FIRST GUEST POST! AUTHOR JAMES ARIES: How I became a writer

Guuuuuuys! I'm SO excited! Because today marks the FIRST guest post in a new series. On the last Friday of every month, I'll be featuring a new-to-this-blog writer, who'll share everything from tips and tricks to writing lessons and personal stories.

It's only fitting that my first guest is James Aries, a middle-grade author and elementary school teacher who's penned some of my favorite books, including Ninth Night, UNDER, and Verve Stones. I've known James for over ten years (he is, after all, married to my best friend Ingrid). And have benefited immensely from his writing advice, story ideas, and editing skills. 

Today, we both talk about how we became writers. To view my post, visit his blog (and then purchase his books. Seriously, you won't be sorry.)

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How I became a writer
​by James Aries

​I started writing fiction at 23 years old, the year after I graduated from Western Washington University. On a hike, my roommates from college participated in a campfire game called Team Story Telling. You might be familiar with it. To start the game, someone contributes the first lines of a story. Then, going around the circle, everyone adds a few lines. We enjoyed the story so much, we decided to continue it over email. We named it Goat vs Ferret Wars. (Yes, you read that correctly. Imagine Narnia with a hint of Lord of the Rings meets immature guys who just graduated from college.) It grew to 12,328 words over three years though it remains unfinished to this day.

During my first emailed addition to Goat vs Ferret Wars, I described the world. Nothing else. My friends’ additions to the novel blew me away. Hilarious. Suspenseful. Epic. I refused to embarrass myself with misspelled words and incomplete thoughts. 

I managed to increase the amount of words I added to our novel. 215 words. 834 words. 3,254 words. Newly married, my wife’s proofreading skills gave me confidence as well. Little did I realize, I was hooked on writing. I had never written that many words, or for that long, ever. Not for fun. Yet, I felt proud of my work. I thought about how to make the story better day and night. I became addicted to crafting the world, the characters, the plot.  

The week after I added my longest chapter, the next friend emailed his section to Goat vs Ferret Wars. His chapter changed a plot line I adored. He ruined my plan for the story. I was so mad. That moment was an epiphany for me. I knew I had to write. Yet, if I wanted full control, I needed to write my own story. 

That’s exactly what I did. I bought a journal, and wrote down the name Spoon. I wanted Spoon to travel to another world to stop an evil king. I wanted him to get superpowers. This is the birth of me as an author. Altrea, too. 

www.jamesaries.wordpress.com 
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Photo of Robin taken by Heidi Ryder Photography