By Kala Godin
My name is Kala Godin. I write because I have stories to tell. I can think up fantastical realms or creepy creatures and I want to share these with people. I also write a ton of poetry. People tell me that it “makes them think,” and that’s exactly what I want to do. I want others to think differently or feel things they’ve never felt before. I want to challenge society to think and feel differently. Words have a bigger impact on us than we like to admit. But whether my words make one person or hundreds of people think differently, I know I have accomplished something.
My writing process is “semi-organized chaos.” “Semi-organized” because I have a desk and I have all of my own writing tools. A lot of authors prefer typing to writing on paper. I’m the kind of person that can focus better with paper in front of me and a pen in my hand. Technology will distract me. I have a tablet that I can transfer everything to once I’ve written the first draft or manuscript. Now that seems relatively organized, right? That’s because it’s nice and convenient.
My thought process is nothing like that. And that would be why I’ve added the word “chaos” to describe my writing process. I don’t plan my stories before I start writing. The closest I’ve ever come to planning ahead is making a character planning sheet. I’ll usually see a scene in my head and I will write it down. I try to write at least half an hour every day. Sometimes that half hour turns into 6 hours. Other days I’m lucky I even go the half hour. My mind tends to work in a mostly chronological order, so I don’t normally have to piece scenes together. However, after a first draft is completed, I will go back through and add things to make it longer.
Let’s talk about challenges. I’m absolutely sure that every aspiring author has heard some form of the following statement:
“Did you know that–insert some varying percentage–of writers don’t get published?”
Or this lovely gem:
“Do you really think that your writing is going to get published when you have so much competition?”
In all honesty I don’t believe that writing is a competition. Creativity is not a competition. I’ve met some great people. I’ve been given the amazing opportunity to write this blog piece and hopefully help others. However, my favorite thing will always be the opportunity to learn something new about the things I love every single day. Not because I have to, but because I want to.
As for tips, I only have a few. Do what works for you. Just because you don’t get published right away doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. This process takes years. And always remember that writing is for you, but publishing is for everyone else. Make sure you are ready for that.
About Kala
My name is Kala Godin. I’m 18 and I live in Rocky Mountain House. I’ve been writing ever since I could form a relatively understandable sentence. Which was pretty young. I have a physical disability so I’m in a wheelchair. I currently have a draft that I’m transferring to my tablet. It’s a collection of poetry.
Writing Challenge 3: Change up your process.
Scan social media until a headline pops out for you. Now write about what you’ve just learned in any form that takes shape: a poem, a scene, a character sketch, dialogue, etc. If you normally use a computer or a tablet to write, try writing by hand. If you write everything by hand, try composing something on a computer. Does changing the medium give your writing a different feel? If so, how could you use that to vary your writing style?
Let us know what you thought of the blog and challenge in the comments below and on our Facebook page!