How is your writing going in November? I hope you have all sorts of great things to be grateful for this month, and if a new novel is one of them, awesome!
All the experts say the best way to improve your writing is to write every day. In my naivete, I initially thought that meant working on my novel every day. Yet somehow, without any intentions one way or the other, my writing took an organic journey down all sorts of wordsmithing avenues. I do so much writing that Grammarly tells me every week I’m more productive than 99% of its users. Sure, that’s a ploy to get me to upgrade, but still! 99%??
So, I thought about that. Obviously, it’s tracking my keystrokes and correcting my grammar, which includes everything I’m doing on my two keyboards. This month that meant: 1) writing a 2000-word short story for a contest; 2) completing a 20,000-word short story for an anthology submission; 3) starting a new novel and reaching 25,000 words (a solid 10 chapters) that I am quite thrilled with because its the best start to a novel I’ve ever had; 4) writing four Q&A interviews, two that posted in November and two for December since I wanted to get a head start before another busy month; 5) assembling and publishing my newsletter; and 6) assembling, breaking down, and reassembling my third novel in my series… otherwise known as the neverending story. Number 7 is email correspondence, and chatting on various platforms with my writing buddies. Hmmm.I don’t know Grammarly, that sounds like the same schedule all my writing buddies engage in. Who are you tracking, anyway? Oh, and number 8 is writing this blog, which Grammarly isn’t tracking because it won’t work in WordPress for some reason.
It’s not exactly Ray Bradbury’s formula for honing writing skills. But maybe it’s touching the outer limits (okay, so he wrote other sci-fi short stories for TV, but I had to use this pun). Here’s Mr. Bradbury’s advice.
The problem with novels is that you can spend a whole year writing one and it might not turn out well because you haven’t learned to write yet. But the best hygiene for beginning writers or intermediate writers is to write a hell of a lot of short stories. If you can write one short story a week — it doesn’t matter what the quality is to start — but at least you’re practicing and at the end of the year you have 52 short stories and I defy you to write 52 bad ones. It can’t be done.
I’ll give you a programme to follow every night. Very simple programme. For the next thousand nights, before you go to bed every night, read one short story. That will take you ten minutes, fifteen minutes…for the next 1,000 nights.
Ray Bradbury
All I know is that I took every one of the five days allotted to me to write my 2000-word story for the contest this month, but I like the idea of getting 52 out in a year so that you have a few good nuggets to proffer to the world, if we can take Mr. Bradbury at his word.
What do you think about about this goal?
On the other side of that coin is reading. The closest I’ve come to reading lots of short stories is participating in short story contests. With Writing Battle contests, you not only write a story but act as a peer judge for ten other stories. While you wait for the final judging you can share your story and read others in an open forum for more feedback exchanges. That can add up to a lot of short stories!
These contests I admit have been a fantastic learning processes. I like the principle of committing to writing a story every week and reading a story every night. But in practice… Hmmm.
Let me know your favorite techniques for staying productive with daily writing.
For more on famous authors and their daily writing routines, here is a great article from Medium.com, which is where the quote from Mr. Bradbury was borrowed.
This month I’ve got two romance writers from two continents stopping by to give us a dual chat on a day in the life of writing sizzling hot romance, marketing sizzling hot romance, and publishing sizzling hot romance. Abigail Hunter from the U.K. and Meg Stratton from the U.S. are writing buddies and have been collaborating on some exciting projects.
We will dive into their works and projects and find out how amazing they are at supporting and welcoming up-and-coming indie authors into the fold. I met these two through dark romance writer and previous guest, Gigi Meier, thanks to Gigi’s mission to shine the light on indie authors in her Let’s Go Live interviews.
I’m benefitting from this now as I get to know them while working on a new romance novel, which will be part of an anthology of novels with Abigail, Meg, and other great writers in our romance writers group.
Born and raised in Scotland, Abigail has always been surrounded by green hills, forests, and fairy stories. First a gardener, then a carpenter, now an author, she writes steamy stories about passionate and heartfelt characters who fight for what they believe in, especially love.
I absolutely loved reading Tearing You Apart. This book was so beautifully written I seriously couldn’t stop reading til the very last page. I’m still reeling over this book.
Meg is a new author looking to share her dream that spiraled out of control and has turned into a book or two. She enjoys time with her husband and four children and working on maximizing her way too large urban garden on her tiny plot of land in the Pacific Northwest, spending far too long in her commute thinking of new storylines for her heroines.
Here’s what a reviewer has to say about Oracle: Mia.
Really enjoyed this book so much that I finished this in the same day. If you enjoy: Why choose, spice, aliens, sci-fi/romance, you should read.
