What I’ve learned so far in my editing class:

• Selling 100,000 books in a year makes you a New York Times Best Selling Author
• If you want to work with the Big Publishing Houses you need a Literary Agent
• Do Not become attached to the title you come up with
• Always get veto rights on you cover art
• Cover Art can make or break a book
• Always avoid Vanity Presses
• Keep a reference list on hand of all the words you have trouble spelling
• Keep a story specific list of words or phrases to save time on double checking

How to Write Numbers:

The most important thing is that you keep what you do consistent.

  Also use your best judgement when writing numbers in dialogue. 

Years

• Spell out centuries
• twenty-first century
• Use apostrophes to show missing numbers
• always angled to the left ′70
• Use numerals for dates
• September 17, 2012
• Don’t use apostrophes for plural years
• 1920s

Spell Out

• If followed by hundred, thousand, hundred thousand
• Any number that comes at the beginning of a sentence
• work it so years don’t end up here
• Always write out centuries
• Measurements
• unless it’s normally seen as a numeral, 50 gallons
• Simple Fractions
• unless mixed with whole numbers
• Monetary Values
• unless it’s complicated or a lot of values in one paragraph
• Times followed by o’clock and half-hour or quarter times
• unless it’s specific: 4:18
• don’t use numerals for midnight or noon
• Spell out numbered streets up to 100

Use Numerals

If followed by million, billion, etc

If a complicated number

• 54,321 instead of spelled out

If there are a lot of numbers in one paragraph

Abbreviated unit of measurement

• 50 mph
• no numeral then spell out the measurement

Percentages

• if using % no space between numerals and symbol

For pages, chapters, volumes, verse numbers, illustrations, and tables

The Value of Fanfiction

A couple of topics that come up often are: what is the value behind fanfiction, and which is harder to write fanfiction or original works. I don't think this conversation is relevant because as long as you are writing and getting that practice then GOOD FOR YOU! I would encourage original works over fanfiction since you can't make money from fan works, but that is a different, much more legal conversation.
The media looks at fanfiction as though it is some sex polluted, character manipulating treat that they get to wave in front of celebrity faces whenever they get the chance. Yes, we have smut, but so do original content writers (but ours tends to be written better-just saying). Yes, we are putting the character through our own story idea, but we never claim it as our own.
No one expects artists to start drawing complex sketches without first practicing with references, so the viewer knows what it is suppose to be and help the artist improve. If you just want to mindlessly draw you are free to use whatever you see in front of you.
Fanfiction is the writer using the original content as a reference so they can practice their writing before jumping into original work. And even if you aren't planning on ever creating your own world, this is you mindlessly sketching what you see before you.
So use the references you read to get an idea of your style of writing before outlining longer original projects. No one would ever ask a brain surgeon to only practice on living patients. They use the outline of a person to learn where to cut, where things can go wrong, and how to compensate for those errors before they are ever able to operate on a real human.
Writing is the exact same way.
If anyone tries to tell you any differently, kindly point them in the direction of the Renaissance Era.

Take a Break

I sometimes wish I my brain were capable of just relaxing rather than analysing every conversation for story potential. Or just being able to sit back and enjoy a movie at face value rather than point out inaccuracies and plot holes.
As much as I really want to I also know that it's by seeing everything around me that I get better at what I do. I learn what I do like and what I don't like and I work on my own style. It is kind of nice to see that inspiration can come from literally anywhere in my life and develop itself in a way that gives me a challenge and others the joy of a story.

The Meaning Behind Words

I love it when writers put thought behind the words they choose. I suppose the most well known is JK Rowling's Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley actually being diagonally and nocturnally. Today I found out that in the Disney movie Treasure Planet the planet James Theodies Hawkins is from is Montressor is actually French for "my treasure" mon trésor.
A tad unrelated to fiction, but I found out that Colorado means red or ruddy in Spanish. The United States has a state called red. Of course. Though I would be very disappointed if no one took advantage of the ruddy definition like "I am so tired of this ruddy state." 

My goals as an author

If I were ever to be a published author and my book got sold to be made into a move. I would make my one request that I get to help pick the cast. That way even if the director completely messes up my plot and reduces my characterization to a cheesy love triangle. The characters will be the race I intended them to be.

First Post

I feel like John Watson in trying to come up with something to write for this post, also for this blog. I would like for this to be a writing blog, just a giant compilation of advice, references, prompts, etc. I strongly believe that life heavily influences how and what you write; also that inspiration sometimes comes from the most random or regular things.