My Reason for Writing

As the release date for A State of Gray (my newest book, go check it out!) draws ever closer, I've been getting a lot of questions from friends, family, and people who are buying my book. And usually, the questions all revolve around the same topic.

"What made you decide to write a book?"

Now, don't get me wrong, I love it when you guys ask questions, it shows a real interest, and it also makes me feel like you all really care (I love you all so much). But I thought it was about time to answer the question in a better way, not just the customary "Oh, I don't know, I just really like writing" (which is also true, but you guys deserve a better answer than that).

So, without further ado, here's a list of reasons that I decided to write a book.



1. I actually didn't start off trying to write a book.
 Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to decide to be an author to write a book. In fact, if you read any Q&A with famous authors, they usually say something similar when questioned about their first book. Same here, I just sat down and started writing one day, and then eventually it grew until I realized I had a novel on my hands (and a happy dance promptly followed).

2. I didn't exactly come up with the storyline. 
 Okay, don't start screaming that I'm unoriginal just yet. Here's the thing about a good story. You don't get to pick the story, it picks you. Sounds cheesy, I know, but none of my completed works were ever fully mapped out like they tell you to do in school. Creativity needs room to breath, and if you have a strict timeline of everything your characters must do before the end of the book, they'll smother and die. Think of them like children. Children that you are allowed to be unnecessarily cruel to. Let the story happen naturally and things will work themselves out in the end (just make sure to edit a lot and don't leave holes in your eventual plot!)

3. I'm an emotionally unstable person.
 Okay, I know this one is a little strange. And no, I don't need therapy because my life is terrible, because it isn't. I actually have a great life, and when I'm in a good mood, I know that. But sometimes, I'm not in a good mood, and that's when I take to my notebooks. That's exactly what happened with A State of Gray. I was in a terrible mood the day I started writing, and I just needed an outlet for some bad juju. So I did what I've always done, and I started writing. And when the bad mood passed and I re-read what I had written, I thought to myself "Hey, this is pretty good, let's keep this going".

4. I have a universe in my head and it gets crowded sometimes.
 If you're reading this, then as you can tell, I'm already a writer. I've been writing on this blog for four (almost five? I think?) years now. There's a lot of content here, from research papers to short stories, I've spent a lot of time pouring my creative soul out for the internet to see. And along the way, I've grown, and put out a load of short stories (some are for sale on Amazon, others are available for free on Wattpad, others are from a while back on this blog,) and eventually, the stories started piling up in my head and needed another outlet. Que the really long book I just wrote.

5. I'm a reader who can never satiate the hunger.
 My dad can read a book in an afternoon. I learned to read before I even went to kindergarten, thanks to his good (bad?) influence. And ever since then, I can't get enough. I've read hundreds of books, some over and over again until I had to get a second copy because I destroyed the first. My mom took us to the library every week for the Book It program, and I never realized until I was older that it was supposed to challenge kids to read more. For me it was just free pizza. My mom literally would tell me to put down my book and go outside. My eye doctor told me I would ruin my eyes (I already wore glasses so it's not like it could get worse, right?) if I didn't stop reading under my covers with a flashlight. Needless to say, my life was and is formed based on the written word, probably to an unhealthy extent. So how could I not throw myself in the ring with all my favorites?

And lastly,
6. My idols are mostly writers.
 Sure, I mean, there are some people I want to be like that don't write, but not many. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle kept me intrigued for most of my childhood. Charlotte Bronte was literally my favorite person in the world for a long time in highschool. Jane Austen is basically goals. There are a lot more, but I would be failing myself and my readers if I didn't mention by greatest icon, the woman who influenced me the most (literally, changed my entire outlook on reading/writing/life in general), the amazing Suzanne Collins. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you remember back when literally ever single post had a reference to Hunger Games. That's because I had never read anything that had made me feel more angry, more compelled, more upset, and more complete than The Hunger Games. Like, honestly, Suzanne Collins has a way of commanding the written word like nobody else in the modern world. It was the first time I had ever read a book written in first person present tense. I actually read Catching Fire in nine hours, and never set the book down once (thank God that I already had Mockingjay waiting for me at home). I already knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, but Suzanne Collins etched it in stone. She changed my life, and if I ever make it to the big leagues, she's going to know as much.

Anyway, that's some of the biggest reasons I decided to write A State of Gray. If you haven't already pre-ordered your copy, hurry and do so! Release date (October 23rd) is coming up fast! Digital copies are available on Amazon, and physical copies are available through me, you can message me on this blog's Facebook page, Jasmine's Blog Life.

Also, if any of you are dreaming of becoming a world famous author like me, never give up on that dream! Do you know how many time J.K Rowling got turned down? A lot. And now look at the Harry Potter franchise. It's ridiculous.

I haven't made it to the big leagues yet, but I will. I'm never going to give up. And neither should you.

I love you all so much, thank you for all the love and support. Now go buy my book! And tell your friends about it!!

Cheers!