I’m talking about Grammarly here. It’s stalking me even as I write this and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Still, the invisible English professor peeping over my shoulder has saved me from embarrassment too many times already, and I’ve only just invited him into my writer’s den.
But is his constant presence worth the distraction? That little red underline flashing at me and the errors stacking up on the right are so annoyingly in my face that I often have the urge to holler, especially when it makes a stupid suggestion. Wait… What? How can you “meets” someone? [Confession, my structure needed changing… again. Now meets makes sense.]
I came across a glaringly simple tip for pounding out that first draft. Turn off Spellchecker! But it’s scary now that I’ve come to count on Professor Tom standing behind me with a comforting hand on my shoulder. [Grammarly told me to use “his” hand and not “a” hand. I like “a” better, dang it!] I’m so conflicted! I don’t want to miss a single, horrible, cringe-worthy typo, and I like that the professor is always ready to help me restructure my sentence [As alluded to previously, I can bang out a sentence backasswards with the best of them]. I admit using this tool and others like it has trained my brain to type it right more often now. (I just typed “write” instead of “right.” Eeek!)
The other issue… My comforting professor is a double agent and spies for Big Brother… [I’m just adding this for drama… but it makes you think.]
A blurb from Grammarly:
Grammarly helps people communicate with confidence across devices and platforms. Our AI-powered suggestions appear wherever you write, coaching over 30 million people and 50,000 teams every day to improve the correctness, clarity, engagement, and delivery of their writing.
Yes, statistics… lots and lots of statistics. My fiction writing is data now. Okay, it’s for my benefit to help me be a better writer, but Grammarly crunches all that data to learn how we humans can better engage our readers… Hey, I’m the one who invited the professor in.
Here are the statistics Grammarly highlighted for me to fix more areas… if I pay for the premium version:
Overall, no critical issues.
Wordy sentences = 3
Incorrect phrasing = 2
Unclear sentences = 2
Misplaced words or phrases = 1
Word choice = 1 (backasswards)
Intricate text = 1 (what does this mean?)
More… = 2
You might be interested to know two of the problem spots were in the blurb from Grammarly. 😁
Happy writing! Let me know what you think about Grammarly or generative AI tools like it.
I wanted to share my friend’s beautiful, haunting poem. Thank you for reading and supporting indie authors.
Memories of light, my sinister delight, Haunted vision, this is my life. In shadows I wander, lost in despair, A soul consumed by sorrow, beyond repair.
Each day unfolds with a somber hue, A symphony of darkness, my heart subdued. Echoes of laughter whisper in the night, But their warmth fades, swallowed by endless fright.
Gone are the days of innocent bliss, Replaced by a void, where darkness persists. A twisted dance of pain within my soul, A haunting melody that takes its toll.
The weight of sorrow, a burden I bear, A broken spirit, trapped in this despair. Silent tears fall like rain in the night, Drowning my hopes, extinguishing the light.
In the depths of my being, a mournful song, A requiem for a life that’s gone wrong. Loneliness clings to my every breath, A constant companion, the harbinger of death.
Oh, how I long for solace and release, To find a glimmer of hope, a moment of peace. But the darkness lingers, it won’t let me go, A perpetual torment, an eternal woe.
Memories of light, a distant memory, Lost in the shadows, where pain finds me. My heart, an abyss, forever confined, To this dark and sad existence, my mind.
Lucky Noma
Find Lucky Noma’s books and short stories on Amazon and Substack.
Enjoy this video Lucky created for his poem. More of Lucky’s dark fantasy video stories are on his YouTube channel.
Memories of Light by Lucky Noma
I love sharing works by so many wonderful creators. For more, sign up for my newsletter. As a thank you, you’ll get access to a free download of my story Beneath the Prismed Light.
What an exciting debut novel from this urban fantasy author, giving readers a quest, romance, and magic, and bringing together great characters to fight a sinister darkness.
Solum is the first in this series for G. M. Chmilar’s The Faith of The Three and it is just that. Gabrielle tells us it is a place where magic lives and exists, hiding in plain sight.
Inspiration for Gabrielle’s writing comes from various television shows, movies, video games, Dungeons and Dragons, and music. All of this is amalgamated into characters and places that are relatable and close to home.
When Gabrielle isn’t writing, she works as a Training Facilitator in Edmonton, Alberta. She plays video games and bakes and believes that you should always strive to be the person you needed when you were younger. Gabrielle says she wanted everyone to find something to love in her books.
