“You don’t read that rubbish…” #TuesdayThoughts with Doris (@mamaD8)

Hello, lovely peeps, Doris here with her Tuesday thoughts, which will be short and sweet, and quite possibly ranty. You have been warned.

 

What brought this on, you may well ask? Well, the title will give you a clue! The above was actually said during a wedding dinner I attended this weekend. Now, don’t get me wrong the actual event was fab, and I really enjoyed myself, but as we were sitting around this table making small talk which folks we’d never met before the conversation inevitably turned to, “So, what do you do?”

My ever supportive and far too proud of me hubby announced that I was an author.

“Oh, really, what sort?”

All well and good until the subject of what exactly I write came up.

As per usual, the whole oh like Fifty shades came up. I just smiled sweetly and said, “My dear, I write far hotter than that.”

While the women at the table were supportive, you had to get one joker, who came out with the rubbish comment, not to me, I hasten to add, but to his wife, who was talking to me about my books.

Cue her reply, “No, but she writes it.”

Cue me, smiling not so sweetly at Mr. Clever Clogs. “Yes, that’s right, and I do very well, thank you.”

The expression on my face must have given me away. I know I have a very expressive face and probably looked ready to take his head off…. because he dropped the subject. Then again, my continued ignoring of his might have had something to do with that too.

Seriously, though…. grrr….

That was on top if the usual, “Oh, I should write a book,” and wink, wink, nudge, nudge comments. Is it any wonder I normally keep what I do to myself?

   Anyhoo, just had to get that off my chest. I shall never understand why folks have such a low opinion of the romance industry in general and erotic romance in particular.

On the upside I also met several folks at the wedding who are avid fans of my writing, so, ya know it swings in roundabouts.

They tend to be quieter than the neighsayers, mind you, but that’s okay.  I shall continue to ignore those that belittle the genre and continue to write what I love. Best way of dealing with them really, and well I know what my next villain will be called.

He may or may not find himself emasculated by a pint-sized, erotic romance reading woman…

 

*whistles innocently*

That’s all from me today, folks.

Do stay naughty, won’t you!

Dxxx

 

 

 

Collaborative Writing by Jules Dixon @JulesofTripleR #amwriting #writingtips #MondayMessages

Collaborative Writing by Jules Dixon

Writing can be a solitary effort.

Alone. 

All alone.

So when the opportunity to collaborate with another author or many authors comes around, many authors will jump at the opportunity. But before saying an enthusiastic “Yes!” there are many things to think about. 

First, what will you be writing and what are the requirements for the project. For instance, are all stories to be in first or third POV? Or is it up to each writer? If it’s anthology, what is the story length both min and max? How many authors will be included?

Second, who will be deciding, retaining control of, and paying for major decisions, like the cover, editing, marketing, ISBN’s, platforms and release schedules, and more. So much more. Make sure all of this is down in writing for all to see and to be held accountable. When it comes to cover, will you get a say? What if you don’t like the cover?

Third, what are the timelines for deliverables? First draft, second draft, edits, accepting edits, final drafts, beta reads, cover reveals, promotions, etc…they’re all important and it’s best to have it all in writing so you and everyone else can’t say they “didn’t know.”

Fourth, how is the money (i.e. ebook royalties/paperback sales) going to be paid out or is the money going toward something? For instance, my critiquing group is doing an anthology and we’re going to use the royalties for group activities, like maybe a retreat or going to a vineyard for a day and drinking wine and writing…the possibilities will be based on how the anthology does, so it’s in everyone’s interest to help it be a success.

Lastly, expectations must be managed and one person must have the say when there is no time to ask everyone, or the decision is small or doesn’t affect the bottom line, or there is a tie in voting when it does. By this I mean there needs to be a project manager and someone to say “it has to be this way” when it does and can’t be any other way and for the times when someone won’t get their way and a “that isn’t possible” has to be said.

For ours, that person is me. And it’s not easy. But it’s important that there is one person who holds the group together and finds a middle ground. I try to let the group be as democratic as possible. Occasionally, decisions just need to be made, and when I do it, I try to be respectful and give what I believe the majority would want.

So, in the end, when you ask someone to co-write or to join a collection of stories, have your ducks in a row. Have a contract written up to explain and detail the big parts of above. It will help everyone move smoothly through the project and lend to success for everyone.

Have a great week! ❤ Jules

All gifs are from Giphy.com.

