I’m the guy in college that got a “B” in English composition. I consistently leave out articles, pronouns, and verbs when I write. I hear them in my head, but they never reach the page. Even if I proofread, I still will mentally insert missing words, which consistently awarded me with less than stellar grades for writing assignments.
For many years, I believed what my grades said about me as a writer. I was mediocre at best. Clearly I was never meant to win a writing contest, especially if the writing was done in class under a time limit. I was sure to fail miserably. I finished my schooling loathing any type of writing assignment.
My tale would have ended there. However, I loved to read. Reading allowed me to escape my mundane world into those of untold mysteries. I didn’t see words on a page. I saw wondrous places with magical heroes, heroines, and villains. Books were movies that played out in my mind in intricate detail.
These stories were not just entertaining. I learned about myself and what it is to be human from these larger than life events and characters. Fantasy characters were seemingly always faced with moral dilemmas and tough situations that I would never experience in my life. However, seeing these books play out in my mind gave me that knowledge. I have grown emotionally and spiritually because of these experiences, all the while being entertained.
Which leads me back to writing… I left school believing I was not a writer. Everything in my mind plays out as pictures or movies. In order for me to write, I have to try to translate these images into the written word. If you have ever tried to describe a picture to someone over the phone, you get a sense of what it is like for me to write. I then have to read what I have written to see if it creates the image I wanted. Often, it takes many hours for me to get the wording that will create the same image in my mind. Even after hours reworking a page, I still leave out words, and my punctuation is atrocious.
This doesn’t make me a poor writer; it makes me a very slow writer. I don’t have to be perfect, either. It took me years to acknowledge and accept this. Now I rely on others to help me correct what I write. If I could change anything about how our schools teach, it would be to encourage creativity not perfection. Grading everyone against this standard for a creative process may be more damaging than we know. No one is perfect. However, with practice we can become better at anything. Thinking I was not a good writer discouraged me from wanting to write and the only way to get better at writing was to write.
Thankfully, my life experiences have given me the wisdom to know that the only limits I have are the ones I place on myself. I tossed out the belief that I was not good at writing. I am creative, and writing is a creative endeavor. There is no reason I can’t be a writer. Yes, I write slowly. Yes, I make many mistakes. In the end, it is all worth it, because if I am successful, the words begin to meld into pictures, and a movie starts to play in my mind.
The Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening
by Aric C. Carter
Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Aric C. Carter (July 26, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link
Kindle Edition
File Size: 2403 KB
Print Length: 238 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link
Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 8 hours and 16 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Aric C. Carter
Audible.com Release Date: September 2, 2014
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Audible Link
Synopsis:
The Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening is a compelling tale of a simple man's adventures as he seeks justice for the murder of his wife and daughter, only to find that his entire world is threatened. When a mysterious visitor destroys jovial Tegain Hostler's tavern, killing his beloved wife and daughter, Tegain is devastated. Not knowing how to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, he turns to his friend, the trader Karl Dunmire, who comes upon the wreckage the following morning. Karl, a former Marshal in the Royal Wayman Dragoons, advises him to travel to the next-largest town to seek legal assistance in tracking down and bringing to justice the murderous villain. Karl agrees to accompany Tegain on this trek. Ever the trader, Karl sells Tegain a battered and rusty old sword that he swears will clean up to a fine instrument of protection. Little does he realize that the sword is unusual in a variety of ways.
During a nighttime attack by a Grimble, a creature thought to exist only in the frightened imaginations of children, Tegain is amazed to find that the sword can cleave the beasts with a single blow. As the two friends continue along their way, they find that other villages are being plagued by mythical beasts, as well, and when Tegain refuses to give up his sword in one such village, Folsum, he is forced to flee while Karl is imprisoned. While Tegain seeks to discover the cause of this mayhem, Karl quietly befriends and secretly begins training his captors. His training and Tegain's courage, along with new friendships, will soon be required as they once again join forces to face down demons from their people’s past that now threaten their future. Carter has peopled a richly-drawn pseudo-medieval world with believable, well-fleshed characters. This sweeping tale proceeds at a rapid pace, and initially seemingly random details are later revealed to have great significance.
About the author:
Aric C. Carter was born the youngest of three brothers in in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida but grew up in El Reno, Oklahoma. After reading Tolkien’s The Hobbit at age 9, he was hooked on science fiction, fantasy and thrillers.
Carter joined the U.S. Navy, serving five years aboard the USS Enterprise as a Nuclear Machinist Mate and a year as a Navy recruiter. He is a veteran of Bosnia Conflict, Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
He currently lives in Oklahoma and when he’s not writing he’s working in the power generation field as a System Operator for Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OGE).
Carter enjoys learning, challenges, and spending time with his daughter. He is a licensed private helicopter pilot, certified SCUBA diver, personal trainer, actor, and writer. He has an AAS in nuclear power technology from Bismarck State College, ND.
For more information about Carter, please visit http://www.aricccarter.com
Say “hello” on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSagaofLyn
Buy the Book on Amazon HERE
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