Thank you so much for visiting with me on my blog today, Gabrielle! Lately, I feel like I’m in an exciting club with many of my guests who have launched their first book as part of a series. Can you give us a description of The Faith of the Three world and tell us about what’s coming next?
GMC. Well okay. The Faith of the Three world is our present world. What would it look like with magic? Of course, the government would be hiding it, having secret operations to keep it under wraps with their own soldiers as well as the soldiers who wield magic. Mystical creatures live among us, working their 9-5s, night shifts, and whatever works for their natural strengths. Vampires work in the morgue or the hospital. They can smell death before it happens. I have an orc who runs a butcher’s shop with his half-human half-orc son. There’s magic in places you don’t think and they hide in plain sight. I want to expand the world and show you what magic looks like in the 20s.
I would love it if you could talk a bit about the magic system so integral to this story. I enjoyed this Instagram post where you make a point about not needing to resort to magic to fix everything. Can you talk about that?
Magic cannot solve everything. If it did, we wouldn’t need Sentinels. Science sometimes prevails since magic is dependent on the strength and constitution of the wielder. It is sometimes better to go the long route than it is to fix a problem quickly. ~ Solum
GMC. Okay, so magic sometimes is unreliable. It takes a lot of control, concentration, precision, and talent. I have a few reels that show elemental incantations, how magic needs to be wielded, and the dangers of losing control. Fire is a good one. Fireballs are cool but no one talks about how hot it is–like if you lose control of it you can burn yourself. I really want the magic system to be consequential. It’s like handling heavy machinery. You need practice, training and a manual would be nice. So sometimes magic can be helpful, but it’s not a one spell fixes all.
DLL. Fantastic. I’m getting a sense of what it’s like to be in this world.
Can we expect more novels to come from The Faith of the Three? What other series or books are in the works?
GMC. Yes. I just finished the draft of the sequel in this series. It expands the world and focuses on the larger problems that the main characters have and answers questions that weren’t answered in the first book. There is intrigue and romance. You watch the characters grow and change, learning what love is, what family is, and what sacrifices were made to keep secrets safe.
DLL. All fabulous elements! Congratulations on a finish!
I find it fascinating that so many fantasy writers I know are inspired by dungeons and dragons. I can definitely see where it comes from, though I have never participated in role-playing games. Can you tell us more about how gaming shapes the worlds you enjoy creating? Were there characters or settings you developed over time in this medium that you brought to the pages of your writing?
GMC. Gaming shaped mostly my magic items, character weapons, and character strengths and weaknesses. I wanted each person to be special in their own way and it benefits the group. There’s a healer, a fighter, a thief, things like that. The characters all have DND character sheets that you keep track of to help make them more fantastical. The scenarios come from games, movies, and anime. I love action movies and adventure movies. When I am in a funk I’ll re-watch The Mummy or Zorro. They have my heart with pure romance, an unlikely hero, and a story that’s swoon-worthy.
In addition to games and shows, I’d love to hear how music has influenced your writing.
GMC. Yes. Each character has their own preferred genre. One of the characters I want her to sound like a Taylor Swift album. If I have to write her chapter Taylor Swift is on repeat. On top of that, I listen to certain types of songs depending on the scene. If it’s a club scene I’m playing club and rave music. If it’s a fight scene it’s heavy cinematic Marvel-type songs so I can see the battle in my head.
DLL. I love this! There are so many ways I’ve heard of where music inspires writing or gets the writer in the mood, but having a genre you listen to for each character or scene sounds so fun, and obviously it’s effective.
Who are the top three authors you’ve been inspired by the most? Or in the alternative, what top three books inspired you?
GMC. I love Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo, The Diviners by Libba Bray, and a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I grew up on Buffy and I based my dialogue on it. Lots of witty banter, teasing, and relationships that feel authentic.
DLL. Thank you for the recommendations! I was a bit old for Buffy… I thought. Then I discovered Angel when it went streaming. That lovely bit of broody vampire fun is a regular binge session these days.
Have you always wanted to write a novel? What set you off on your writing journey?
GMC. Yes. Always. It has been a dream since I was a child and I’ve been writing since then. I wrote a ton of fanfiction. Telling stories has always been my favorite and making up scenarios of love and adventure drives me.
DLL. I love hearing how writers have followed a passion from such a young age and are making it a reality. Way to go!