Say what now? #FabulousFriday @AuthorMoira

Happy Friday one and all, and for some the precursor to a long weekend. Here in Canada we get Victoria Day on Monday, A celebration for Queen Victoria’s birthday, who at the time of our (aka: Canada’s) Confederation and establishment of dominion in 1867, was the reigning Canadian monarch. Say that five times fast. Which was, if you’re doing the math, 150 years ago – that’s right, it’s Canada’s 150th birthday this year. Another name for the weekend, quite obviously, is the May Long Weekend. The official demarcation between winter and spring, or the point at which it is now *cough* “safe” *cough* to start dethatching the grass, planting the crops, etc., and for the truly die hard, dedicated lunatics out there – the first camping trip of the year. For those of us who are authors, and not lunatics of the camping variety, we’ll be writing. Which in an extremely roundabout way segues into my post for today.

WRITING IS NOT A REAL JOB

Yup, you read that right. And sadly there are people out there who actually believe this type of malarkey. What I’m hoping to do, if I should manage to avoid a full blown rant, is to dispel this rumor once and for all. But let’s start at the top and work our way down shall we?

JOB: 1. an assignment at which one regularly works for pay (Related Words: business, employ, employment, occupation, profession, career, livelihood, living, etc.); 2. a piece of work that needs to be done regularly (Related Words:  endeavor, enterprise, undertaking, responsibility, etc.); 3. a specific task with which a person or group are charged; 4. the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists (Related Words:  niche, calling, occupation, pursuit, vocation, duty, mission, etc.); etc… taken from Merriam-Webster online thesaurus and abbreviated as needed for this posting.

We as authors endeavor to undertake the profession of writing. Do we hope to make it a career? Abso-fucking-lutely. For the majority of us though this isn’t going to happen. But it’s a calling, a pursuit that we have to take part in, a vocation and a calling that speaks to our very souls. It is our duty, not only to ourselves but our very spirit, to take on the mission we were always destined to pursue. But I’m getting ahead of myself here, so let’s take it from the word go. Like anyone our day begins by getting out of bed.

From there it’s a variety of the following, but in the end we have as much (sometimes less, sometimes more) to do as the average non-writer type person to get done in a day. And then we still have to get in our time/word counts.

1. Rise & Shine – or the variant of Groan & Grumble, Moan & Creak, Bitch & Bargain, etc.
2. Freshen Up – otherwise known as beating down the bedhead, de-furring the tongue, and so forth
3. Fuel For The Day – usually trying to slurp down a too hot coffee/tea too fast, burn the tongue/roof of mouth, and curse mornings; occasionally there might be a spare 2 seconds for something to eat
4. Out The Door – this could involve kids, or just yourself and/or significant other, usually in a rush because despite all best laid plans you’re somehow behind schedule, not for the first time that year naturally
5. Day Job – most authors have this beast of burden to contend with in one form or another unless they are lucky, or have sold extremely well to support themselves
6. After Job/School Activities – folks with kids know there’s sometimes too many things to try to cram into one afternoon/evening, and yet somehow everything is always planned for the same night (sports games/finals, dance class/recitals, band practice/recitals, etc)
7. Evening Relaxation – ensuring kids get watered and fed, usually a meal is crammed in there, homework (theirs or yours), etc
8. Writing – now, unlike those who are lucky to have the daylight hours to write in while the house is partly or fully empty of small demanding beings, those of us with the Day Job get only a set number of minutes to hours to write in a night
9. Inevitable Crash – bedtime, aka: when the muse really starts coming up with ideas but you’re too exhausted to care/write them down because you’ll remember in the morning, even though you won’t/don’t

Now, as mentioned there are variations on this, but the above is the gist of things of the “average” day for an author. Not only do we contend with everything non-writers do, we still have our actual career, our writing, to try and get time for in every single day. But it’s not JUST writing. For newbies and those who haven’t hit it “big”, we also have all the stuff some lucky authors have assistants for. Things like marketing, research, arranging for trips, conventions, etc. Which is 100% separate for the hundreds of daily tasks we still see to by ourselves, or at least oversee (grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, bill paying, household fixes, etc, etc, etc.)

