Because I Must

There's something magical about creating a story, a special something that offers me more than a chance to express myself. I don't know what that something is, but I need it. I want it. I must have it.

There have been so many times in the past several years that I thought about giving up writing, so many times that I tried convincing myself that the time I spend pounding out words onto a laptop would be better spent doing something else. Every time, I fall back to one single thought:

I write because I must.

Shaping worlds and emotions onto a page is my therapy, I think. There's so much chaos and noise and distractions around me that finding a quiet spot and writing helps clear my head and keep me focused on what's really important. And I like that.

I started plotting a new book a couple days ago and can't wait to get into the words. It's another YA Thriller, a genre that I'm currently drawn to. Hopefully, like by last book, it turns into something special. We'll see.

I heard a quote over twenty years ago that's stuck with me since. "I write to unravel the tangled web of my mind." I have no idea who said it, but I believe it applies to me more than most things. Anyway, that's it for now.

Happy Reading.

 ~ Jamie

Ten Random Facts

I've decided that my shiny new YA Thriller needs an entry into #PitchWars, so I thought I’d re-introduce myself and share ten random facts about me. If you'd like to know about other authors who will also be participating, you can find their bios in this post. For those who are new to my blog, welcome. Dig around because there's plenty to discover. 

1.      I love movies. All of our kids and pets are named after main characters from the following movies:

·         Beetlejuice

·         Last of the Mohicans

·         Lord of the Rings

·         Return of the Jedi

·         Sabrina

·         X-Men

2.      My last Five Netflix watches are:

·         Friday Night Lights (the series)

·         Kingpin

·         Zoolander

·         The Pursuit of Happiness

·         50 First Dates

3.      I met my wife while I was dating her sister. She thought I was a dork.

4.      My wife and I celebrated 20 years of marriage this past June. She still thinks I’m a dork.

5.      I love thunderstorms and sailing, but not at the same time.

6.      I served two years in France as a church missionary. I lived in Chartres, Corbeil-Essonnes, Paris, and Troyes.

7.      I decided I wanted to write at age 15 after a tragic canoeing accident on the Snake River.

8.      I was once followed into a restroom by a man who thought I was Tom Hanks and wanted an autograph. (I don’t look anything like Tom Hanks)

9.      I’m currently reading Don’t Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout.

10.  I’m super shy unless you put me in front of a microphone. Then I’ll talk your ear off.

There you have it. Ten things you didn't know about me. I’m pleased to meet you. Oh yeah, my book is about a guy who gets buried alive by his girlfriend. I love thrillers and I'm scared of getting buried alive, so I figured this would be a great project. And it has been a blast! It has reminded me how much I love storytelling and has pushed me to improve my writing. I hope, I really hope that I can get this book fine tuned enough to entice a publisher because there are so many fantastic elements inside and I believe that people could really get into this. 

Happy Reading.

 ~ Jamie

Out of the Cave

Where have I been? What have I been doing?

Stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. I lead a busy life. Oh, and reading and writing.

I am going to climb out of the cave soon for some social sunlight. I have a new book and it's so close to being shiny and bright that I can't keep the awesomeness a secret any longer. Pardon me as I stretch my arms for a bit and get used to the light. More to come, so watch out!

Happy Reading.

 ~ Jamie

Two Weeks to Go

This has been an active spring. Between work, school plays, sports, family time, writing, preparation for vacation, music lessons and concerts, hiding from the weather, my church calling, and a new commitment to regular exercise, I rarely get a moment to just relax.

Wait. Here’s a quick moment. Deep breath. Sigh. Okay, the moment is over. That was nice, though.

I get to go to a writers conference in two weeks. It’s the only writers conference I regularly attend and, honestly, my only opportunity to take an extended break from reality for a day or two. Yeah, it’s LDStorymakers and I can’t wait.

