Why cats?

To me, writing is like throwing cats at trees – you send a lot of random thoughts flying through the air to see what sticks.

And, to be honest, most of it is pretty pointless.

I think that’s what holds so many of us back, in writing and in life. We try to find that line between what we think will entertain others and what we really enjoy doing ourselves. I only recently made the discovery that the best writing comes from doing something you don’t think anyone but yourself will enjoy. When you feel like you’re doing it for yourself, you can really loosen up and enjoy what you are doing. That excitement in the message carries through to the reader.

However, I firmly believe that proper research is essential, no matter what genre of fiction (or non-fiction) you are engaged in. And that is my downfall – I love research! Far too much. I will spend weeks, months, years researching concepts that may only involve a passing reference in a novel. Now it’s true, most of the areas I immerse myself in are because they are things I’ve taken an interest in myself, completely apart from the story, but they nevertheless have little use in my daily life.

I started this blog to share some of the most interesting tidbits I’ve uncovered. It isn’t my original research that I  am presenting, but the rants encasing them are all mine.

No writers that I know ever suffer from a shortage of opinions.