When I finally got time to even think, or consider, actually trying to write, I went to a Writer's Conference.

I spent all weekend there. I went to all the meetings, the big rooms, and the small. I saw all the people up at the front, on the other side of the tables, telling us, the rest of the room, often the packed rooms, on what and how to write. There was a library out front, in the hotel entrance. It contained all the books of all the speakers, and even additional books. If someone was sitting on the other sides of those tables sharing their guidance with us, I went and bought their book and read the entire book that night. I bought and read a lot of books that weekend.

Very few of them were any good.

Actually, only two were good.

One guy who came and spoke to us, I can't remember his name, one of those books was his. He wrote too dark for me. Too harsh and brutal. But he was for sure good. Think The Dresden Files but way more nasty and you've got it. You could tell he was uncomfortable at the front of the room, infront of all of us. You could also tell he was a very intelligent, driven introverted type.

The one thing I remember him saying was that it took a staggering and astounding amount of work and discipline.

He was right.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

The other person was Amanda Sun of YA Harlequin. It was the release of her first Ink novel. I think she was still a teenager then. She was excellent. She was very friendly and most kind to an old guy that had lots of questions for her once I had read her book. She answered every one and gave me her full time and undivided attention. I read her book thoroughly and had three questions for three specific portions of her story. She was most frank and open with me on the work it took for her in those three sections, and she has my greatest respect and appreciation. I learned a lot during my conversation with her. My read through found the three specific sections of her novel she had trouble with. She shared with me the work it took to fix it, and how she remained open-minded with her editor about the requested changes.

The only room that topped all that was the room with the kids. All these authors that had been sitting at the front of the room in the advisory position joined a few of us on the floor of this smaller room. At the front, across the table from us, was a row of children / YA. We sat as THEY got to answer questions and advise us, the wanna be authors, and the published ones. The room was electric. It was the first time I had felt that all weekend. It was like the Beatles were sitting at the front of the room. And of all the questions and of all the answers, you know what became the most powerful substantial answer from that table of kids?

"It's all good. All your questions sound cool - so just go write it. Write it all."

Like many of you out there, I also have a copy of Stephen King's On Writing. He only left out one word in that entire book as it is perfect. On the cover of mine, as a reminder to myself, I wrote that one word right before the title...

'Keep' On Writing.

J. H. Royal