For me, going to an event like this is energizing. It’s a chance to renew my passion for writing while absorbing information from authors, editors, and publishers. I have a ton to learn and there’s always more than enough great information. In fact, the hardest part is choosing from so many great classes. I also love the interaction with other authors because it’s the only chance I get for 365 days.

I’m especially excited this year because I have a new project under my belt. I signed up for the boot camp and can’t wait for the feedback on the first chapter—even though my table might chase me away and tell me I’m crazy after they read it. Shh. Don’t tell them. It’s about a zombie in high school. I had a great time at boot camp two years ago and fully expect an equally fantastic experience this year.

So if you’re going to Storymakers13, don’t be a stranger. Say hi, tweet me zany messages during class, and tell me all about your soon-to-be bestseller! See you there.

~ Jamie

My Reward

Something has been tugging at me, pulling me down the last several days. I haven't felt myself. I tried to sit down last night and couldn't. Today, I figured out what it was. You see, I'm a thinker, a planner. If I see X and then Y, then together they must add up to something. The analytical side of me has this subconscious calculator that says I spent such and such amount of time writing, plus such and such amount of money to publish, that must equal less than so many book sales x so much royalty dollars per sale. Or something like that. The thinker in me expects a return on the investment I made.

That's not why I wrote ON FALLEN WINGS. It isn't.

A friend at work sent me an email today. She was at home and her message to me said something like this. "I'm sitting here bawling. I just finished your book and it was wonderful. You better not make me wait very long for the sequel. I'm so proud and amazed that you created this. I felt like I walked and lived with the characters. Thank you."

I made my friend cry. My book made my friend cry.

A couple days ago, my wife's sister emailed her and said that she had yelled at Rhiannon at one point in the book. Yelled. She was so caught up in the story and could see what might happen next, that she was telling the character in my story to stop.

I don't think I'm that different from anyone who wants to be successful as a writer. My book is out so I keep checking back to see my rankings, to measure how I'm doing against other works like mine. I want to be at the top. I want to be the best. Who measures the best? Amazon? NO. As an artist, my reward is knowing that I stirred something in my audience. To see their tears; to hear their yells; to discover that what I did inspired them to react is better than any amount of money I'll ever make in this adventure. Today, I got my reward. Thank you.

It's time to write.

More Secrets

Whoa! What change in the universe had made this happen?

I’ve been tagged again. Thanks, Theresa. If you don’t know her, I suggest checking out her blog. Her novel, NO ANGEL, is a Whitney Award finalist. Here’s the fantastic questions she’s given to me, and my answers:

1. You're on a deserted island for six months with one person ~ who would it be and why? My wife. What a vacation!

2. You were caught in a meteor shower which left you with strange abilities. Now every time you eat chocolate, you can ... what? Hmm. Every time I eat chocolate, I can turn anything I touch into chocolate.

3. A friend takes you to an abandoned castle that has been hidden for centuries. She heard a rumor that great treasure was hidden in the sixth tower. Would you venture inside or turn it over to the authorities to investigate? What would you find? This is easy. I actually explored an abandoned castle while in France. Great adventure. If I find the pictures, I’ll post them. I’d go into the castle without thinking twice and would hope to find an old suit of armor.

4. You can only drink one type of beverage for the next year - what would it be and why? Orange juice. I LOVE orange juice.

5. Have you ever had to face a fear of yours? What was it and how did you overcome it, if you did? Since I was little, I’ve had an intense fear of skunks. Long story. One night as a teenager, I came face to face with a skunk. Screamed and ran away—thank goodness I was a sprinter. I’m still afraid of skunks.

6. Have you enjoyed certain ages in your life more than others? What is your ideal age and why? Nineteen. I was living in Paris and serving an LDS Mission. Ahh, good times.

7. Has anyone totally amazed you in life? Who and why? I’m amazed by anyone who overcomes a challenge to be successful. Helen Keller tops that list.