You have had several opportunities to take your book to signing events. What’s it like? How do you prepare and know how many books to bring? What are your favorite things about getting out there and meeting your readers? What are the challenges?
GMC. It’s long and tiring and fun. I love getting out there. I don’t usually do much to prepare. I bring 10-30 books depending on the location and a Sharpie. Since I don’t have any merch I don’t bring anything else. I really like saying hi. Even if I don’t know if people are going to buy my book that day or at all, it’s just nice to say hi. It’s not about selling, it’s about getting your name out there and making connections. Just like Instagram or socials. Make connections. I think meeting my readers is the coolest thing in the world. I met a young person who told me they loved my Instagram and I nearly died. It was so humbling and wonderful I wish everyone could meet their readers.
DLL. I love it! That is a great endorsement for doing book signings! Thank you.
What resources have you assembled for your team or processes to finalize and publish your books? Do you have an editor, cover designer, ARC readers? Are you traditionally, hybrid or independent published? And what are your thoughts about the pros and cons of the different routes to publishing?
GMC. I wish I knew more about publishing before I did it because I probably would have had a team of betas and editors, but it is what it is. I’m a hybrid, I knew I wanted to be in a big box store and I don’t have time to keep track of my own sales since I still work a full-time job. I know some people do both but it just wasn’t for me. I think being traditionally published is really cool and difficult. It’s hard to get out there. Being an indie author has its hardships but it comes with freedom. A freedom of creativity and control. I think it’s best to find the route that suits you.
DLL. I’m finding every author’s experience is unique yet the pros and cons come out fairly evenly. Thank you for sharing your journey through publishing.
Let’s talk about your writer’s life. Do you set goals and plan your novels, or is it purely a spontaneous enjoyment?
GMC. I have goals and timelines. Because of my full-time job, it takes me a year to finish a draft and another year to edit and publish. It gives me time to sit with the novel and ensure it is exactly what I want.
DLL. I like that schedule. There is time to do it right and make it shine, but it’s also a reasonable length of time for the readers to get the next book. I’m happy for you that you’ve found a schedule that works!
Do you have a favorite place to write? A preferred time of day, techniques, or methods to help with productivity?
GMC. I sit at my desk. I love it. I have a great chair, lights, and dual screens. Usually, nighttime after work is best, but if I can, I’ll spend a whole day writing. I think about my books all day during work hours and at night. I dream of it. I don’t have many techniques but I can just have fun. If you have fun and you love it, it comes off the page. It doesn’t matter if it’s not for everyone, what matters is that you love it.
DLL. Very nice! I’m going to save that and pin it to my project board! Thank you!
What are your favorite tips for balancing work, home, and your creative life?
GMC. Go with the flow. Listen to your body. If you’re tired the creative juices don’t flow well and you can’t force it. Find inspiration in places you love and explore different places in your life and city. Sometimes the best things come from the most unexpected places and people.
DLL. Another great piece of advice.
Thank you so much for chatting with me, Gabrielle! Do you have any parting words of advice for those who want to pursue a writer’s life?
GMC. Don’t be so hard on yourself. There are days that are hard, and there are days that are worse, but all that matters is that you keep going. Write that memoir, that poem, that story, write what you feel and what you need. It’s for you to share first before your readers to read.
You can find books by G. M. Chmilar and stay up to date on Gabrielle’s website and Instagram. Feel free to leave us questions and comments.
I was just chatting with my writing buddy in Scotland about pushing on despite the relentless Imposter Syndrome and this popped up in my inbox. I love synchronicity. Enjoy a little boost to quell that inner editor. And remember writing is all about the joy.
I enjoy the blogs from Writers Write immensely. When the one below popped up today, I totally related. Do you find yourself swooning over morally grey antagonists, those nasty villains with a vulnerable side and a broody brow? Do you secretly hope they will win in the end?
Writing the antagonist is probably more fun than writing the hero. Hmmm. I think that’s a confession that will prompt more soul-searching. Well, at least I can accept that it’s all part of the learning process as I continue this writing journey. And whew! I’m thankful for these blogs assuring me that I’m not the first writer to struggle with dreaming up steamy scenes with the antagonists more often than the heroes.
These blogs gave me more clarity. Heroes and antagonists are not all black and white. They are the perfect blend of both with one topping the other only after they take all those twists and turns in their destiny, and it’s what they do with that heady mixture of imperfection that makes the story.
