Guest Post: Writing Fiction that Impacts

Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! So I know I keep promising a whole series of posts on pantsters and its still going to happen... I just totally forgot that this week was going to be crazy. I'm helping at my church's VBS pretty much all day from Monday to Friday so I didn't get around to writing a post. So when I saw that Kara Linaburg was doing a blog tour I thought it would not only be fun to help her promote her upcoming book but also share a post of hers on here.

So without further ado here is Kara:

Writing is like breathing to me. I don’t remember a time I didn’t do it.

I have blogged for 7+ years on Beautifully Broken, in what has been some of the best writing lessons of my life, and now with the release of my YA novel The Broken Prince, I long to reach an even wider audience.

But what does it mean as an author to write not only good fiction, but fiction that impacts? I am by no means a professional author, but I enjoy good books and reading a wide-range of novels can be the best teacher. I have also learned that there is nothing more powerful than writing fiction that not only entertains but also teaches your readers something that means something to you. There is just such power and beauty in an author combining those two elements.

So in saying that I give you:

Writing Fiction That Impacts.

Share with your readers something that means something to you. We as readers can tell when an author is bored or uneducated about a topic, an emotion, or event in a book. When you want something to stick in your readers’ minds you have to know what you are talking about. Share about something you care about deeply. For me in The Broken Prince this was hope in darkness. I was going through a very dark place at the time and to write about characters similar to my own struggles was one of the easiest and hardest things I have ever done. It was easier to be raw, to be real, and to be honest when I truly knew what Milosh and Serena’s inward battles were.

I think about my favorite books, Jane Eyre, Harry Potter, The Giver, The War That Saved my Life, Jackaby...countless books that spin tales the authors clearly understand and are passionate about. They take us on a journey yet teach us something beautiful in the process.

Don’t be afraid to learn with the characters and don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” As a new author, I am far from having all the answers. When writing a book, it’s easy to want to become overly confident and pretend you know what you are talking about, when you don’t by a longshot. Don’t be afraid to not know, to not have all the answers. This is part of the learning experience. Research what you don’t know, ask honest questions with people who have been there, and don’t just assume you know what it’s like unless you honestly do.

Be real. Be you. In a world that says to be you, it honestly does a good job at telling you what you need to do. Write what you want to write. Don’t write about zombies attacking blood-thirsty goblins just because it feels like that’s the fiction people are after. I cannot tell you how many people have told me that the type of light fantasy I am writing will not get good reviews.

Write what you are passionate about, because in the end that’s what truly matters. If you fail to write what means something to you, you will care less and less about your writing.

When you write what brings the passion out of you, it will show.

For truly writing fiction that impacts, that reveals a storyworld that draws both inspiration and adventure...be real, be you in the writing world. Find your writing style, find your target audience, draw from your own learning experiences and pain and struggles and beauty in brokenness... and shoot for the stars.

About Kara:

A little about Kara: If you combined Lucy Ricardo, Jo March, and Tonks...you would have Kara. Queen of awkward, writer before she could properly spell, and maker of imaginary humans, she is passionate about creating characters that display beauty in brokenness.

Kara took to blogging as a teenager, words soon becoming one of her greatest passions. When she’s not being a mad scientist in the kitchen or daydreaming about her next adventure, she loves to connect with readers. She lives in West Virginia where country roads always take her home.

You can feel free to stalk her blog www.thebeautifullybrokenblog.com where she rambles weekly.

You can find Kara on

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

Goodreads

About The Broken Prince:

~In all the fairy tales the maiden falls in love with the prince...but she has to remember that this isn’t a fairy tale~

Born into a kingdom where those of magical Gifts are rejected, feared, and even killed, Serena has spent her life striving to hide her ability and keep her younger brother safe.

The bastard son of the hated king and father he hardly knows, Prince Milosh is considered an outcast. He never expects to feel anything but contempt for the peasant girl who unexpectedly shows up in his life, forcing him to answer questions he never wished to ask.

When two very different worlds are thrown together under less than desirable circumstances, both hold deep judgement towards the other. But will they learn to see beyond their stations and birth so that they may defeat the coming darkness, or will labels given to them at birth continue to define them?

A heart-stopping tale about the power of human love, and how each of us are never truly alone.

You can find the book at these links: The Broken Prince (Kindle Edition), Goodreads The Broken Prince (Print Edition)

Kara is also offering a giveaway. It includes a copy of the book, a candle, bookmarks and some other goodies as well.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7d2af5604/?

(Not pictured in the photo: Copy of The Broken Prince)

Giving away...

Notes of encouragement

Handmade bar of honey and oats soap from my home state

Be Bold ring dish

Bookmarks

Print, signed copy of The Broken Prince

I hope you enjoyed hearing from Kara. I absolutely loved her post and what she had to say about writing fiction that impacts. Make sure to check out that giveaway and snag yourself a copy of The Broken Prince!

Have a great week everyone!