Writing Devotion

I am a very dedicated, hard-working person, but sometimes it is hard to keep writing, even for me.  The usual culprits: balancing my writing time with everything else in my life.  That's nothing to complain about.  I am grateful for my full life- building my growing business, prioritizing my health, spending quality time with my family and friends.  But what to do when I don't have all the time in the world to be carefree and write leisurely?  Here are a few things I've done in the past few months to keep on writing when the world wants to slow me down.

Think Small

Sometimes, when I know I don't have the time to write an entire chapter, I find it freeing to shrink my goal.  In November, I chose to write several pieces for the César Egido Serrano Foundation Micro Fiction contest.  How short is micro fiction?  This one was 100 words.  It was invigorating knowing that I only needed to write one paragraph, and it was a challenge to cram everything into that short space!

Write Goals Down

At my writers' group a while ago, we wrote down our writing goals for the next week and then shared them with each other.  That combination of making a concrete goal and adding accountability works like magic!  My goal at the time was to find a critique group, and since then I've found one critique partner in person and one online, and our critiques are moving right along.

Write Daily Tasks

This is a smaller version of writing my goals down.  When there are so many things to choose from each day and a limited amount of time to do it all, I find it extremely helpful to write a quick list of what I plan to do each day.  By starting each day with some planning, I remember what is important to me to do that day.  This is much better than getting sucked down the rabbit hole of emails and alerts and miscellaneous other stuff that can easily fill my day.

Find Inspiration

This is a big one for me.  If I only think of writing as another task to do, the appeal and enjoyment quickly get sucked right out of it.  Because I am such a visual person, I get inspired by beautiful photos and videos, like this one.  I also love seeing other people creating exactly the kind of art that they are best suited to make.  Like Twenty One Pilots and Cosmic Kids Yoga.  Sometimes, though, I also accept that I will write when I'm not inspired, and just accept it and move on.

What are you inspired to do?  What do you do to stay devoted to your dreams?

Starting the Critique Period

 

(c) Amber Byers

I think it's about time for an update on my book.  As you know, I've written nearly all of it (about 90-95%) but haven't been writing anything new for awhile.  I took the summer off and spent most of the fall working on building up my editing business.  I was also pondering what to do next, and in which order - critique groups, beta readers, developmental editor, copy editor.  There are so many possibilities, especially for self-published authors!

Anyway, I recently decided that a critique group would give me the best feedback of what I was looking for - a detailed perspective from readers regarding character development, overall storyline, content, and structure.  I did a lot of research online and was surprised at how hard it was to find a group.  There are a lot of groups online where I could have submitted my book and had it critiqued on a one time basis, but I was really looking for the personal, in depth experience that you build with people you meet with repeatedly over a long term basis.

Luckily, I found one in person critique partner and one online critique partner and we started critiquing each other's books a few weeks ago.  Very quickly, I realized that critiquing can be a challenging process.  Now, this is coming from someone who genuinely searched out a critique group in order to gather valuable, detailed insight into what could make my book better.  However, the first time I got a critique back with those valuable insights, I admit that it was difficult for me.  My natural insecurity reared its ugly head and tried to play tricks on my mind.  For example, instead of hearing "clarify this section" my mind automatically translated that comment into "why did you think you could even write this book?"  Which is a kind of ridiculous response when I think about it.

Fortunately, one thing I've been working on a lot over the last year is changing from a negative mindset to a positive mindset, which bolsters my confidence.  As an attorney, I got used to a lot of negativity.  There are constantly people fighting each other, especially when you're in litigation, and there are plenty of opposing counsel and sometimes even colleagues who are constantly disparaging you or your work.  In my experience, it was simply a way of life that there were more people trying to tear each other down than bring each other up in the legal field.  Add in the fact that to do a good job as an attorney, you have to imagine every possible scenario, however unlikely, that could jeopardize your client's interests - and you can see how negativity seeps into everything you see.

When I decided to leave the practice of law behind, I also chose to leave all of that negativity behind, though it takes longer to shake than simply walking out the door of the firm and never going back.  To aid this process, I've started writing daily gratitude lists of a few things I'm thankful for each day.  Little things that would have gone unnoticed before, like sweet comments from a friend or unexpected surprises that make me laugh.  And it's been so good.  I've also started relying on my 5 senses in an effort to focus on what's actually happening right now.  In letting go of the potential crises that await around the corner, I am becoming much more able to live in the moment and be aware of how wonderful life actually is.