This means my heroes can be a bit of both good and bad, so I don’t have to struggle with choosing which one to fall in love with. Wait… I still need a villain. Sigh… I’ll keep working on it. That’s the joy of being a writer.
After reading this blog, I searched for more. Enjoy these great insights into loving your antagonist.
Fall means writing. That’s a funny thing to say since every day means writing to me-and every day I write. But everything is better in the fall. I love this season the best for feeling rejuvenated, hopeful, grateful, and just plain happy. It could be the cooler weather, the smell in the air, the colors, a new year approaching, or the perfect time to reflect on the past year. I just know I love it.
I have another reason to be grateful this year. I get to enjoy fall as a full-time writer and a retired public employee. This time last year, I would never have believed that to be possible. What a difference a year makes-and taking that leap of faith.
As for the writing… Seems like fall is the season for that too. There are so many events. I’ve got three anthologies to submit; one in September, October, and November. I actually submitted September’s this weekend. I’ll get word after the 1st if it’s accepted… Nail-biting time…
I’ve got a Writing Battle contest (you can meet the creators on my Spotlight) coming up at the end of October, and November is NaNoWriMo, which is slated for banging out a new novel that has a deadline for the middle of next year. I don’t like deadlines, but I’m going to ride this happy train into winter and see what I can accomplish. The plot is done, and the characters are stacking up. I’m writing it as part of an indie writers romance group, which I’m hoping will be a lot of fun.
My spotlight interviews are also booked out through December. I keep trying to scale it back, but it’s a growing thing that’s taking on a life of its own… and… drumroll, please…
The latest guest to accept my spotlight invitation is a USA Today bestselling author!!
I’m a huge fan and was thrilled when Grace Draven responded to my invitation just this week. She will be chatting with me in December. If you are looking for immersive epic fantasy fall reading, check out her novels. Her romance is beyond fantastic and it’s set in high fantasy worlds that will sweep you away. The audio versions are amazing. I guarantee it.
Happy writing, stay cozy, safe, and healthy, and enjoy your fall!
Not only is their book a gripping fantasy read with so many of my favorite elements, but MJ James is amazing when it comes to supporting the writing community, working tirelessly to share, and they truly enjoy it. Today, we will talk about that, a writer’s life, their debut novel In-Between, and more.
Here is an excerpt of what one reviewer had to say about In-Between…
I really enjoyed this story! Part real-life & part fantasy, this book highlights the struggles Alicia had in life due to misunderstandings about her autism and being a single parent to a child with extraordinary abilities. I loved the idea of the In-Between world where magic & elves exist. There were quite a few characters that I grew to love and I can’t wait to read more about them if another book is written about this world!
Laura
Let’s meet the author.
MJ James fell in love with books at a very young age. Books were the one thing in the world that made sense and providedconstant companionship. MJ was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at the age of 24. After their diagnosis, they went on to earn a BA in Psychology and an MS in Developmental Psychology. They are the parent of three incredible humans.
MJ is a fellow member of the FSF Writers Alliance, a great writing community, offering support, writing contests, a book club, and other resources.
I’m so happy to have you visit today, MJ! I’ve been wanting to dig into In-Between with you and find out what sparked the idea for the story besides the relatability of your awesome main character. Is fantasy your preferred genre? How did you come up with the In-Between world? It was the freshest take on a fantasy realm I’ve delved into in a long time. And seeing it through Alicia’s eyes as someone who needed to maintain control over her environment made it all the more fascinating.
MJJ. Hi! I am so excited to be talking to you! My preferred genre is science fiction, but I do love fantasy as well. I started writing when I was young and knew I wanted to be a writer. But when I had my kids my focus went towards raising them. When they got older I started writing purposefully again and I had the chance to redefine who I wanted to be as a writer. I knew I wanted to write science fiction and fantasy but I wanted to write books with autistic main characters where autism wasn’t the focus of the story.
Being autistic and having raised two autistic kids I knew autism was a huge part of our identity – but it wasn’t our whole story. I also wanted to write about a single mother – because autistic mothers are not talked about. I wanted to show how autism made Alicia a great mother, not that she was a great mother “despite” being autistic.
I added elves because I hadn’t read a good elvish story in a while and I thought it was a good time for them to come back.
The plot contains some darker elements, but that is because I wanted to show the autism experience. For example, 90% of autistic women are sexually assaulted. It is a horrific statistic – but a reality. It was very important to me to be as authentic as possible, but it is only one voice. It is still important to read from a variety of autistic authors from different backgrounds.
