Hello my delightful fiends. Today we have a guest post from Julie Dawn, the author of the Zombie novel, Yosemite Rising.

And since I’m struggling through writing my own novel right now, I asked her to share some of the journey she took while writing hers.

Here’s some of the helpful, and humorous thoughts she had to share:

‡——-‡

On Writing Horror

I lifted the screen of my laptop and began writing Yosemite Rising thinking I’d write some YA Paranormal Romance. I ended up with anything but that.

In between was this whole f**king, crazy ass, hard, crippling journey.

When I had a few thousand words, I started doing some research (about proper everything) which was a horrible thing to do as a newbie.(Don’t even look for an agent at this point, or it’s a longer road to becoming you.)

The thing that everything pointed to was this thing called “voice”. No one can really explain it and “you have it or not.”

Well That sucks.

How do I get this magical “voice” thing? Do I have it? How do I get it?

 

If you’re in that stage, you don’t have it. Not yet. But if you stick around and do the work, I promise you’ll get there. And it’s worth it.

I can tell you what I have learned “voice” is, at least in my opinion. But remember it will be a little different for all of us—as it should be—hint, hint.

It is how you speak, where you grew up, the color of your skin, sex of your body, intimacy preferences, what schools you went to, and the movies you watch. It is the books you’ve written notes in, the one that never compared to its movie, and the author who showed you what its like to feel that new release date.

But most important, is that you are one of the rare ones who already knows what makes you complete, what can heal you, what makes you feel the intensity of living in this absolutely beautiful planet, that’s dying.

Once you find that you’ll have your voice.

Don’t miss the amazingly hard journey to get there—because that is everything to getting there.

And as far as researching too early in your quest of finding yourself, research at all the wrong times got us both here, in one spot. You reading it just a little while after I’ve written it.

You never know what you’ll become, if you don’t try.

[Now if that is already a quote, I will sh*t myself]

As you can see, I’m working on mine still. Or perhaps, it is just constantly changing and evolving into what the next story will become.

And you can’t pick what you want to write. If you fight that, you’ll loose your voice. The longer you resist, the more it chokes you.

So write. Write and see what comes out. I warn you, it is not for the faint of heart. But somewhere inside, you know that life isn’t about taking it easy and being comfortable. No other generation has ever had it so easy.

Get uncomfortable. It could just save you.

‡——-‡

About Julie

Julie Dawn grew up in southern Jersey, spending the summers collecting bee stingers in her feet. After graduating from Richard Stockton College, she dipped her toes in the environmental field for a few years, got married, moved to North Carolina, and finally got to become a mom. Four years of living in state parks was enough to make her relocate to the Oregon Coast. Under bright stars, she started writing again, determined to change the world one story at a time.

Connect with her

Website ∇ Twitter ∇ Facebook ∇ YouTube

Julie’s Book, Yosemite Rising

A legend that will change the world.

It’s been 150 years since the Ahwahnee Indians lived where Yosemite National Park now stands. Their last surviving Chief appears to Elizabeth Hutchings, a twenty-year-old biology student, the very day her parents die. Within 24 hours, she too is clinging to life as his whispers echo in her thoughts.

An ancient prophecy has begun. A plague rips through the world’s population, taking everyone and everything she has ever cared about. As agents of a mysterious organization called Meadowlark hunt her, she must find the strength to fight the infected even as she struggles to keep herself alive.

Just when she thinks she can’t go on, a man from her past arrives. He holds the key to understanding the prophecy. If she can unravel its secrets, she not only may change her own fate—but the fate of the entire world.

Find a Copy

Kobo ∇ Amazon ∇ Amazon UK ∇ Barnes & Noble

Praise for Yosemite Rising

“At once evocative and gritty, Yosemite Rising is a roaring beast of a page-turner that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. The tale is a collision between a mystery as old as the high mountain valley at its heart and cutting-edge bio-tech terror. Raw and fast- paced, sexy and shocking, with compelling characters and genuinely creepy villains, Yosemite Rising will interrupt your sleep and haunt your dreams. And you’ll be glad it did.” –Bill Cameron, award-winning author of County Line

Julie in Book-Land

Goodreads Author Page ∇ Amazon Author Page ∇ Amazon UK Author Page ∇ Wattpad