Welcome to April and the A to Z challenge! Every day this month (except for Sundays), I will be posting about each consecutive letter of the alphabet, beginning today with ‘A,’ and assigning a word to it that I will delve a bit more into in terms of how to apply it to one’s writing or reading techniques. The word for today, April 1st, is AMMUNITION.
The word ammunition does not have to be construed negatively. People hear it and think of guns and violence. However, in this case, it’s meant as the driving force behind great writing – and great reading material as well. Each new idea you write about, or which you consider when reading the next great book on your to-be-read list, is part of the ammunition you should make a stockpile of so you’re never without it. I’m sure you know the feeling, if you’re a writer, of sitting down and just having words come to you. It’s pretty great. And when that faucet of words turns on and keeps flowing, you know you’ve chosen the right path as a writer. In the same vein, I’m sure any reader knows the feeling of sitting down with a great book and not being able to stop turning the pages, hoping for more of that awesome sense of wonderment that you get when you can’t put a book down.
When reading and writing, it’s important to know what ammunition you have available to you. My reservoir of writing techniques serves as my ammunition to get the ball rolling. I wrote 22,000+ words in the month of March toward the sequel to my first novel, ‘Freshman Fourteen,’ and I’m super excited to write more and have the book out in much less time than it took me to write the first one. It’s only been a year and a half since I published ‘Freshman Fourteen,’ and it took me about nine years total to write and publish it, so I think I’m well on my way, which feels amazing.
I’m always working to come up with new ideas to share with myself as I work on my writing. These include making lists, summarizing chapters I’ve already written, setting a word count to achieve, and even watching young adult TV shows and movies to get me in the right frame of mind for my desired audience. I also read young adult novels every chance I get (check out the vast majority of the reviews in this blog for my take on all those I’ve read), combining my love of writing and reading and keeping me on my toes so I’m never without the feeling that young adult writing offers.
What is your ammunition when you write and read? What makes you excited and keeps you on your toes? Share in the comments, and feel free to try out any or all of the techniques offered to put you on the path to finding more of the ammunition that keeps you going.
Happy writing and reading!