So, I've done a fair bit of research and practice over the last year and had some tricks up my own sleeve when my mind started to play tricks on me.  First, I didn't do anything right away.  I usually find it's best not to make any sudden moves when I'm feeling insecure.  I also leaned on my friends and family, both for emotional support as well as perspective.  I got together and shared my concerns with one friend, who agreed to read over my book and give me her perspective as well.  For a lot of reasons, I really value her perspective and think she will be able to give me valuable feedback and encouragement.  And finally, I addressed my insecurities directly with my critique partner.  I've found that usually the best thing in any difficult situation in life is to simply be myself.  So I shared my struggles and asked to sandwich in critiques between layers of encouragement.  For example, to say "this section works really well", "improve this section here", and "keep writing!"  As an added benefit, by pointing out sections where my writing works well, I also see what is working well for readers and have an example of what good writing looks like.  The best part?  When my critique partner responded, we ended up having a much more detailed conversation about our writing, our background, and what we're looking for.  Plus, she told me that many authors vacillate between "This is a masterpiece!" and "This is crap!  Why did I waste my time on this?!" and just hearing that totally made me laugh, because I could relate so well!

A Love Note

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey.  Sometimes, you may think that you fade into the background, overshadowed by the daily events that fill our lives.  But I do notice you and so today, I want to step back and say thank you.  You all mean so much to me.  The people who have my back through thick and thin.  The people who love me when I feel like the rest of the world doesn't.  The people who accept me for who I am.  The people who watch it all fall apart, only to encourage me to get back out there and try again.  And the people who celebrate when things go well.  Thank you for being there and encouraging me.  It gives me wings with which to soar.

And here's a special thank you to Kyle.  I tried to get the cats to sit down and work so I could show you how productive our team is, but they were very busy with their own plans.

Eventually, I sat Kuma down to explain the benefits of work and productivity and efficiency, though I'm not sure he entirely bought it.  It's not the greatest photo, but he didn't want to stick around for an in-depth photo shoot.

At least he tried.  Numi couldn't be bothered to get out of bed.  He said he was perfectly fine with his own work plans, thank you very much.

Love you!
Amber

Welcome Back!

 

(c) Amber Byers

Well, hello there!  It's been awhile.  I hope you've all had a wonderful summer full of rest and sunshine.  And now that it is officially autumn, I hope you're all ready to read some good blog posts.

I have a lot of thoughts swirling around my mind, like red and yellow leaves swirling to the ground.  So before I get started, I'm actually starting with a quick poll for my readers. 

What would you like to see more of on this blog this year?

1. Thoughts on inspiration and creativity.
2. Details about the writing and publishing process.
3. Inspiring photos.
4. More cats.
5. Something else?

How often would you like to read this blog?

1. Every week.
2. Every other week.
3. Once a month.
4. Something different?

As always, feel free to respond in the comments below or by contacting me directly.  Thanks for responding and sharing your thoughts!

Signing Off for Summer

When I was in the job market for attorney positions, I found a lot of law firms boasting about their work life balance.  Sensing a rising demand from potential applicants, many firms included this catch phrase in an effort to offer more attractive benefits.  Yet, despite how prevalent the phrase has become, I've never seen a firm that actually blew me away with their interpretation of it.  Most firms are still reluctant to offer reduced, part time, or telecommuting schedules.  Working only 40 hours a week in the legal field, especially in the private sector, seems to be the cream of the crop in terms of work life balance.  I don't think this is necessarily limited to the legal field, either.

What I always found interesting about this though, is the thought of trying to balance our work with the rest of the things that comprise our lives when the standard work week consists of 5 days of work and 2 days of everything else.  How do you fit everything that you need into those remaining 2 days?  Basic chores like laundry, grocery shopping, and paying the bills take up a big enough chunk of time out of those 2 days, let alone bigger home maintenance projects.  Add in enough time to exercise, socialize, sleep, and take care of young children or elderly parents, and there's hardly a minute of just plain down time.  Time to actually decompress, daydream, or do nothing at all.  It just doesn't balance.

When else in your life have you ever seen 5 and 2 balance?  We know that if you put 5 apples on one side of a balancing scale and 2 apples on the other, they just won't balance.  At least if the apples are the same size and quality.