8. Have you ever written in a character in a story patterned after a real person ~ out of spite, because that person ticked you off? Not out of spite, but more for fun. A coworker annoyed me one day, so I told her I would burn her at the stake. My current WIP has that scene and it’s awesome! Now you can’t wait for it, can you?

9. Do any of your characters make you totally crazy because they have a mind of their own and take you places you hadn't planned on? I write in the first person of a woman. Ask me why—because I don’t know how that happened. Trying to keep her character doing the things that I want is a huge challenge. I want my character to react like a guy would, but she won’t listen! Grrr…

10. What is your most favorite phrase/paragraph that you have written? Can you share it? This changed my writing life and style:

Leila rolled onto her stomach and leaned on her elbows, propping her chin with her palms. “What is it like to be in love?”

I grinned at her curiosity and stretched my arms straight. “It’s like dancing barefoot in the meadow under moonlight,” I told her. “Love tickles your toes and then climbs to your heart.” I rolled on the grass. “It spirals toward your fingertips as you spin and spin. Then it reaches up to the moon, grabs its rays, and pulls them down like a warm blanket.”

11. If you could sit down and talk shop with any writer from any time period - who would it be and why? I’d like to spend some time with Victor Hugo. His style, in the original French, has always been an inspiration to me.

These have been fun. I'll think about new questions and tag some new people in an upcoming post.

~ Jamie

Full Circle

Almost one year ago, I stepped foot into the world and announced myself as a writer. I created this blog and uploaded my first post, I signed up for Twitter, and I registered for my first Writers Conference. Not knowing what to expect, I had no expectations; all I knew is that I loved writing and I had a story to tell.

Here I am, one year later, still writing and still not knowing what to expect. I've learned a lot, a ton actually, and met so many great people. I've seen other writers send out their novels and receive offers for representation from well-known literary agents. I've seen other writers sign book deals. Even more writers have published their novels and experienced different levels of success. Congratulations to all of them. The achievement is well deserved.

All I have is a story to tell.
My books aren't great literary masterpieces, nor are they worthy of critical acclaim. I don't think I want to write those kind of books. They bore me; I could never write a book that bored me. But this story, THIS STORY, is something fantastic. I wrote the words, yes, so I'm biased that way, but the story found me in a way that begged me to share it with the world. I couldn't walk away and never will.


~ Jamie

Did You Know?

I’ve been tagged by TraciKensworth and given 11 questions to answer. I’m happy to oblige.

1.      Daymare or Nightmare?

Nightmare. My dreams are so vivid that it’s hard for me to know if something is a memory, or if I dreamt it. When they’re scary, I wake up screaming.

2.      How many books/short stories/poems/songs etc. have you written?

I’ve written 3 novels—I’m working on my 4^th, 3 or 4 short stories, and hundreds of poems. No songs.

3.      What genre is your current wip?

Fantasy.

4.      Do you have someone in your live who keeps you on track with your stories? Give them a shout out!

My wife keeps me motivated. Thank you!

5.      Do you write what you know, or stretch your imagination, or both?

I make up everything I write.

6.      Who would you like to see on a coin/money?

Harry Potter money would be cool.

7.      What’s your favorite place to write and why?

On my bed. I have a fantastic view of the mountain peaks from there, and catch full moons and sunrises. It’s full of inspiration.

8.      What would you describe your “Voice” like? I.E. Southern gothic…

Western European.

9.      Do you mix genres? Which ones?

Yes. I mix Fantasy, Romance, and YA. It’s made my story tough to categorize and sell to agents. I’m gambling with the combination and break a lot of rules for each genre. Hopefully, it will work out. We’ll see.

10.  If you could move anywhere in the world where would it be?

The black forest in Germany. It’s beautiful there.

11.  What book (craft or otherwise) have you learned the most from?

I keep The Elements of Style by Strunk and White with me while I self edit.

There you go. 11 things I never told you before. I’m supposed to tag someone else; however, I’m declining. Instead, I’ll give you a secret: Tomorrow, I plan on sharing a small excerpt from ON FALLEN WINGS here on my blog. See you then!

