So you want to write a book?

You have sat down and decided it's time to write down the ideas swarming in your head. But now you're stuck. Where do you start? How do you measure success?

First things first, write. You can't write a book unless you sit down and write. Your story is waiting to be told and it's up to you to make sure it gets out there for the world to absorb.

I started my first novel by "pantsing" which, in the writer world means going with the flow of the characters. I had a general idea of where I wanted the story to go, but once my characters started to develop, it went in an entirely different direction and I rolled with it.

You can write like that or you can take a more structured approach by plotting everything out. I think it's important to have the skills to do both because sometimes the rigidity of sticking to the plot leaves the reader wanting more. And on the flip side, sometimes the pantsing gets a little too pantsy and all of a sudden your main character is living in a different imaginary world.

After writing my short story for my English class in college, I always planned to submit it for publication or turn it into a novel. But, when I sat down to start expanding on it, I hated it. I hated every piece of it. The characters weren't speaking to me and I just couldn't put words

on paper. But, when I let go of the expectation that my story had to be what it was 10 years ago, I was able to free my mind and the St. Augustine University Series was born. There are several similarities between the stories, but also so many differences.

When I sat down to write Chasing Sedona I had planned to talk about my experiences and divulge into a story related to my life in college. As I started writing, though, the story took a turn and it is completely different from what I had originally envisioned.

While most of my story lines are created by "pantsing" my characters are not. I spend a lot of time developing my characters into very distinct people. The funny thing about writing is that when you start to develop your characters, you learn things about them that you didn't even know. And yes, I know this sounds insane. But, honestly, it's really helpful when you're stuck in the plot.

Because I know my characters so well, I can tell you the type of pizza Sedona prefers to order. I can tell you what her favorite candy is or how fast she can run the mile. I can tell you her political views and what kind of make-up she uses. None of these things are necessarily mentioned in my book, but still important for me, as the woman behind the scenes, to know. Knowing who my characters are on a personal level makes sharing their story with all of you so much more special. I hope that when you start writing, you take notice of the strangeness and embrace it for all that it is.

So to sum up my rambling: It's okay to pants. It's okay to plot. It's okay to do a little of both. It's okay if your story isn't perfect. It's okay if you get stuck and have to take a breather for a day/week/month/year. And it's absolutely okay if you start talking to your characters at night when your mind won't shut down. I promise you aren't crazy. Stay wild, friends.

Kenzie Green