(c) Amber Byers

But we somehow accept this lopsidedness when it comes to our own lives.  We accept that 40 hours a week is a great deal.  Then, to make everything else fit into those 2 days a week, we sacrifice.  Maybe we don't sleep or exercise as much as we should.  Maybe we lose touch with friends.  Maybe we lose sight of our own needs and what we need to do to maintain our own health and happiness.

Yet I firmly believe that this path is not worth taking.  Trying to juggle this incessantly unbalanced scale is exhausting.  It didn't make me a happier or healthier person, or someone who was able to live by my own values.

So that is why I am writing to let you know that I am taking the summer off.  Not from everything, but from as many things as I can.  I won't be posting my semi-regular blog posts.  I won't be attending my weekly writer's group, though I still hope to stay in touch with them.  I am still working out the details of my own work.  At this time, I still plan to accept clients through my editing business, as there is the necessity of paying the bills and that time commitment is still quite small.  And I will be working with my illustrator to finalize the cover art for my book.  As for the rest of my time, will I finish writing my book and get started editing?  If I do, I will do it on random days or evenings as I have time, hopefully without the relentless pressure of needing to accomplish something that usually hovers over me.

And in the meantime, I'll be out there experiencing all of the other things that didn't fit into those 2 days in the past.  Doing what I love - being in the great outdoors during my favorite time of year.  Growing, learning, and restoring my own balance.  So that I can not only come back in the fall with renewed energy and excitement for all of my projects, but also so that I take a moment in the middle of some of the best years of my life to appreciate why it is that this life on this earth is such a joy to live in the first place.

#WorkLifeBalance  #Summertime  #LivingALifeImagined

Achievement v. Inspiration, part 2

A few days after I made my last post, I realized that I'd forgotten to include my status update at the bottom.  See what I mean about it being hard to balance both achievement and inspiration, especially simultaneously?  Anyway, here it is below for those of you who are curious about the stats of how things are progressing.

And another quick update on a few accomplishments recently.  I selected the size of my book cover, which was actually much more difficult than you may think.  It involved researching printing options, including available standard and custom sizes, publication costs, and profit margin per book - as well as estimating how things like type and size of paper affects each of those.

It also required me to estimate the total number of pages in my unfinished book.  I should note that I think I am doing things in a slightly different order than most authors, since I chose to hire an illustrator before I finished writing my book.  I did this for two reasons.  First, I wasn't sure how far out I needed to book an illustrator, or how hard it would be to find one.  (I was lucky and found one easily who was available right away).  And second, I didn't know how long it would take the illustrator to finish the cover art, so I figured it would get my book to print faster if the final writing and cover illustration were happening at the same time.  Even though it makes it harder to estimate printing costs without a finished product, the process works fine for me.  I did, however, wait until the story and characters were developed enough that I knew the idea for the cover wouldn't change.

After the research, I also got out the tape measure and physically measured a bunch of comparable books for the same age group and style.  None of them were exactly the same as the standard sizes offered.  After trying to estimate the sizes in the air with my hands multiple times and failing, I finally went ahead and cut out two pieces of paper, one for each of the closest sizes to my comparable books, and held them up.  Having a physical copy to actually hold in my hands was invaluable.  Holding my cutout next to my comparable books, I decided to go with 5.25" x 8".  It will be almost exactly the same width, and just a little taller than most of the comparables.  And I'll have the option of printing on either white or cream paper.

(c) Amber Byers

My illustrator has been so patient with me throughout this process.  She is quick as lightening in her responses, but thankfully calm and patient with my slower response time.  It is a relief to work with her without unnecessary pressure.  And, speaking of her quick response time, here is the first round of color illustrations that she sent me already.  We are making progress!  As before, I'd love to hear your thoughts either in the comments below or sent to me directly.

Sophie and Spot

I've also had a great time writing lately.  I got inspired in my story all over again after reading some of it out loud to my target audience.  I got such great feedback that really rejuvenated my entire writing process!

As I near the end of my book, I am filled with such a mix of emotions.  Excitement, pride, and anticipation, of course.  But also sadness and a sense of loss, knowing how much I love the characters I've created, and wishing they were friends I could stop by to share a cup of tea with.  Thank goodness for sequels!

Status:  33,249 words.  Cover size selected.  First round of color illustrations in.

Achievement v. Inspiration

The last two months have been a different time for me in my writing journey.  I've been using a lot more of my executive, achievement traits and much less of my creativity.  It was good, and necessary, and I have an awesome website to show for it.  But it always feels good to come back to the writing, the creative process.  To me, it is calming in a way that few other things are.  To me, it feels like coming home.  Coming back to my true self.