~ Jamie

Tag, I'm it...

A special thanks goes out to Carolyn Brown for “Tagging” me in her latest blog post. For those who don’t know, we’re participating in the Writers Campaign sponsored by Rachael Harrie. It’s a fun way to meet other writers. This is my second campaign and I’ve definitely learned that the more you participate, the more fun you have. The rules of this “Tagging” are that I’m supposed to answer the 11 questions Carolyn assigned to me, and then pass on 11 questions of my own to 11 more campaigners. Here are the questions and my answers:

1. How do the stories you write about come into fruition? My stories are all pure inspiration. They don’t come from dreams, but from A LOT of daydreaming.

2. Do you think you are the type of person who plans for every eventuality, or do you prefer to

live life how it comes, without any organization? I plan. My motto: “I have a plan, a backup plan, and a just-in-case plan.”

3. What is your favorite song? One ~ U2

4. Do you sing it loudly to yourself? Yes and in my sleep, too.

5. Are you still friends with anyone you went to secondary school with? Yes, in fact one friend lives in my neighborhood and my best friend since I was 3 years old lives a couple miles away. He’s also the cover artist for ON FALLEN WINGS.

6. What would be your dream job? I’d love to be paid to write.

7. How often do you speak with your siblings? Once a month.

8. If you were an animal what creature would you like to be? Use your imagination. That’s tough because I’ve always wanted to be a wolf, but I’m scared to death of them. Okay, wolf.

9. I love eating boiled eggs for breakfast, what is your favorite food? I love spaghetti, which makes it tough to live because I’m supposed to eat Gluten free.

10. What piece of technology could you not live without? Computer.

11. Do you have a favorite piece of furniture? My bed. It’s giant and plush and, with a laptop, I do all my writing here.

I’m now tagging:

Jamie Dement http://writebackwards.we3dements.com/wordpress/

Celesta Remington http://celestarimington.blogspot.com/
Colleen Chen http://www.colleenchen.com/
Sabrina Llave http://sabrinallave.blogspot.com/
Michael Haynes http://michael-haynes.blogspot.com/
Melanie Macek http://featherpenstartandreams.wordpress.com/
Stacey Mitchell http://stacey-mitchell.blogspot.com/
Tasha Seegmiller http://tashaseegmiller.blogspot.com/
Sophie http://sophieswritingadventures.blogspot.com/
Poppy Taylor http://poppytaylor.blogspot.com/
Andrew http://pandrewlackey.blogspot.com/

Here’s your questions:

1. Where would your ultimate vacation be?
2. How long have you been writing?
3. How many books did you read last month?
4. If you could have lunch with any living celebrity, who would it be?
5. Name one dessert you can’t eat enough of.
6. Have you ever ridden in a canoe?
7. What animal frightens you the most?
8. What is your favorite movie?
9. Which author inspired you to write?
10. If you were given one superpower, what would you want it to be?
11. Name your favorite quote from The Princess Bride.

Good Luck!

Nice to Meet You

First, I’d like to offer greetings and salutations to everyone new on the blog. That pretty much includes all of you because I’ve only been blogging since March. Welcome. Thank you for taking a moment to visit. Second, I think this is a good moment to introduce myself properly. I’ll narrate a little while including links to my previous posts that I think say the most about me.

I’m a writer. I think that’s obvious, but here’s a link that tells a tiny bit of my story: The Beginning.

I’m married to the most wonderful woman in the world. Here’s my homage to the support she gives me: The Word Behind the Pages.

I write fantasy. Specifically, I write about Faeries. I didn’t intend my stories to be about Faeries, but stories have a way of leading to fantastic places. Here’s a post that explains how that happened: The Nature of My Stories.

I’m sharing my writing adventure via social media. I enjoy using Twitter the most, but have also set up an author’s page on Facebook. Here’s a secret: I post secrets about my writing exclusively on Facebook.