So, to those out there that say that writing isn’t a job or a career, that it’s a “cute hobby”, I say unto you – PFFT! I challenge you to step into the shoes of the average author and take our lives for a spin. Like anything out there until you’ve walked a mile in the shoes of the one you are belittling, zip it. You have no more right than anyone else to judge, just like we have no right to judge you in whatever you do. Mutual consideration, understanding, and compassion people. Get over yourself and realize that the first step to a better world is to stop judging that which you have never done and therefore do not know.

Hump Day Inspiration #WickedWednesday (@KaceyHammell) #StuartReardon

Good morning all. Kacey here, another week has flown by and it’s been a crazy few days for me. Just when writing is taking off and all is going well, life will throw a writer completely off balance and it’s a struggle to keep up with everything.

My Great Aunt moved in about 3 weeks ago, she had an offer on a house when hers sold within a day and the offer feel through unexpectedly last week. Since Monday it’s been a pile of paperwork after another to be released from that offer and putting in a new offer on a different location. The trees used for all this paperwork, I weep for. My aunt’s kids do not live locally so I have stepped in to help, and while my aunt should really be able to do all this stuff herself, she can’t drive due to falling while packing one day, and broke her knee cap. It’s been one wonderful thing after another.

And my writing time has stalled unfortunately. I think I’ve only written 400 words in the last few days and I’m sad about it. Today is a calmer day thankfully and while I do have a pre-planned day with a friend, I am taking my notebook to get some writing in.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful writing week. And today I thought I would share some writing inspiration, especially since it is Hump Day. This man, I saw in pictures from a recent book signing and he’s been on my writer brain for days, sparking the ideas and seriously triggering some fabulous thoughts.

This is Stuart Reardon. He’ll be our Hump Day Hottie today. *g*

I don’t have ownership on this pictures, full credit goes to FuriousFotog

Here is Stuart’s facebook page for you all to follow him too.

I think he’ll be inspiration for many books to come.  Maybe one day I’ll even have him on a cover for one of my stories. A gal can dream. *g*

Until next week,

Happy Writing!

Kacey xoxo

 

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This crazy thing called life #TuesdayThoughts with Doris (@mamaD8)

Hello, lovely peeps, Doris here, and as the title says, I’m talking about this crazy thing called life today.

Namely how it can derail you. I had a somewhat intelligent post planned, but then we had a really busy Monday, which involved a trip to the vets with the kitten for her post spey check up.

She passed with flying colours, bless her. You can see her fetching shaved bit here.

Then our nine year old had two of his teeth taken out under IV sedation. He doesn’t like the dentist, doesn’t like anything in his mouth, and to top it all he doesn’t like needles.

Yes, stressful doesn’t even begin to describe that experience. He was very brave, however, and we got it done.

Phew.

He rather suffered afterwards with the after effects of the anesthetic. Picture him freezing cold in his pjs with a hoodie over the top, curled burrito style on his bed, shivering. Poor lil guy.

Well, he’s not little, he’s tall for his age, but ykwim. This mama’s heart hurt for him.

Anyway, despite all of that, I did manage to add 1000 words to my WIP. Not the one I was aiming to finish this week…

Of course not, that would be easy, and you know my muse… she hops skipping and jumping all over the place. I’m consoling myself with the fact that I am writing, and as long as I listen to her demented mutterings in my ear my fingers fly.

Never argue with your muse, tried that, doesn’t work, at all.

*sighs*

Today is daughter #4’s birthday. She is 15. How did that happen? It seems like yesterday that she was born. Okay, I’ve had three more children since her, but still! 😉

So, where does this leave today’s post? Well, this rambling mess, lol.

To make up for my lack of anything writerly to say, I shall leave you with the inspiration for four of my current WIP’s. Yes, you read that right, four…..

*glares some more at her muse*

                        

                        

 

Right, now where was I?

Do stay naughty, folks.

D xxx

Pesky Writing Myths #WickedWednesday @KaceyHammell

Good morning. Happy Wednesday! Kacey here, fighting sleep and a writing hangover. There could be worse problems, I know. LOL I have been plagued by the devil of writing, a story that I thought I was done with but unhappy with the end. After days of working through different passages and such, and a wonderful author critiques, I finally figured it out. Which led me down a path I never take, but the end result I believe will be worth it.