I think there's a balance between that creative spirit and the get-it-done attitude.  I'm good at both of them, but the hard part is maintaining the balance so I can have both of them at more or less the same time.  The best way I've found to do this is to write for a few hours in the morning, then do business development and all of that other left brained stuff in the afternoon.  Because the minute I open that first email or draft that one to-do list item, my brain shifts away from the creative process.  And then it is ever so hard to shift it back.  I need to start doing this again more regularly.

As I've been doing less of my writing in the mornings lately, I've noticed that my blog posts have become sparser and more of a list of accomplishments.  So, in order to break that trend, I am going to tell you a story about when I was a kid.  Not that this story has anything to do with achievement or inspiration, but it is a good story, at least looking back on it.  And good storytelling, I've heard, is about as essential as good writing to making a good book.  Here's to hoping that I have both the necessary storytelling and writing abilities to make it work!

* * *

One night when I was about 10 years old, my parents went out for the night and left me at home with a friend.  Not a babysitter, but one of my friends from school.  I believe she was a year older than me, but still about the same level of maturity of firmly believing in magic and creating our own fantasies, which included scary ghosts about as much as it included . . . well, no, I can’t remember imagining anything except scary ghosts, devils, and deceased spirits come back from the grave.  Nope, definitely no fairy princesses springing forth from our imaginations.

Anyway, one of our favorite places to play at my old house was under the front porch.  You couldn’t get to it from outside, because the sides were fenced off with a white crisscrossed latticework.  The only way to get to it was to go through the house, go down into the basement, and then climb out of this window that was up really high in the wall.  It must have been designed by an adult who wasn’t anticipating the adventures that young children would have, so we had to stand on a tall chair just to reach it.  Then, because the window swung out into the basement, so you had to hold the window straight out while you climbed under it.

We frequently played under there, digging through the dried-up leaves and dirt that had collected and inspecting every rock or piece of wood to see if it could be a fossil bone.  We were determined to be paleontologists, and were convinced that we would make the next big discovery.

On this night when my parents were out, we did find a bone.  A real bone.  We brushed the leaves and dirt off and dug it out of the ground and found that the little bone sticking up out of the ground was connected to another bone, which was connected to a whole series of bones.  A baby dinosaur!  We had found a real baby dinosaur right under the porch of my very own house!  We were going to be famous!

It was about the size of a cat, which is how we knew it was a baby dinosaur.  Clearly not an adult dinosaur.  We dragged it up through the dirt, climbed back out through the window to drop down into the basement, up the long rickety wooden stairs, and around the corner to the bathroom.  We set the bones down in the bathroom sink, turned the water on, and filled the sink with water.  That was the obvious next step, of course - to clean the bones up.  What luck that all the bones were still connected, too.  The only problem was that there was still fur matted all along the body.

At some point in this process, things took a drastic turn.  Maybe it was the remaining fur.  Maybe it was the bright lights of the bathroom, such a contrast from the dark cave under the porch late at night, which had only been illuminated by the small basement window.  Maybe it was the way the baby dinosaur looked different soaking in a bathroom sink.  Or maybe it was just the sneaking feeling of fear that comes over a young child when they’re home alone on a dark, late night.

Whatever it was, our confidence and excitement changed from pride to be the youngest paleontologists ever to make such an important scientific discovery to . . . being completely afraid, creeped out, and well, grossed out.  So, what’s a kid to do?  We didn’t put it back under the porch or take it outside.  No, we left it exactly where it was and then locked the door.  The bathroom door at that house had a keyhole that locked with an actual key, one of those old fashioned looking skeleton keys, so you could either lock it from the inside or the outside.  Naturally, we locked it from the outside.  While we didn’t want to be near it, we also retained some small shred of hope that my parents would come home, confirm our miraculous discovery, and our paleontology dreams would continue as planned.  You never know.

Next, we probably went around the house and turned on every light we could find.  Beyond that, I don’t remember what else we did that night.  I don't recall what we did with the bathroom key.  I don’t recall if we washed our hands.  I also don’t recall if we were already asleep or awake huddled together in fear somewhere when my parents came home.  I do remember that they firmly fell into the “it’s a cat” camp, not the “it’s a baby dinosaur” camp.  I also remember that the responsibility of removing the cat and cleaning the sink did not fall upon either me or my friend.  I can only assume this was because we were either asleep or huddled together with such fear in our eyes that they took pity on us and let us off the hook.  I am still thankful to my stepdad, who somehow became the one to have the unimaginable duty of cleaning up after his budding paleontologist that night.  I can only imagine the conversation between him and my mom.