I’ve written three novels. The first novel I’ll publish is called On Fallen Wings. I’m editing its sequel right now. If you want to read the first page of On Fallen Wings, I’ve posted it here: The First Page of On Fallen Wings. I’ve made a few changes to that page since, but it’s mostly intact as you see it on the post.

Lastly, I love the nature. It plays a major part in my books, and has a huge influence on the characters. Here's a post to give a little more insight: Moon Season.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. I hope to learn more about you as we journey together.

- Jamie

Honors and Benefits Already...

I won an award. Thank you.



The first, shown above was given to me by Megan Conway. Thank you, Megan.To accept this award, I am required to do a couple things:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

Since the facts about me need to be random, I'm going to do just that. Voila, seven random facts about me:

1. I love movies. Even more, I love the characters in movies. My children are all named after memorable movie characters. Weird? Not at all. Their names are really cool.
2. I speak French. Not just a little and not high school French (I never took French in High School). I'm fluent. Although my accent is gone from years without practice, I still speak rather easily. Sometimes, I even dream in French, which is fantastic. I learned the language while living in Paris (and a couple small french towns) for a couple of years. Want to know more? Check out this post:
3. I'm scared of skunks. That's right. When I was three, I saw a cat in the garden and decided to go say hello. It wasn't a cat...and it wasn't friendly. Scarred for life.
4. I've learned that first impressions can be overcome. When I first met my wife, she thought I was weird. We'll celebrate 15 years of marriage in June. She still thinks I'm weird.
5. I hate the cold. Give me heat and the sun. Ironically, On Fallen Wings takes place during winter. Brr, I'm shivering just thinking about it.
6. I have Celiac Sprue. It sounds worse than it is, but I'm not supposed to eat gluten. When I do, I pay an awful price. Sucks.
7. In 1997, when I was in London, people on the street laughed at me because I wore shorts. (They called them "short pants" and stopped to laugh and point.) I'm still angry and refused to attend the royal wedding because of it! Okay, I wasn't invited. But if I had been invited, I would have politely declined out of spite.

Now for my winners of the Stylish Blogger Award:

• Jamie Corrigan
• Terron James
• Shain Brown
• Nicole Chase
• Brandi Kosiner

You'll find that all of my winners have insightful content and very different designs. Great style.

Letters from France

Il ya seize ans, j'ai quitté ma maison en France. C'est vrai, ma maison. I had been living there, serving an LDS Mission for two years. Je vivais là-bas, au service d'une mission LDS pendant deux ans. Cette semaine, après une épiphanie surprenant au travail, je me suis retrouvé les souvenirs de si longtemps. Je n'étais pas en France en tant que touriste, je n'ai donc pas recueillir beaucoup, sauf quelques babioles, beaucoup de photos, et quelques lettres. D'une certaine manière, dans le fouillis de la vie, ces choses chères avaient trouvé leur place dans un bac en plastique, cachée profondément dans le fond de mon garage. La nuit dernière, bien que fatigué par une longue journée, j'ai pris le temps de les sauver.

Les lettres. Fascinant mots écrits pour moi à une époque où l'internet était à ses balbutiements et que l'art de l'estampage une enveloppe a été aussi honnête que le soleil. Ils sont longs, manuscrite, scénarisé travaille avec soin de la beauté. Leurs significations et les messages me rendait triste. I miss France.

Les sons, les odeurs, les aliments-oh, la nourriture, les traditions, les fêtes, presque tous les jours, semblait-il, l'art, l'histoire, et le peuple. Oui, le peuple. Dites ce que vous allez sur le français, j'ai trouvé les gens qu'il y ait admirablement agréable. Tout comme les États-Unis, il ya une ménagerie de cultures mêlées toutes les personnes vivant là-dans les petites, à des endroits éloignés, la recherche d'une vie paisible. En 1993, un ans American mec dix-neuf qui aimait le surf et U2, se joignirent à eux.

