Updates, and writing, and editing, oh my!

Hello, all! I'm looking back on my New Year's Resolutions that I made for 2018. In case you can't recall (or can't be bothered to click the link), here's the list:

1. Three books to finish writing.
2. One book to write for nanowrimo.
3. An entire series, consisting of eight books to edit.

And here's how I'm doing...

1. I have finished writing one book so far. Not sure I'll make it to three even with Nano's help, though.
2. Nano hasn't come up yet. I briefly considered doing camp nano this July, but I was just too busy for it.
3. I'm actually working my way through this series, with the help of a couple of wonderful critique partners. One book is fully edited, a couple others are mostly polished and a couple don't even have titles. One needs a complete rewrite and I'm three chapters into it, sooo...

There's that! If you don't hear from me for a couple of months again, it's just because I'm doing lots of writing.

- Natasja

So many books, so little time

I have had the longest week ever. It seems like the closer I get to finishing my next manuscript, the more life gets in the way. Sometimes being a writer feels like you're living at least a double life: your real one and the one(s) you live in your story. 

I would never push aside the needs of my family to be a writer or to finish what is, at the moment, a mediocre book. Still I managed to get this far and I'm still going. This current book has been in the works for a good five years and I'm almost, finally, just-about-to-be done. Which is, of course, why I'm on my blog, procrastinating.

Oops! Better get back to it then!

- Natasja

Themes and other things

I think one of the hardest things people ask me when they find out I'm a writer is what do I write. It's hard because I have a variety of interests and tastes, and I can't even talk about the baker's dozen of unfinished books on my laptop. I write contemporary YA. Or dystopian YA. Sci fi. Historical fiction. Christian fiction. And a little bit of romance sprinkled throughout.

I also occasionally write blog posts

When I think about the books I have written and the ones I'm still working on, I notice a trend in themes rather than types of stories. I love a good coming-of-age story, or even just one with a lot of character development. I like to write about bullying, or just good ol' good-vs-evil type stuff. I like to throw my characters into situations where they're unequipped or unwilling and they always end up better for it.

Another major theme in my books is love, and I don't mean just romantic love (though there is a lot of that, too.) I mean like friendships and family and deep bonds that last forever and ever, far past the last pages of the book. I guess I'm just a happily-ever-kind of gal and I prefer saccarine endings to, well, anything else really. Sorry, Geoge R.R.R.R.R. (how many Rs?) Martin.

I guess the next time someone asks me what I write about, I'll tell them "happy things."

Happy reading!

- Natasja

Let's hear it for the B team!

Just wanted to post a little update...

I know tons of people are always wondering "What's Natasja up to these days?" (Okay, I know that doesn't really happen, but when you're a creative fiction writer, you can imagine just about any old thing that pops into your head.)

Anyway, lately I'm been doing a lot of beta reading for other unpublished authors, which is actually a very interesting and rewarding experience. Funny enough, it gives you a pretty good idea where you sit on the quality scale. There are some authors out there that I would say have some work to do before they get to my level, but there are certainly a lot that are way better than me. It's a learning experience and the more I do, the more aware I am of how I write and how to better myself.

By the same token, I've been having a few of my novels beta read as well which is... well also interesting and rewarding, but it's hard. I know, it doesn't sound like it's hard to just have someone read what you've written but trust me, it is. When you love something as much as I love my books, it's sometimes hard to hear any negative thing about them. On the other hand, it's also twice as rewarding to hear good things about them.

So between the beta reading, the editing, and trying desperately to finish writing a book, I haven't had a lot of time for my blog. But I'm still here and it's still here and I'll update it when I have time for it I guess.

Interested in all this beta reading jazz? Hit me up!

- Natasja

Less Than Perfect preview

Hi all!

You may remember me talking in the past about a book I have called Less Than Perfect. I wrote this book a good seven years ago and my writing has a evolved a lot. However, I've decided to let people read it, so I've started uploading it to Wattpad. You can find it here.

I will try to upload at least a chapter a week (unless it becomes more popular or something). So please do check it out.

While you're on Wattpad, check out my friend's book, Sold to a Wolf Pack. (Werewolves but no vampires.)

Happy reading!



-Natasja