Tadpole Press Website Launch, Cover Art Decisions & More!

There are a lot of fun things I'm excited to share with you today, and for those of you who are visually oriented, today's post is extra delightful!  First up, I am thrilled to announce that my website for Tadpole Press has launched!  Check it out here - www.tadpolepress.com.  Please click around, test the links, read the content, and leave me your feedback either below or send it to me directly.  I'd love to hear what you think, if you run into any weird issues, and especially if you come across any typos.  Since this is a platform for my editing business, typos are my dreaded enemy, so please quest them out so I can vanquish them!

If you want to hear about any upcoming special events, be sure to subscribe to my company mailing list.  Don't expect a lot of news from this list, though; I envision that it will be used pretty sparingly to offer special deals or announce when my books get published.

And if you know of anyone who is looking for an editor, please send them my way.   Our doors are open for business!

Second up, I am having so much fun working with my illustrator Penny Weber on the cover design for the book I'm writing.  I just got her second round of rough sketches and they are all so wonderful, I am kind of wishing I didn't have to make just one cover, because I'd love to see all of them!  But, eventually I will have to nail it down to just one design.  Which one is your favorite?

Sophie and Spot

Finally, how's the writing going, you ask?  It is still somewhat relegated to the back burner for the moment, though not entirely.  I woke up before 5:00 a.m. last week and since I couldn't fall back asleep, I decided to get up and write.  It felt so good to immerse myself in the story again!  I love when the words flow effortlessly, the characters deepen, and the plot moves forward in ways that feel like new worlds opening up around you.  It was fun.  And within about an hour, I had another 1,000 words written, breaking the 30,000 word barrier.  It was reinvigorating and I'm looking forward to the next big chunk of time when I get to sit down and write again.

Status:  30,435 words.  Reviewing first drafts of cover sketches.  Tadpole Press website published!

Introducing My Illustrator, Penny Weber!

Well, hello there, my dear blog readers!  It's been awhile.  I figured I'd better give you all an update on what I've been working on these past few weeks, lest you think I've forgotten you.

Not a lot of writing over the last few weeks.  I am still around 3/4 of the way done with my book.  But, I am happy to announce that I've hired an illustrator for the cover art.  Penny Weber will be creating the artwork for the cover.  You can check out her gallery to see her incredible work and you'll understand why I'm excited to partner with her for this project.

The other big thing I've been working on these past few weeks is creating a website for my editing business.  It has been a slow process, but because I want to get it up and running and start drumming up business, I've been replacing some of my writing time with this work instead.  And I'm excited to say that it's almost finished!  I'll let you all know when it's published and you can let me know what you think.

For anyone using new technology, I strongly encourage you to acquaint yourselves with the save feature.  I did not do this at first, and simply assumed that it automatically saved all of the changes I'd been making to my website over the past few hours.  It did not, as I discovered the next time I logged in and basically had to start over from scratch.  Lesson learned.

Status:  29,484 words.  Hired an illustrator.  Countless hours developing a website for my editing business- almost ready to publish.

Overcoming My First Writer's Block

When I hit the midpoint of my book, I also encountered my first major obstacle in my writing process.  I don't know if it was writer's block, that dreaded experience where a writer sits down and tries to write and nothing comes out.  Or if it was just my first struggle with figuring out where I wanted my story to go and how to get it there.  Or it it was because of my first real experience editing a section of my book.

Whatever it was, it wasn't enjoyable.  The process of writing was hard, and it didn't flow easily.  It was a struggle to figure out what to do next, but I kept working at it.  And the other day, I realized - You know what?  I've pushed through that tough time.

And I have.  I just kept sitting down, trying a different angle, and basically not giving up.  What helped me get through it was finding a way to see my story in a different light.  Something new to inspire me and remind me why I want to write this story at this time.

My story is about a girl who wants a dog more than anything, and the process of making that a reality.  The story is focused on her life and this specific piece of it.  But what helped reinvigorate this story for me was for me to focus on her parents.  She has two fathers, a Daddy and a Papa.  While they are not the focus of the book, they are obviously central figures.  I knew I wanted the girl to have gay fathers from the very beginning of the book, because there are so few books with fathers in them and even fewer books with gay parents in them.