DLL. I’ve always thought of autism as an alternative way to look at the world but haven’t had the opportunity to speak to anyone firsthand about what it’s like. Alicia’s character definitely gives us that lens and her perspective adds so many layers to the story. I was inspired by her strength and how she allowed herself to go in directions she wasn’t comfortable with so she could support her son.
I’m also a huge romance buff, and I was concerned about whether I would relate to an aromantic/asexual main character. That didn’t hinder my enjoyment at all. It was a good lesson for me in how to incorporate rich characters and dynamic relationships the main character can still be immersed in for a compelling read. Also, there were other characters who provided the romantic elements I enjoyed.
Though Alicia gave us a compelling point of view for the story, Kenny was definitely the character that propelled me through it. What inspired you to create Kenny and this mother-son journey?
MJJ. Kenny was an interesting character for me to develop because he is a neurotypical (not autistic/ADHD, etc.) character being raised by an autistic mother. I used a lot of inspiration from my three children – but they are all neurodiverse. I have a MS in Developmental Psychology so I used what I knew to try and make him as relevant to his age as possible. He is also a “chosen one” even though the story is not about him. I think it adds a different perspective to the troupe. My great aunt (who the story was dedicated to) read this book with her book club, and I was able to talk a lot about it with her. It made me think a lot about who Kenny is going to grow up to be. Eventually, I would like to revisit him as an adult.
DLL. An adult Kenny would be awesome! I would definitely be interested in more of his story. How special to have had an aunt with a book club and that sort of avenue for feedback! I love it!
Is writing fiction something you always wanted to do? Is it something you will continue doing?
MJJ. Yes! It is very common for autistic people to have intense special interests, and mine have always been books. I knew I wanted to be a writer in third grade. I was the kid who always had a notebook and a book. In middle school, I had my first story published and won a few national awards. I went back to school when my children were young and wrote a lot academically. I also ran a few blogs to keep my writing flowing. When I finally started writing my first book I was a bit daunted–but it was also one of the happiest days of my life.
DLL. That is a fantastic writer’s journey, MJ! I love full-circle stories.
What motivated or inspired you to get your story out into the world?
MJJ. When my children were growing up I hung out with a lot of parents of autistic children. Most of them were neurotypical and I often found myself translating their kids to them. I think that autism is its own language, the one we naturally know how to speak, and I would find myself translating this language to others. I wanted to do the same thing with my writing. I want people to see autistic joy, and autistic characters just being. While this is still true, I found my focus shifting. Now I really want to write for autistic readers. Everyone deserves to see themselves in books.
DLL. This is the very thing I appreciated about your story–seeing the many different aspects of a unique language. For Kenny, there were no issues with understanding his mother. He just learned her language. Language continued to be a theme when they both learned Elven, and even how to see the In-Between.
Once you published, you didn’t hesitate to share through social media, and I was inspired by your TikTok videos. Your methods have demonstrated what I hear about a lot and that’s building an audience with consistent content. Was that part of your self-publishing plan? Have you considered going the traditional publishing route with future stories?
MJJ. My original intent was to try traditional publishing. However, I am not very good with people. I was very concerned about the high levels of anxiety trying to navigate the traditional publishing space. That and it is not common for traditional publishers to accept autistic books. There are only a handful. Ultimately, I decided to self-publish. I’m not opposed to traditional publishing, but I am glad that I made the decision to self-publish and plan to continue to do so. I wish I had a great social media plan, but I don’t. It is easier for me to connect with people via social media. However, a lot of the time I feel very out of place. Here I am trying to present neurodiverse, queer, and non-romantic books. It seems exactly the opposite of what the online book community wants. But I love my books and I love connecting with those who saw themselves in my stories. It is the best feeling and keeps me motivated to keep going.
DLL. There is always the excitement of being on the trail-blazing end of an emerging market. I will be eager to catch up with you in a year or so and see where our readers are then.
What else can you share about being an indie author? For instance, how did you create your cover art, find your editor, tackle the technical aspects of publishing?
MJJ. I have the best cover artist! My youngest kid is an artist. When I was writing In-Between they asked to create the cover. They were only 16 at the time. It was completely hand-drawn, and I love it so much. They created the cover for The Immortal Part of Myself at 17. They are working on cover art for my next story also. They are now 18 and are trying to build up their presence as a social media animator. You can find them on social media as PurpawArt. Ironically, they don’t like reading but they keep agreeing to work on my next cover. It makes my books that much more special.