Let’s Get Started
Hello Abigail and Meg! Thank you so much for joining me today. I’ve been looking forward to our chat for weeks. You might guess my first question. How did you two get together?
MS: I’m not sure if I found Abigail or if she found me. But at one point about 6 months ago Abigail joined my babyromanceauthor group on IG. There she joined my first anthology book, contributing our spiciest story to the lineup of Fairy Tale stories retold. We have also joined forces to bring a world-building, fate-marked series with many other authors from the IG group and other author friends, coming out in 2024. Abigail has a wealth of book knowledge and is an excellent writer and editor. I’m so happy to have met her this year!!
AH: I feel like Meg has answered this one pretty succinctly!
DLL. I can’t wait to see what comes out of the new fate marked collaboration!
Now we’ll back up a little. How did you each get started on your writing journeys and what moved you onto the spicy path in the romance genre?
MS: I have always been a romance reader, coming and going throughout the years as I had more or less time to read, but I really got into why choose stories during Covid. I was reading so much that I had a very vivid dream that stuck with me when I woke up the next day. I started to write out my dream on my phone, in a week I was parked on the couch with my PC while my partner played games next to me. Within a year, I had written a very rough 300,000 word story. My partner turned to me one day and said why don’t you try and self publish whatever you have been writing over there. ;) He hasn’t read a word of my writing but was willing to back my ambition. The best author support partner.
AH: I was in a pretty bad space in my life last October, and, quite like Meg, I started seeing snippets of scenes and ideas swirling around my head until I decided to write them down. And, when I started writing, I couldn’t stop. Then, in February, I woke up in the morning and said “Right, I’m going to do it.” and by May, Tearing You Apart was published. I don’t feel like I actively chose spicy dark romance. I let my characters guide me, and that’s the direction they take me in. I love writing about intense, emotionally-charged love, and sex and angst are the pinnacles of that in my character’s relationships.
DLL. I love these stories! Thanks so much for sharing. So many inspiring journeys got started during the pandemic. And I can relate. I started writing after reading voraciously all things paranormal romance during the summer of 2020. I had that epiphany and started writing by the end of that year.
How would you each categorize your level of spice and the tone you like to strike with your romance?
MS: I didn’t know what my level would be when I started. I would classify myself as a solid 3 pepper spice level today. As a why choose author, it could be higher as there are multiple players in the relationship though I haven’t explored MM or FF relationships in my books yet. I like how in why choose stories, the characters need to overcome a lot of stigma and standard beliefs around how relationships should be. I love the discovery that the parties go through as they find their partners.
I write post-destruction/apocalyptic stories where the characters are trying to survive and find their way.
AH: Er…that’s kind of a hard one. When I finished Tearing You Apart, I thought it was at least a 4 out of 5 in the spice rating, but some reviewers were rating it 2. I’d say my anthology piece, Blood Princess, is at least a 4. Now that I’ve had time to think and develop my WIP list, I’ve got some very extreme books coming that I’d definitely say were 5s, so much so that I can’t publish them on Amazon! But, at the moment, I’m writing fluffy smutfics and longer books that are heavy on drama and angst.
DLL. This is the kind of insight on spice levels I was looking for. I see so many different ratings and rating systems that it’s easy to get a little lost on how to compare what I write. Thank you!
For each of you, tell me who your favorite character is to date in your respective works.
MS: J (Jaco) from Oracle: Mia, book 1 of my Oracle’s Journey series. Tough, tattooed but obsessed with the FMC and fated to meet her. His looks remind me of Wentworth Miller when he was in Prison Break.
AH: That’s so difficult! I absolutely adore all my female characters. Whether they are strong, meek, powerful, broken, I love exploring their lives and journeys. Out of my published male characters, there is a wolf shifter from my anthology piece called Lucien who I really enjoy reading and writing about. He is incredibly angry and despises his love interest, Ruby, which results in some very intense sex scenes, but, when he opens up and really falls in love with her he basically explodes with softness and will do anything for her.
DLL. Writing book boyfriends in addition to hording them from my favorite books was one of the best surprises in becoming a romance author.
Which character is your favorite in upcoming works?
MS: Wolf in Red is for Roxy. This is my anthology piece that is coming out Nov 15th. He is fun loving, but wants to be called daddy and call the shots with the FMC.
AH: I have a huge list of books I’m planning on publishing over the next few years, but one who really stands out is Sasha. She is a mafia princess, and she falls in love with three men who have been sent to take down her family. Her body is absolutely littered with scars from abuse, she is missing two fingers, and has a huge scar that slices up her face. Her personality is just fantastic. She is so tough, no matter how bad it gets she will fight, she loves her men and her friends so deeply that she will (and does) do anything for them. And her relationships with the three men are so different but so beautiful at the same time. I absolutely love writing her, and I can’t wait to publish her story next year so other people can meet her too.