There have been a few really good children's books that explore the many different types of families and celebrate diversity, and explain that it's okay to have different families.  Those books have a very important place in our history and literature.  This book is different, kind of like the next step from those initial stories.  This book incorporates the diversity without making it the focal point of the story.  It doesn't create a dialogue about why or how this girl has a different family structure.  It simply provides one example of one family with gay parents.

By creating this specific family in this story, I am not speaking for every gay parent or every child with a different family structure.  What I hope to do is to create one more book with gay fathers than there was in the world before.  To start to even out that huge imbalance in children's literature.

By reminding myself of this other goal, I've been able to pick up steam and get back into my writing with a renewed sense of purpose.  To experience the days when I sit down and the words fly onto the page.  Where I see the story spread its wings and take flight.  As I near the end of the writing process, I thought I'd start sharing regular updates on my progress, so here is the first one.

Status:  28,885 words.  Working on lining up an illustrator.  Can't wait to share the cover design with you!

Colors of Winter

One of the things that I've enjoyed the most about my career change has been using my creative side more often, especially in a visual way.  And slowing down.  I remember when I was still practicing law, I sat down to paint one weekend and felt very rushed.  I couldn't relax into it.  I just wanted the picture to be done, the painting to be complete.  The mindset of cramming in as many billable hours as possible into each minute just wouldn't let go of me, even on the weekend.

That kind of achievement oriented mindset is important, don't get me wrong.  But so is the ability to slow down, breathe deep, and relax into the moment.  To enjoy life, instead of just moving on quickly to the next thing to check off of your to-do list.

One way I've been slowing down lately is taking pictures of the nature around me.  As you know, I much prefer summer over winter.  But I've found that when I focus on the details around me, I enjoy winter more.  The pattern of the bark on a tree.  The yellow of dried grass.  The deep blue light in the sky as the winter evening fades to an early darkness.

It also made me realize how many more colors there are in winter than I generally give it credit for.  So, as winter nears an end, I decided to put together a little collection of some of my photos here to share with you.  I hope you enjoy!

(c) Amber Byers

Interview with Jean Lowe Carlson

Today, I am excited to share an exclusive interview with another indie author who is close to my heart, Jean Lowe Carlson.  Jean and I have been friends since we were kids, and in many ways, she is like a sister to me.  So when she first started writing, I immediately became a number one fan.  When she published her first book, something clicked in me that said hey, I can do this too.  By following her dreams, Jean also paved the way for me to follow mine.  And for that, I am forever grateful.  So without further ado, here is a fun look at this up and coming author!

Jean Lowe Carlson

What made you decide to become an author?

I kinda slipped into it, actually!  Being an author was one of many creative things I wanted to be as a kid, but I never really got into it.  I’ve always read a ton of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, but for some reason never felt the bug to write it.  But then, I started writing down my dreams back in 2012 (which have always been fantastically epic and strange) and suddenly found I had nearly 100 pages!  Before long, I was working full-time, and coming home to write for hours every night.  In two years, I had over ten novels fleshed out, and a number of them finished.  It was about that time that I thought to myself, “Hey, maybe I should really give this a try.”  Boom!  Authoring bug acquired.  ;)

Where do you find your inspiration for your stories?

Many places, but mostly my dreams, meditations, Gaia TV, and the news site Futurism.  My dreams have always been out there (think Salvador Dali meets Lord of the Rings), and a number of elements in my books come from those.  I also do yoga and deep trance meditation, and the imagery and interactions I have with entities during meditation shape a lot of my characters as they move into the light by facing and embracing their darkness, then transmuting it.  And I am constantly fascinated by the content coming out on Gaia TV and Futurism, definitely media for an enlightened generation.

Have you encountered any major obstacles since you started writing?  How have you overcome them?

Yes, marketing myself has been a big obstacle for me.  When I first started, I really thought I could do this authoring thing by myself, you know, “the author in their cave” thing.  But the more I get into it, I find it takes a village.  Successful indie authors not only write great product, but they follow a code of altruism that is amazing, sharing and joining up to promote each other to their followers.  I didn’t know that for the first two years of my publishing career, and it made me think my books were no good because I wasn’t finding readers!  Now I know, that sharing is caring, and teaming up to do joint promotions and cross-promotions benefits everyone.  Readers read everything in their genre they enjoy, not one person’s books.  So share the love!