For my editor, I started by working with Reedsy. I found a great editor that helped me a lot, but editing can be expensive. I’ve had to find ways of bringing down the cost of publishing each book so that I can keep writing. Thankfully the more I write, the more I have been able to connect with other authors and can help each other. The rest of the publishing aspects I do myself. I learn something new with every book.
DLL. It’s so amazing you were able to share your publishing journey with another talented family member and what fabulous results!
I’ve also found Reedsy to be an awesome resource–for services and learning.
You’ve also published a sci-fi novel, and the premise includes intrigue, evading murder, and rising above everyone’s expectations, including your own. That’s my take on it, anyway. Tell us about the Immortal Part of Myself. I love this title by the way.
MJJ. I had such a hard time coming up with a title for this book. Eventually, I found a line from Ophelia that included “the immortal part of myself.” In the play, Ophelia was an early foreshadowing of the story and it seemed like the perfect title. The Immortal Part of Myself is an adult coming-of-age story. I wrote it when two of my three children had moved out of the house and I finally had the freedom to explore who I was.
Riley, one of the main characters is autistic and genderqueer. She was never given a safe space to explore her own identity. Ironically, she is finally able to while running for her life, trying to escape her husband. I was exploring my own identity as I was writing this book, and I put a lot of that in this story. I wrote this book during the pandemic, and it has a lot of my fears and frustrations about the world. But it is also about hope.
The book contains two societies. Earth has become controlled by corporations and greed. They have silenced any voice that could add diversity and shunned Riley’s gifts just because she was not born biologically male. Then there is Mars where they learned that people had to work together. They find a place for everyone to fit and allow people to just be who they are. I see this division happening every day in our society, but I still have hope that we can continue to grow. I know I wrote it…but I love this story so much.
DLL. I’ve chatted with a few authors now who came up with a favorite story during the pandemic, turning all the uncertainty into a positive creative experience, for themselves and their readers. That was the environment that got me started as a writer. I was so grateful to discover a way to lose myself–getting immersed in my writing.
I can definitely relate to loving what you write yourself.That’s the joy of it.
I believe you have a novel in the works that’s close to publication. Can you tell us about it and any other projects you’ve got planned for your readers?
MJJ. I do. I am planning on publishing my third novel, NeurodiVeRse in late 2023 or early 2024. This is a science fiction novel about a non-binary autistic adult, Jupiter, who works as an educational technology consultant. It is about their struggle to find a place to fit, and find their own found family. The story came about while everything was opening back up after the pandemic, and my family and I found the pressure of going back to “normal” to be very overwhelming. There were a lot of benefits to the pandemic for us. While figuring out certain decisions for my family I asked my youngest kid to describe their perfect school. They described a self-paced virtual reality world. I built that school in NeurodiVeRse. However, I wanted to write it from the perspective of an adult so it is Jupiter’s story.
I also have four more books planned out–my first series. I am going back to contemporary fantasy for this series. Each book will be told from a different perspective, but they all live in the same town. I have already written the first draft of the first story. This will be my first story that does not have an autistic or an aromantic/asexual main character. It is about a queer trans man who is redefining his life and in the middle of transitioning gets turned into a vampire. I hope that people will really connect with this series.
DLL. Wow! All of it sounds amazing! Again, I will be catching up with you later to see how it’s all going.
You not only write but are an avid reader and share an amazing wealth of content on recommended indie authors and their books. You created a great YouTube channel for this purpose. Tell us how that came about and what your mission is for your channel.
MJJ. My channel is a hybrid booktube and writertube channel. I talk a lot about books, both indie and traditionally published. I try to do at least one writer’s corner video a month, where I talk about things I have learned while publishing. The topics come from questions from other writers, so I hope that they are useful. I also have a series called Your Next Indie Read where science fiction and fantasy authors tell you about their books. This series is a lot of fun, especially since you get to hear about the books directly from the author. I also try to support autism and trans authors as much as possible on my channel. Mostly I just love talking about books and am happy that people want to watch.
DLL. All great ways to share the wealth of indie books in the world. It is reassuring that indie authors and their readers can find each other through YouTubers like you. I’m happy I got to be on your channel in the episode below.