Il ya une raison pour laquelle je vous écris ceci en français. Au contraire, je vous écris en anglais et le traduire en français. Ce message n'est pas sur l'écriture. Ça parle de moi. Si vous parvenez à lire ce texte, le prendre comme ça. Je ne cherche pas à raconter une histoire au sujet de mon livre, ou d'en parler par écrit. Ceci est mon plaidoyer pour le monde. Si la technologie peut jouer un rôle, je suis en lui demandant de prendre part à m'aider. Je m'ennuie de certaines personnes en France. Je veux leur parler, leur écrire, leur dire ce qui s'est passé dans ma vie, partager avec eux combien j'ai changé, et surtout, de les connaître. J'ai promis à certaines personnes là, je ne les oublierai pas. Je n'ai jamais fait. En fait, je pense à eux tout le temps. Aujourd'hui, révèlent des mots de l'histoire m'a rappelé ma responsabilité de ces promesses.

Pendant huit mois, j'ai vécu dans une petite ville appelée Chartres. La plupart des gens qui ont entendu parler de lui, il sait de la cathédrale. Je le sais pour la famille Zobiri. Ils signifiait beaucoup pour moi alors, et encore une grande signification pour moi maintenant, mais seulement à travers les souvenirs. Je voudrais pouvoir les trouver.

Après Chartres, j'ai été transféré dans une ville appelée Troyes. Là, j'ai rencontré la famille Cerda. Peu de gens ont eu la chance de savoir que la famille comme je le faisais. Je souhaite aujourd'hui je les connaissais.

Au fil des ans, j'ai perdu le contact avec ces familles. J'ai beaucoup déménagé, augmenté mon plaisir propre famille, et a passé quelque temps en recherchant l'excellence dans une importante société. Je ne les ai jamais oubliés. S'il y avait eu un moyen à l'époque, je l'aurais retourné vivre en France pour passer votre vie là-bas, juste pour être près de ces deux familles, c'est à quel point ils signifiait pour moi. Il n'était pas possible, à regret, et même quand je suis retourné en vacances en 1997, les voyant ne figurait pas sur l'itinéraire prévu.

Avec les lettres, j'ai trouvé un vieux carnet d'adresses. Je ne sais pas si ces familles sont toujours au même endroit, mais je vais leur écrire-sur papier. Ce message est destiné à ces familles: Je ne vous ai pas oublié. Je suis ici. Poster un message si ces mots vous joindre.

Pour toute autre personne qui parvient à traduire ce ou comprend. Merci de partager un moment à l'intérieur de mon âme.

The Beginning

Many years ago, it's been too long since, I crawled out of the Snake River and decided I would write my story.
Then something happened. Like the violent rapids I had just escaped, life pulled me downstream and kept me from grasping my dream. I wanted to write. I could see the images in my head and plotted a way to eventually allow them an escape. Eventually is an evil word. I hate it. Eventually turned to tomorrow, and then to next week, and then to next year. Every day, the stories inside begged me to release them, but I kept telling them that the moment wasn't right, that eventually, I would find the time. That was 1989.
So, what has happened between then and now? Well, that's all back story.

My Novel is Finished.
I finished my novel, On Fallen Wings, a couple months ago. It's not my first book, in fact, it wasn't supposed to happen. While completing an edit on another book, I wrote a page of words about the sister of a main character. They were wonderful, the best words I have placed with keystrokes. Suddenly, I saw her in my mind. She was sad and beautiful. I wondered what her story was. On Fallen Wings was born.

What About the Other Story?
I learned while writing my first book that sometimes you have to cut the parts that get in the way, even if they're good. That story is good, but it keeps me from the direction I've chosen to travel. It's like a stone in the river. By the way, they hurt when the water smacks you into them.

What is the Book About?
Faeries. I'll talk about them later.