DLL. Ah… to hear the passion from writers about their stories and characters. One of my favorite questions to ask. These sound fabulous. Thank you!
Can you share more about your respective works in progress?
MS: I will be finishing the second half of Red is for Roxy so that it can be fully published when the anthology is done. Then I will be either working on the fate marked world building story or move onto my gods/goddesses anthology work. So many stories in my head but I actually consider myself a slow writer, I need to maintain a consistent goal plan so that I can manage it all.
AH: Yeeeah, it’s a lot… I have a solid publishing plan until at least 2028. My anthology piece grew to become a fully formed series featuring each of the main fairy tale princesses and that is at least 14 books. I’m writing an omegaverse series which is at least 17 books. I plan on publishing one book of these two series alternating once a month starting next year. The Lovers and Liars series will be five books, (Tearing You Apart is already out, Book 2 is coming in May) but I’ve planned a few spin off series which could be another 8. Then my MM novellas, the first being published December 13th, which is looking to be at least 10 books. And my fated marks book too. So, yeah, you could say it’s a lot…
DLL. Wow! You are both on fire! I will enjoy following your progress. Abigail’s Book 2 in the Lovers to Liars series, Calling You Out, is available for preorder!
Where do you each see your writing careers in five years?
MS: This is so hard to say. I have had a lot of fun with all the projects and writing. The very best part is meeting and helping other new authors find their way. I really enjoy bringing people together to support and rally around each other. Being a baby author is so intimidating. I want to complete my Oracle series in the next 3 years but don’t have a set timeline on that. I think the hardest part is the fact that everyday I think of a new writing idea.
AH: My goal at the moment is for people to love my books. I’m very nervous about publishing so much but I want to put myself out there and tell my stories. Ideally, in 5 years time, I’ll have built up a solid following as well as having a large back list. I want to be earning a steady income, enough that I can call it a job. If I have roughly 40 books out, that feels very achievable!
I see some authors having instant success and I get jealous at times, but, at the moment, I’m approaching it like a slow burn. If I keep working hard and writing good quality books, I’ll see the returns. I mean, obviously, getting instant success would be amazing too. But I’m thinking long term (hence the publishing plan to 2028)
DLL. I love this! Slow burn is a smart approach and building that solid following. I see you both doing well with this right now and I know you’ll meet your goals and then some.
Having gotten involved with you in the Marked Mate Romance project, I’ve seen how much work is involved with shepherding something of this magnitude, but you both have been so awesome to work with and endlessly patient. You’ve got one of these projects well underway. And I must say, I am in love with the idea and the name of your Fairytale Reloaded anthology series… and its cover art. Fabulous!
Tell us about that project and how you put it together, including artwork, marketing, and publishing efforts.
MS: In January of 2023 we (babyromanceauthors) all began talking about doing an anthology together. We decided on the topic of spicy fairy tale retellings. I had already made a publishing company for myself and my books, so I took on the position of organizer and publisher. We all agreed to work together to beta read each other’s stories, design the cover art work, format our works in 3 volumes and promote it throughout. The authors all supported with the ARC reader groups and building up a following.
I started with a calendar of major steps to hit our release date of November 15th. This helped us all know when we needed to support and complete our beta read, final read, formatting, and publishing steps. I supported each other by reading all of the submitted stories and giving tips and guiding the steady increase of spice that I was going for in the volumes. Artwork was provided by Charlotte Mallory who was part of the anthology but had to step out for personal reasons. She took some time to listen to our feedback and build out the 3 covers that get steadily darker as you go.
For the marketing, I wanted to showcase the fairy tale theme throughout the promotion period. I began with fairy tale dresses, shoes, then jewelry. I also wanted each one to give a piece of the story it was supposed to represent but from the author’s new story, a quote, the tropes, etc. I have blended all three of these themed graphics with an image of the author and called out their other works and how they supported during our anthology work. I made many of these graphics available to the ARC group members and my fellow authors to use for reels and their own posts.
Finally, the publishing efforts were times 3. Due to the 3 volumes and the 14 authors, I feel that I have spent a lot of time managing this process. I have learned a lot about Amazon and how this part could go more smoothly in the future. I will say that the covers have been the most difficult to fit the book sizes.
AH: Meg is 100% the show runner for this series. She has done an incredible amount of work to get the project off the ground and keep the momentum running. It’s truly awe-inspiring!