And in all this, I was thinking about writing myths. Especially the one that says “writing is easy”. Yeah, I beg to differ, writers. It is not easy. I’ve been in this business a long time, most know that I started as a reviewer at Amazon and a Romance site, and finally picked up my own pen about four years after that. I did take a four year hiatus, most also know this because of the my father’s death, and while I don’t regret it, I wonder what my career would look like if I hadn’t taken the time off. I was on an upswing with sales and gaining traction within the business. But I digress a bit. Having been in the business a long time, I’ve seen authors come and go, the struggles of some and the successes of others. And I’ve heard the writing myths out of the mouths’ of new authors and the ideas many authors have about this business. The loudest and biggest myths are these:

I touched base on it – that writing is easy.
Whoever told you this is a liar and deserves a “Gibbs smack” upside the back of the head. Writing takes blood, sweat and tears. Every sentence can be similar to pulling teeth. And we have dentists out there for that, writers shouldn’t be doing it. Or pulling out their hair. That too would be a huge no-no. I heard wigs are itchy…?  But never give up! Some stories are easier to write than others, but overall, writing is not easy.

Instant hit, then hit after hit after hit.
Nah, not true. There are a rare few that have overnight success, I’d love their marketing teams and the fan fiction writers’ who make money off of other authors’ works (but that’s a whole ‘nother topic there). I’d say about 90% of the successes out there came after years of writing, diligently setting schedules for themselves, scraping their soul to make something, anything happen with their stories. Let’s face it, rejection happens and sure, we can look at JK Rowling. She received a lot of no’s to get a yes, and while Harry Potter did become a huge hit, she is one of the rare few that’s had it. And I love her madly. But not all writers are blessed to have the instant hit and a gazillion ones to follow. Put the work in, keep writing. There’s no science to this business to make you an automatic hit. You never know when that one story will take off. It isn’t always instantaneous. Keep writing! That’s your success!

Grammar and Editing don’t matter.
And I have a castle in my backyard that’s for sale. Only authors who don’t give a rat’s ass about their work wave away editing/editors/grammar rules. It infuriates me when I hear authors / see them post on social media that they didn’t hire an editor. I don’t know any of these author’s personally, all my author pals are smart as whips and know better. Editors / editing is so, so important. I mean, come on, it’s common sense. And if your words suck because the editing is so bad, you won’t gather much of a following. Write. Edit. Repeat. Write. Edit. Repeat. Words to live by.

Writers are hermits
I kinda live in the corner of my living room at my desk, with my Supernatural and other Funko characters and a many cups full of pens that I’ll probably never use in my whole lifetime. I can call myself a hermit/introvert and such but others may not call themselves that. But then again, I’m not big on leaving my house unless it’s absolutely necessary so therein lays the belief that I am indeed a hermit. However!!! Most writers when they do get out of their house, they party like rockstars, love to laugh and have a great time. Conventions are a perfect example. While many writers would prefer to stay in their own worlds and some are hermits, we really aren’t. We love to get out and meet with friends … albeit other writers!! LOL Not all of us are hermits, we are simply selective in when we go out, and if the reason is more important than writing. *g*

Writers are bored housewives.
This one always makes me laugh. Though times have changed and the romance genre especially is hotter than ever, some people’s misconception about this is hilarious. Just a second, really, I’ll get some writer friends on the phone. Hello? Oh yes, here’s Author A – successful prosecuting lawyer in New York who writes some of the best thriller novels I’ve ever read. And Author B – a medical examiner who’s thrillers/mysteries are addicting. Oh, the librarian! Yes Author C, who runs the local library and is continually getting young children into her establishment to read. Author D – forensic anthropologist whose books … *gasp*… were made into a TV show and survived 12 seasons. (I didn’t reveal author names because of anonymity of what their careers are/were.) Writers are also teachers, marketing directors, nurses, headhunters for big corporations, hell you name it, there’s probably a professional person out there writing as well.

Never sell yourself short!! But no matter what you hear about writing, it’s your work, your brand and business. Run it with a tight fist and protect it. You’ll make your way on your own and in your own way. Don’t let these crazy myths derail you. And don’t let these crazy myths make you crazy. They are just that, myths. The reality of this business can be a lot more difficult but also a lot of fun. As writing should be. It’s storytellers sharing their love of fantasy, magical places, hot heroes and kick-ass heroines who make the job so much more enjoyable.

Ditch the myths and pick up the pens!

Until next week, happy writing.

Kacey xoxo

Oh, and because it’s Hump Day. Let’s enjoy a couple Hump Day Hotties.

