Every writer needs a haven. This is a little place to call your own, to sneak off to and write in quiet, comfort and seclusion. Sometimes writers can’t find it. Sometimes writers have to go on ‘retreats’ and write their entire novel in the span of a few weeks in an uncommon surrounding.

Don’t get me wrong, even under pressure and in the worst surroundings I think a writers story will always come out. All stories are meant to come out. That is why a writer is a writer. They can’t eat, sleep or dream of anything but writing. It’s a sickness, an illness that eats away at your thoughts, prevents sleep and even when you finally find the elusive dreamland it is riddled with plot questions and twists your subconscious dreams up to stump you or help you.

Yes, a writer needs a haven. It could be a plain wooden desk with nothing more than a few sheets of paper, a sharpened pencil and a cup of coffee. Or you could have four walls painted in elaborate colors that are only known to the writer because every inch of wall space is covered in sticky notes for ideas and posters with quotes for inspiration.

I know I have talked about science fiction like decorum and tools. I know that I have talked about writers retreats to get away from the life and the distractions, but the mark of a true writer is being able to write no matter what. The dog could be chewing on your pant leg begging to be let out, the phone could be ringing relentlessly and the door could have a rapid knocking but the only thing that comforts the pounding heart are your fingers typing on the keys trying to keep pace.

As frantic as life gets, try to designate your writers haven even if it means putting all your clothes on the floor and moving into your cramped closet. So long as you have a flashlight and you can somehow prevent the door from opening, it will be your haven. Now…whether or not your hideaway stays secret and sacred for long…it’s anybody’s guess.

But that is my suggestion today. Find a writers haven, create one, borrow one from a friend or lease one from a retreat, but have one. Have a haven where you can get away and write. The closer and more readily available it is, the better.

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Wave of Anguish by Samuelviani

Photo Credit: Samuelviana

I am working hard on the edits. Can you believe I lost half of my novel yesterday? It’s hard for some writers to remember that no matter the name, Anne Rice, Stephen King, or Dean Koontz, all novels start out on paper. Whether it is parchment and quill(old school) or a word document (our modern day typewriter) it starts somewhere.

So long as you have your words and some version of pen and paper, you’re armed like the best of them. In celebration of losing half of my novel in my computer for a few hours last night, I am going to share a tidbit with you. So here it is, an excerpt from my upcoming novel that I think you will enjoy. So….happy writing and happy reading!

Excerpt from Past Mistakes: A Novel by Karisha Prescott

“…I had always wondered if angels cried during battles. I wondered how angels chose to save combatants from pain. Would relief come swiftly at death’s door for the good alone? Is it justice to allow some to suffer more? Or do the angels simply work as quickly as possible? Angels must dread the days of human wars. Angels must loath the thought of so many suffering, such a high cost for such fleeting and empty reward for but a few.

I stared a long time at the ceiling. The brown wood beams blended with the mud stucco that made the little house. Today there would be talk of war. Today I would have a role in the death of some or the death of many. There is no telling the outcome. There could be no question that there would be death. It was a question of whom, when, and why. But these people had lived so long in fear and the body count was only beginning. If the Order were allowed to hunt free-range much longer on the limited population of humans, it wouldn’t be long until the world would be consumed by their evil…”

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Thanks for reading! Please leave comments and questions below. Have a great day!

M.A.C. Black and Blue Smokey Eyeshadow in Super Macro on Green Eye

Photo Credit: DreamGlow

It can be  hard for a writer to balance writing, editing, marketing, advertising and still maintain a relationship with the readers. The relationship with the readers is the enjoyable part, as is the writing, but the stuff in between can seem endless and frustrating.

I am happy to say I am having a lot of fun with the launch of my book coming up. The launch is late but for the best. Some great changes, some added features and …well, you’ll see!

So far we are looking at:

• The Book Website
• New Graphics
• New Videos

Bonus reader-interactive features that will be unveiled shortly!

What do you think of as the foundation of YOUR book launch?

By far, the book launch and marketing/advertising aspects are the most difficult. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun!

Be sure to keep an active interest in your book.

From beginning to end!

Past Mistakes ~ Sample Chapters by Karisha Prescott

Past Mistakes - Work in Progress by Karisha Prescott

I was sitting in a little café in Springerville, Arizona when I had the idea for Oplura. We were having some amazing Kate’s Chicken Fried Chicken and talking politics. It dawned on me how easily the word could be annihilated and the best tactics to use.

I know that is scary. I think of how to destroy the population, quickly, during lunch. What can I say, caffeine does that to me. I decided that one book was not long enough to tell the whole story. I saw a photo of a girl, lost in a decimated city and my journey to put down these ideas began.