What is the most helpful technique you have discovered as a writer?

Write ideas down RIGHT AWAY.  Can’t stress this enough.  There have been so many times I got up in the middle of the night and jotted down a dream or idea, then came to find out later it turned into a full book, fast.  The worst thing you can do is stop that creativity stream before it starts.  Don’t even bother to flesh out something you’ve seen in your head in full sentences, just write down the imagery, the feel of the people, their emotions.  That gives a great start, and can lead to amazing places.  You can always revise it later, and you will.

If you could go back and give advice to yourself when you were first starting out, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to grow.  If you keep going as a writer, it’s inevitable.  And when you grow, don’t be afraid to leave the past behind and move forward.  Don’t get stuck criticizing something you wrote a year ago, saying, “Man, I can write so much better now!” or “No wonder that idea didn’t sell!”  Just move forward.  Take good ideas and morph them.  I look back on the first series I published, The Three Days of Oblenite dark fantasy novels, and it was tough at first wondering why they didn’t sell as well as I hoped.  Then I took a good look at them, and though they’re fabulous stories with great characters, they don’t fit any particular niche.  I had to let that go, and just learn from it.  Don’t be afraid to face failures and say, “Well, that didn’t work.  Ok, let’s change it up and do this instead!”

What is the best advice you've received as an author?

Oh, man.  Best advice I probably ever received was from J. Thorn, a fantastic horror writer and friend (you can hear me narrating his American Demon Hunters audiobooks, coming soon to Audible!).  He got real with me about indie publishing.  It’s slow at first, and you gotta get connected and hone your niche.  He told me about his first year, where he sold like 11 copies total, of three books!  His admission of first-year failure inspired me to stop hiding my demons and start looking at them, because my first year in indie publishing wasn’t much better than his!  But now he’s regularly a top-ten horror author on Amazon, and my books are starting to steamroll with the Kingsmen Chronicles series.  I appreciate that he shared his failures with me, because it made mine ok.  I embraced them, worked through them, and then moved forward.  Like Luke Cage says, “Forward, always.”

What is the most rewarding part of writing for you?

Feedback.  I love when people come to me and say, “This changed my life.”  Not necessarily because my ego loves it (and it does), but because I love to hear how the journey of a character can inspire people to live a fuller life.  I once met a man who had read Tears from my Oblenite series, which features a very tender M/M love story.  He was 65, his wife had recently passed, and after he read that book, he said, “Jean, I think I’ve been gay my entire life and not really known it until I read your book.”  He started dating men and loved it, really blossoming as a person before he also passed away just a few months ago.  That’s what I’m talking about.  Real people, letting their hearts open because of a piece of fiction that calls to them.  That’s the magic.

What are you working on now?

Lots!  The second novel of my Kingsmen Chronicles epic fantasy adventure series, Bloodmark, is coming out March 20th.  The first novel was Blackmark, published in 2016, and is getting rave reviews, and I’m hoping to also get the third novel, Goldenmark, out this year.  I’m also working on narrating and producing audiobooks for authors J. Thorn and Marsha A. Moore (definitely check out their books – they are fantastic!).  I am also hoping to put out another novel in the next year, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi about a damaged world where people live underground, and the brilliant recluse of an engineer racing against an evil corporation to restore the surface to habitation.  Title TBA!

What are your goals for the next 5 years?

Get big, get known, get connected!  I’d like to be fully self-sufficient in 5 years, able to pay for my life and writing costs entirely from writing and audiobook proceeds.  I also want to build a big network of great indie fantasy and sci-fi authors (any of you reading this – contact me!), who promote each other’s work, join together for co-promotions, and help each other with book launches. Ultimately, I want to get in the top ten on Amazon, and with a little help from my friends (as the Beatles once put it), I believe it’s possible!

Where can readers find your work?

My website: http://jeanlowecarlson.com/  - If readers go there, they can get Blackmark, the first book of The Kingsmen Chronicles, free!  Think Game of Thrones meets Lord of the Rings, meets The Wheel of Time meets Outlander.  My books are also on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes, and I use Smashwords to distribute to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBooks, and a number of other retailers.  If readers join my mailing list from my website, I send out regular updates on new releases, announce giveaways, send freebies and cut scenes, and a whole lot more!

Thank you to Jean for coming over to my blog for this interview!  It has been fantastic to learn more about your writing process and share your story with my readers.