One of your channel’s features is writing sprints. I like the idea of scheduled sprints and I’ve tried them, but I’m so random with my writing schedule, and I seem to thrive that way. It’s a bit contradictory for a planner geek like me, and sometimes I wish I could be more structured just so I can enjoy all the elements of keeping a more detailed planner. At least there are tons of great planner rock stars on YouTube I can live through vicariously.
Still, I’m stacking up the WIPs and writing so much I neglect other things. I might have to resort to goal planning, including long-term. How far out do you like to plan? Do you have a favorite system?
MJJ. I have actually paused the writing sprints while I am editing my book. I was having a hard time being social on the stream and then going to editing. They are two very different processes in my brain. I would love to start them up again if people are interested – after I finish edits of course. I am a planner by nature – I guess it is an ingrained part of my personality type. I keep a bullet journal planner that tracks my day job, my writing, social media, and the rest of my life. I don’t do anything too fancy, but I like that I can customize it exactly for what works for me, and fix it when things no longer are working. I tend to overbook myself which just ends up making me sick in the process – so I definitely do not recommend that. I hate not knowing the future so, writing-wise I have the next two years planned out. I am stopping myself from planning more. For my social media content, I plan out about a month in advance.
DLL. Awesome! Thanks for sharing your take on scheduled writing and goals through sprints and planning!
What other techniques do you use to stay organized and productive? Do you have a favorite writing space or time of day?
MJJ. How and where I write depends on what part of the writing process I am in. I write a lot at my desk as well as on my bed. Occasionally I pack up and leave the house if I really need to focus. I prefer to write late at night, but my schedule does not really allow for that. If I ever am able to write full time then I will absolutely be the writer who stays up all night working. For now, I either set writing times like the writing sprints or set certain goals that I try to fit in when I have time during the day.
DLL. Good for you on the writer retreats. I’ve tried to do the “leave the house” thing, but the results were more like one of my favorite Dick Van Dyke shows (aging myself here) when Rob Petry who is a television writer takes the opportunity to work on his dream novel in a cabin in the woods. Too funny!
Rob spends a few days in a remote cabin in an attempt to finish the novel he’s been working on for years, but he develops an acute case of writer’s block.
After doing so many interviews with indie authors this past year, I’ve been astonished and impressed by how so many of us achieve our dreams and goals while facing a myriad of personal challenges. You’ve crossed a few of your own milestones. What has been your biggest motivation through it all? Do you have any advice you’d like to pass on to our readers who might be facing challenges that seem insurmountable?
MJJ. Every time I see one of my books I still feel a bit of awe that I managed to create them. But the biggest achievement was having my great aunt read my book for her book club. She is in her 90s and her book club has been meeting for 50 years. My aunt was an English teacher, so these days she hangs out with people who work with books in a lot of different capacities. Hearing the comments they had about my book had me tearing up. Anytime I feel unmotivated I just have to think about that.
I do have concerns that I will never find my audience. I am grateful that people are reading my books, but financially I am not even breaking even on publishing. It makes it hard to believe that I will ever be able to write full-time, but then I step back and look how far I have come and I know I have no other option than to keep moving forward. I cannot imagine myself not writing.
I would suggest that you don’t worry so much about how much progress you are making, just that you are making progress. Eventually, you will look back and be in awe of how much you have accomplished.
DLL. Again, I love this journey with your wonderful aunt and her book club at its heart. That’s a story waiting to be written. Thank you so much for joining me on my blog MJ! Do you have any parting advice for those who want to start writing?
MJJ. Thank you for having me. It is always a pleasure to talk to you! My parting advice is to believe in yourself and just sit down and write. That is the hardest part. The next hardest is listening to feedback. Find people you trust–who will be constructive. You do not have to follow their feedback, but hearing what they have to say will help you to grow as a writer. You will never stop growing. Remember no one else can tell your story.
Ideas Pop Up, and I’ve Been Going With Them – For Good or Bad
Here are a couple recent ones.
I would love to hear your photo op ideas or the odd places you leave your books to get them out in the world. Or even those odd places you picked up a book to read.
Random doggy photo op
Now this one was just plain fun! I got to cruise in this 500 hp beauty for Hot August Nights. 55 T-Bird convertible.
Tori’s 72 Chevy C10. She’s the friend with the friend with the T-Bird. Hubby and I had a blast!
Feel free to pick up a copy of Ursus Borealis the normal way at your favorite bookstore!
By D. L. Lewellyn 