The working title of the series is The Oplura Chronicles, named after the main character. I hope to have several different aspects of the story take shape, showing each characters perspective and give a ‘slice’ of each side of the situation. I had hoped to make this more political and less ‘romancy’ but, the characters really took on a form of their own.
What kind of writer would I be to deny my character the story that is in them? After all, I am just the writer; it’s the journey of the character. Will there be a happily ever after? I can’t tell. So far, things are looking bleak and confusing. There are so many moving pieces, one wrong move and the series could be over *KABOOM* and I would have to lay the whole tale to rest.

But really, this situation could happen. Maybe not slaying dragons and time travel, but the annihilation of our entire species and we would propel it into overdrive. We could, we would, we should take a few lessons to the past and think about what our actions are doing and how connected we all are.
Wow, that got preachy, eh? The stories not like that. My characters would smother me in my sleep, but there is definitely an undertone. It’s not immediately obvious, and I think that is why I love the series so much.

What is your take on the sample chapters of Past Mistakes?

What did you get from the ‘undertone’?

After all, it is left for interpretation of the reader.

Happy NaNoWriMo!

How was your Day Four?!

Video Length:  5 minutes 16 seconds

Video Overview:

* Had a Wednesday Word War! Thanks @Fizen!

* Increased word count by 2,000 words today! Hurray!

* Total Word Count is now at 10, 831 words and RISING!

* Going to re-evaluate my word goal! I am thinking BIGGER!

* Everyone LOVED the desktop backgrounds, So GLAD! HURRAY!

Thanks for watching!

Do you participate in Word Wars? Why?

What do you do to get motivated?

Love to hear from everybody! Thanks so much!

About Karisha Prescott

I am an author and a self-published one at that. That means more work, but it also means more personable.

I am thankful that I found what I love to do so early in life. I can only image what it would be like to wander the world without direction, as I experience via my characters.

My favorite movies are: Pride and Prejudice, The Jane Austen Book Club, Becoming Jane (seeing a trend?), The Art of Travel, The Secret Garden,

Some of my favorite books: A wrinkle in time, 1001 Arabian Nights, The Sookie Stackhouse Chronicles, and countless others.

My favorite quote: From Pride and Prejudice but…I’m not telling what it is!

Favorite food: Soups and Sandwiches LOVE!

Favorite early morning routine: Making fresh coffee, walking out onto my back patio to let the dogs out and watching the sun rise over a field of horses and green pasture covered hills.

Most Memorable Moments in my life: Best Day: Every day I wake up to find my family happy and my life on the path it is supposed to be on, Worst Day Ever: 4^th of July 2006 Darn Jelly fish and Jungle juice…

How did I know that I was a writer: A friend told me XD

How did I learn that writing is what I was meant to do? Because everyday I wake up wanting to write, thinking about my characters, wondering what they are doing while I am sleeping . The day I wake up and no longer think about these things with great hope and anticipation is the day I will look for a new profession.

Have you really been married and divorced already?

Yes. I was married when I turned 18 and was divorced just recently. It was a great day, the day I got divorced and I am still thankful for divorce parties.

What is your advice to other aspiring writers? There is no stipulation on age, sex, race, education, background, degrees, or even where you live.  The only prerequisite to become a writer, the only rule, is that you write. Only you will know if it is good. You will never know if others will like it or hate it until you write it. If they love it, great, if they hate it, even better, because either way you struck an emotion.

Who is your favorite author? I have several for different reasons. My favorite author for the way she depicts human characteristics and analyzes human emotion is Jane Austen, of course. The author I have most respect for in the form of description, Stephen King of course.

When is your next book available? Oplura will be available January 2010 but the sample chapter will be posted early-mid-october 2009.

How long will your series be? My series and stories will be as long as they need to be to tell the stories of each character. Where one characters journey may end, another’s may begin. It all depends on the character, as they are like real people to me. I don’t dictate their story, trials and errors, they do, I just tell them.

What is your policy on fanfiction?

My characters and stories are copyrighted. At this time, I am opposed to fan-fiction, if only for legal reasons. In the future, I hope to put some legal-mumbo-jumbo about it that makes it okay but gives rules.

What was your inspiration for this series?

An epiphany. I was sitting in a little dinner called ‘Safire’ in Arizona, staring out the window of one of the booths and it dawned on me what it would be like if everything was gone. I am sure that the table conversation had been on the current political situation and war.

Did you intend to make your story a love story?

No, but Stuff happens. I intended it to be a journey for one girl, a survivalist story more than anything. The character and I disagreed in the end, but I am only the story teller, not the character. The character always dictates the story. To have denied my lead character a romance would be to have killed her soul from the inside out.

Where are the characters headed and how will it all end?

Come now! You must be joking! I can’t give away the end of the story! Happy or sad, the characters will get the ending that is  meant for them. The only way to know how the story ends…is to find out first hand.

I hope this gave you a little insight about myself, my characters and my joy for writing.