How would you compare the Fairytale Reloaded short story anthology project to the new novel project? Is it more complex? Do you have bigger or different goals? What would you say are the benefits of this kind of collaboration? And what’s next on the author collaboration horizon?
MS: The Fairy Tale Reloaded project was more of a true anthology design whereas the Fate Marked will be a series. The Fate Marked Series will be published under each author with the author setting up the Amazon pieces and completing their own editing. The covers will be designed to be similar and interconnected. Each author will support the others’ launches by promoting on their sites and building ARC readers groups.
I think this new project will be a bit less complex. I also think the goals change as we will be slowly promoting the series over a few months. This may help relieve the pressure of a mass promotion or draw out the promotion piece for longer. Not sure which way will be better to be honest.
The benefits from collaborations on projects like this are the knowledge and support of many minds, writer support in times of frustration and lack of focus, a network of more followers to gather interest in your stories, learning many marketing tricks from each other, and many other perks.
I will be starting another anthology for a goddess/god collaboration in January 2024, to be published tentatively in June 2024. This will be a spin on an existing god story that will be a spicy read. More needs to be discussed in this project as it hasn’t really been worked on yet. I have had a lot of focus on publishing Reloaded.
AH: I agree with all of Meg’s points. The idea for the Fate Marked series is that it is also a long-term project that ideally works around the participating authors own WIPs. The books themselves will most likely be longer than a standard anthology piece (15-50K) (I’m aiming for at least 100K) and there is also a huge amount of freedom to write. The deadline stretches all the way until the end of 2026, with each book being published a month apart, meaning that we’ll organise publishing schedules based around the needs and readiness of each author, as opposed to handling 12 or so full length novels at once. And participating authors can easily work around their own WIPs at the same time.
DLL. Again. Wow! Ambitious and oh so many benefits in collaborating. Truly remarkable and impressive.
Can you each share what you have learned about growing your indie author communities? What has worked best for you? I believe you both do well with Facebook groups. How are those working out?
Meg, maybe here you can share your goals for your publishing company.
MS: For me I started with Facebook and IG. On IG I grew with select follow trains and engaging the bookstagram community. I think I work best and more consistently with IG as it is easier for me to use and connect with.
For Facebook, I and another baby author, Lark Hersey began a group that I have since taken over. I use this group for parties and sharing other authors’ work and book launches. It is mostly designed to be a Spicy readers group so most posts are romance author posts. I also run 1 sometimes 2 Facebook Parties in the group a month. I will be running my next one on Dec 10th for Rhea Ryan’s book launch.
For Stratton House Publishing, I always intended it to be the place where my books can be showcased and as I learn more about self-publishing, I have added a promotions page and a page for the anthology work. I will continue to work on anthologies and possibly open a shop to sell designed stickers and other bookish content.
AH: I stay mainly on Instagram. I gave a lot of group chats I’m part of and friends there, and I also focus on growing my ARC reader list by contacting people directly. I’d say the beat community I’ve found is through the baby romance author group Meg runs, as well as the Fairy Tale anthology group.
DLL. So many exciting ideas and ways to connect. And more follows in the next Q&A! Wow! Thanks you two. I’m sure our readers will get a lot from this section. I know I have.
I would like to dig into your respective writers’ lives. I’ve been eager to chat with two writing buddies from such different locations and backgrounds to enjoy your side-by-side accounts of your daily schedules, favorite places to write, how you stay productive, and how you balance writing with other aspects of life. This is a tall order, but take all the space you want and give us your best tips and practices.
MS: Finding time to write is the hardest part for me. I have a real job that requires me to commute up to 4 hours a day. So if I’m not at work, I’m in my car. When I wrote my first two books, I was working from home and had no commute. Times for writing are hard to find now.
Recently I have been trying dictation as I drive to see if it will help me at least get ideas out. I am a pantser so this may not work as I need to let the characters speak but I’m loving the ability to be creative in a down time. I really get my best work done when my partner plays video games and I sit and write next to them. I work best with a plan, specifically a calendar of due dates. I also have learned to not push myself too hard as it does cause me to burn out.
Tips and Tricks:
Beta readers- I found some amazing ones on the Facebook groups Beta Readers/Proofing/Editing, Beta Readers find Authors, and Indie, Alpha, and ARC readers for ALL Genres. When you find one that works for you, lots of communication and praise for their efforts is important. Hang onto a good beta reader. They are your super fan and will bring others to your stories.
Find an author who writes works similar to yours. They will help you when times are dark, when you don’t feel motivated, or want to bounce ideas off someone. That is how I started the babyromanceauthors group.
