Lani Brown's Blog - Posts Tagged "fiction"

When I was a kid, I always wanted to be an author. I read books that I could only dream of writing. I practiced writing short stories, and somewhere along the way, life came in, and had its dirty way knocking me off course from pursuing what my heart wanted.

Years later, after being seasoned in and to life, that old forgotten passion inside me rose again, and here I am. I almost feel as if life came back at me and said, “This Lani Brown is where you are supposed to be. No more wandering life without a sense of direction.”

So, I did what any person would. I read and studied writing for awhile, different techniques, styles, and I also looked at the different genres that I would be interested in writing. After much study and consideration, I did what any want to be author would do. I grabbed my laptop and created a world that I thought someone might enjoy.

Now a year later, I am an author and the wheels have only just begun to spin. I have so many book ideas lined up that I had to get a journal to write them all down. It is my only wish that I can share all my stories with you, the awesome readers that you are.

I can say without fail, never give up on that dream, and if you have, somewhere along the road that dream will come to you once again. And maybe, this time, you will grab onto it as I did. One word of advice… once you do… never let go, don’t give up, and you will succeed.

In 1972 I had turned seven years old. My daddy took me to a department store to get a walking doll. It was advertised as a doll that could walk beside you when you held her hand. It couldn’t just up and walk on its own. Are you kidding me! That would be too creepy right?

I won’t go into detail regarding the doll. I will save the true accounts for Tressa Rose a book that will be coming out in 2017. But nevertheless, this much I will say… the doll was alive. It moved on its own and in the end I got the upper hand… or did I?

Two years later, in 1974, at nine years old, I started watching horror movies, sometimes all night. One movie in particular being “The Exorcist.” I was terrified by that movie to the point where I couldn’t sleep. I had nightmares of it for years, but after I seen the movie, you would think I would never watch horror again… wrong! I didn’t stop there. I watched everything I could from campy horror to classic horror, to screaming horror.

Around thirteen, I developed a love for writing stuff like that. One of my first short stories was on a Vampire, which I no longer have any of the stories… let’s blame it on life. This time it wan’t the muse’s fault.

I have always been a fanatic of horror, supernatural, and paranormal things. And through life I got involved in magic, had an occult shop, and I dabbled in things like tarots, spirit boards, and channeling, meditation… all which eventually brought in real spiritual activity into my life.

Now, it is not unusual to see shadows run across the hall, or hear a whisper behind me. So is it any wonder, I write in the genre that I do. I was conditioned with experience to write in horror, supernatural, and paranormal… and since it goes with the genre, let’s just throw thriller in there.

So, that’s the outline of how I got here. The rest that lies between the sentences, I will leave for great story ideas.

I think every writer is asked this question at least once. The answer for me is life.

To be a writer one must have lived and it really helps to have lived several lifetimes. The old soul knows. But let’s not dwell there.

Experience in little things is key.

With me in writing horror, the experience, my experience, comes from the flood of supernatural occurrences that have happened in life from a young age and it all started with a doll. It didn’t start with the Ouija Board for me. It was a damn store bought doll.

In a way, I owe a debt of gratitude to a doll that… well, let’s just say, it had an unfortunate run in with dismemberment. Nevertheless, it brought in years of supernatural, paranormal happenings that went from one event to another – like a domino effect of unnatural proportion. Anyhow, that is my answer of where I get my ideas.

I did not ask for the doll… then again. It was my Birthday and I do recall picking out the doll… so, I guess I did ask for it, didn’t I?

I think you all will enjoy my book that will be out in 2017 called Tressa Rose.

Write because that’s what you love and want to do.

Be original to yourself. Don’t try to be like someone else. You are your own unique voice. No one can tell the stories that you write like you can.

Read in all Book Genres and read all types of stories – romance, campy horror, horror, supernatural, mystery, thriller, paranormal, westerns… you get the picture.

Don’t limit yourself to one mode of writing. If you want to write horror… write. And next, if you want to write romance, write romance.

Write everyday as much as you can.
Never let a day pass without reading and writing – because those things are part of you, they are in you, and they need to be fed.

Have fun.

Think outside the box, and if it is possible for you to reach beyond the box… do so. Then you eventually will learn to think outside the outside of the box. When you get there… you got it!

Ignore the made up rules! There are no rules to imagination, except the standard punctuation… please don’t ignore those.

When it seems you feel invisible (and you will) use the time wisely, write your stories, publish, and one day, when you least expect… THERE YOU FUCKING ARE!