A Few Words to Share with You Today

(c) Amber Byers

I wrote this saying a few months ago, in a card to our local ice cream shop and Mexican grocery store after someone threw a brick through the ice cream shop window and wrote racial epithets on the grocery store's walls.  A note to say we're glad you're in our community.  A note to say those acts don't represent us, they don't define our community.

I thought of it again yesterday, in light of the protests occurring around the country.  So it seemed like a good time to share these words with you, my dear blog readers, and the greater community in general.

While this isn't directly on point as to how my book is coming along or thoughts on my career transition, it is on point as to my journey as a writer.  Part of that journey is understanding that words have power.  The words we write, the words we say, the words we keep to ourselves.  They make a difference in the lives of those around us.

I want to use my words to instill a sense of calm, of hope, of community.  To remind us of the beauty of diversity.  To encourage us to support, love, and inspire one another.  So I decided to share these few words with you here as a late Valentine's present to say thanks for being in my world and let's take care of each other in any way we can.

#ADayWithoutImmigrants  #HappyValentines  #LoveAlwaysWins

Midpoint

A lot of people have asked me lately how the writing is coming, so I thought I would give you all an update.  First of all, yes - I am still writing!  Second, it has been a slow month and a half.  I actually had a luxuriously long winter break, as well as a few unexpected but necessary non-writing things I needed to spend my writing time on over the last few weeks.  So it has been an extended break from regular writing, but I'm back in full swing now and am working on my main writing project - a children's chapter book.

I think the book will be around the 7 to 10 year age range.  Longer than the Ivy and Bean and Puppy Place books for those of you who are familiar with those.  And similar in style to The Year of the Book and The World According to Humphrey books, spanning the course of a year or a semester and detailing the everyday events and people that make up a young girl's life.

So I'm back at it and somewhere around the midpoint of my book.  I think.

One thing I've discovered since entering the writing world is that writers talk about book length in terms of words, not pages.  This is still something my brain is getting used to and I occasionally say things like "I'm going to write 50,000 pages" instead of a much more reasonable goal of "I'm going to write 50,000 words."  I also find this metric frustrating because authors don't advertise their books in terms of words, and websites selling books don't list the number of words - they list the number of pages.

Anyway, at my writers conference last fall, I set my word goal for my book at 50,000 words. That was based upon the fact that most adult books are around 80,000 to 100,000 words.  While data on children's books is harder to find and much more variable, I recently did a miniature test by counting the estimated average words per page of my comparable books.  I estimated The Year of the Fortune Cookie to be 27,720 and Imagination According to Humphrey to be 41,760.

So if I stick to my planned 50,000 words, it's going to be a longer book, though I assume it will probably shrink when it comes time to edit.  (On a side note, at a writers event I went to recently, they discussed words that writers tend to overuse, like 'really' and 'amazing'.  I thought, "This won't apply to me."  But I did a quick search of one of the words - 'just' - and what do you know, I use 'just' all over the place!  I came home and joked that I may have just cut my book by half just by taking out the word just!)

Anyway, I am currently at 21,088 words.  So almost halfway there.  And that lines up with the plot diagram I've created as well.  I just finished the first half of my plot diagram with today's writing.

Now that we've covered the statistical answer to how's the writing going, I will add that from the heart and inspiration standpoint, this has been the hardest stretch of writing that I've done.  I don't know if that's what all authors experience around the midpoint of their book, but I have been struggling with the feeling, the oompf, behind it.  I have revised and revised my plot diagram and am back on track with my timeline and chart.

But it feels so much more structured than my earlier writing, almost like an assignment.  Ahh my earlier writing . . . those early chapters before I had a plot diagram, or even knew what one was.  When I created scenes because they were fun and I felt excitement about the characters and the story.  And the story just flowed effortlessly.

Maybe I just hit my limit of how much I can write in one day.  I usually aim to write 1,000 words, but stuck with it today until I wrote 1,500.  Perhaps because I was afraid that I needed to make up for lost time.  After writing, I listened to Liz Gilbert's Magic Lessons podcast and she said something like "creativity and grief both have their own timelines, no matter how much we try to make them adhere to our own deadlines."

So maybe I'm rushing things and cramping the story in the process.  Or maybe I just need to edit and rewrite the last few scenes.  Or maybe this is just how it's supposed to feel in the middle.  I'm not sure.  But I am sure that I'm committed to figuring it out.  Not tonight.  Not tomorrow.  But eventually, when the time is right.