Read other writers’ blogs on their writing journey, Facebook groups for authors and see what questions are asked and the answers given, write a short story or novella as a free magnet reader story to gather subscribers to your newsletter and use Bookfunnel promotions to get that free read into people’s hands. Just like anthology, people will read a bit of your writing, like the story and go buy your other books. And while it feels counter productive to give away a book or story, it really does draw people in. Quick personal Bookfunnel fact, I gave away 800 copies of a prequel to my Oracle’s Journey Series (a total of 11k words) in a year. That is 800 people who checked out my story and could have turned around and bought one or both of my books. It’s hard to capture that much of an audience without a magnet story.
AH: I live a really free life. I persist, so I travel around the UK staying in other peoples houses, and it gives me the space to write for however long I want. Sometimes I’m working 12 hours just because I can. I know I’m very blessed to be in this situation so I hope it will continue. I am pretty much a hermit. Unless it’s walking, I don’t really do much with myself apart from write and manage my social media accounts. I live vicariously through my characters. My schedule tends to vary depending on what I need to do. If I’m writing I will take a lot more breaks. If I’m editing I may work for hours without stopping. I prefer lounging on the sofa with my laptop whatever work I’m doing. Unless I really need to smash something out, then I’ll sit at a table!
Meg mentioned dictation, and that’s one of the fastest ways I work. I will spend hours talking out play-by-plays of scenes to my phone and then past them into a google doc and write out the story. Sometimes I spend an entire day planning out a full book just by dictating. It’s an incredibly useful tool and I highly recommend it.
Tips:
Number 1 – always, /always/ get a sample from any editor you’re thinking if hiring. I essentially lost over £1,000 publishing my first novel because I didn’t properly vet my editors. And make sure you keep checking in with them too. (one actually canceled on me 5 hours before I was due to send her my manuscript)
Number 2 – if you feel like you are blocked or stuck, stop writing. Go for a walk, go do some laundry, watch TV, cook, do something to put your brain into cruise mode and wait for the idea to come to you instead of forcing it. The ideas will feel better and more naturally. You’ll soon be able to tell when you’re in the flow.
Number 3 – your first draft is going to be absolute trash, so own it. Even if you use the same word 5 times in one paragraph, you’ve already written a whole paragraph, and that’s great! Dont edit, dont delete anything more than a paragraph. If you need to change a scene, make a new file and call it “Scrap” or “Scenes for later” so you can reference it. Even if your first draft is the worst thing you have ever read, it lays the foundation for you, because you’ve already made a huge achievement
Number 4 – self edit like mad. Before you send it to betas, get your story tight. After betas, tighten it up even more before a dev edit (though I see debs as optional). Do character edits! If you have more than one POV, copy all of their individual POV chapters into one document and run through the whole thing to develop their internal voice. For a copy/line edit, go through every single line of text yourself and look at character movements and see if there are lots of repeats (eye movements is a huge one for any author). And, use Prowriting Aid!! The subscription fee is 100% worth it and you will save money when you send it off for edits. Also, by the time I get to the publishing stage, I absolutely hate my book because I have read it so many times that I don’t want to see another word of it.
Number 5 – always ask for help if you need it. YouTube is great for learning, and there are tons of authors around who are happy to share their knowledge.
DLL. I am definitely going to have to try dictation. Easier on the eyes too, and my eyes need all the help they can get. And again, thank you for sharing so many wonderful ideas here. This is an excellent example of how you both are so responsive to your community. Thank you!
Thank you both again for visiting! And all the best to you on the great things coming your way. Do you have any last words of advice for those getting started on their writing journeys?
MS: Write for you. You will get criticized, people will be mean and will give poor reviews. Know what you can handle. Have a friend or your beta read the reviews and share the most important takeaways. Don’t take random strangers’ thoughts as a personal attack. One comment sent me on a 2 day spiral of why do I do this, I’m the worst author. It took another author to remind me that I write for myself, I write for my super fan, I write for my future super fans. Hold on to what drove you to write and publish your work.
AH: Agree with Meg. And don’t try and change your story to fit other people’s likes and dislikes. It’s your story, you know what’s right and wrong. Feedback can be amazing, but don’t go overboard. Find a people you can trust to give you honest feedback and criticism to make your story better, not just turn it into what they want. And, make sure you are proud of your work. When it comes to the publishing deadline, make sure you’re sitting back and thinking that you have done your best and you are happy with the end result. Every review is someone’s personal opinion, and, even if it’s a negative review, if you are proud of the story you’ve written, then everyone else can fuck off.
DLL: Fantastic advice! Both of you. Are you sure you’re baby authors?? Thank you so much.
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.
By D. L. Lewellyn 