridiculously fast sports car speeding down the highway, a trail of cop cars behind you sirens blazing. You give the cops your middle finger and press even further on the gas, recklessly swerving between cars with only the open road before you. The adrenaline pumps heavy into your bloodstream and you feel unstoppable.

    It’s days like this that your passion is at an all time high and you never want to come down, even though you know it wont last. That’s what makes the good days so rewarding – knowing that there will be an eventual face plant into muddy water. Though, for now everything is working, and I want to take advantage of every second of it.