(pix of Charlie Hunnam aka King Arthur & Tom Ellis aka Lucifer found on Pinterest)

Cheat Sheet of Bad Habits #WickedWednesday @KaceyHammell

Good morning all. Happy Wednesday. I hope you’ve had a great week. I’ve spent most of the time writing bits and pieces to my new shifter story and working on edits for a finished piece that I am 90% happy with. Some further tweaking to do. And leads me to today’s post. Editing and my list of things – my cheat sheet – like bad habits I tend to have in my first draft. A lot of writers would say to nix them, don’t put them in your first draft, but for me the first draft is about getting the story out of my head and onto paper/into the computer. Then I return to it and fix my bad habits. So I put together a short list of the items (polished up and explained) I look out for and always improve, change, polish before submitting it. Again, this is my process and reminders that help me improve the quality of each story.

• Commas: the comma is the most common punctuation mark and the most misused. It’s a tricky one because the rules are lax by many, leaving usage up to style guides and writers’ judgment. In weaker writing, there are too few or too many commas. Be consistent in when using commas and find the right balance.
• Adjectives vs. adverbs: People don’t run quick; they run quickly. The word quick is an adjective; quickly is an adverb.
• Homophones: homophones can be difficult because spell check won’t catch them examples of homophones – they’re/there/their. Complement/compliment,
• Subject-verb agreement: The subject of a sentence needs to match the verb. Example of a common mistake: He have two lizards. The verb have does not go with the subject she. It should be He has two lizards.
• Verb tense: The topic of tense warrants an article of its own (or maybe an entire book). There are multiple tenses beyond past, present, and future, and they are worth knowing. Be especially careful of mixing up simple past tense (We talked for hours) and past perfect tense (We had talked all night).
• Verb tense consistency: A sentence that was originally in perfect past tense is changed to simple past tense, but one of the words in the sentence is overlooked, and you end up with something like He went to the store and had shopped for pasta. 
• Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve: many writers seem to think the “ve” in these words means “of.” But it’s short for “have.” These words are contractions for “should have,” “could have,” and “would have,” respectively — NOT “should of,” “could of,” or “would of.”
• Repetitious words – many writers have “crutch” words they use over and over in their stories. Mine are – then, it, that, and, just, damn. I go through the story many times to omit the usages of these that are not necessary.
• Consistency is key: grammar rules don’t cover everything. As a writer, you will constantly be challenged to make sensible decisions about how to construct your sentences and paragraphs. Always be consistent.

The consistency for me is very important. And it’s why I keep my own style guide on file. It is a tremendous help and I learn and grow from it. It also, usually, makes it easier for my editor if I’ve done the majority of the work myself. Which is also quite important. It’s the writer’s job to handle the worse of the issues within their writing before a publisher/acquisitions editor ever lays eyes on it.

Writers should never solely rely on their editors to do what the writer can do themselves.

 

And let’s not forget, since it’s Hump Day, our Hump Day Hottie this week. Who doesn’t love David Gandy? Enjoy *g*

Pic Source: Pinterest

Pic Source: Pinterest

 

Until next week,

Happy Writing!

Kacey xoxo

(pic source: Pinterest)

 

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Promo, Promo, Promo… #TuesdayThoughts with Doris (@mamaD8)

Happy Tuesday, folks, Doris here. Now before you get too excited about the title, this is not a how to promo post.

Heaven forbid! There is enough information out there about that. Every Tom, Dick, or Harry seems to have the latest must do.

You know the ones, do XYZ and you’re guaranteed sales….

Yes, well, my take on that, if anyone starts off with that, run a mile. NOTHING guarantees sales. The right promo helps, of course, but what will work for one author will not work for the other, and we all have to decide what level of promotion we’re comfortable doing, and most importantly can sustain doing.

Like with most things, consistency is the key here.

There is no point having a blog, if you don’t blog, for instance, or only do so every once in a blue moon. I aim to have a blog post up every day. This isn’t for everyone, and some weeks I don’t manage it, but I will always have a Tuesday/Wednesday/Sunday post up at least, because they’re memes I participate in every week, and you know what. They get tons of views.

So, if you have a blog chose a day/days that you will always put something up, no matter what, and you will get readers checking it out.

Likewise, if you have a website – and as an author, you really, really ought to have one of those – then for the love of all that is holy make sure it’s up to date. Links work etc.

It’s frustrating for a reader to come on your website and not find the latest info they’re looking for.

Those are the basics really, the staples of being an author if you like. That, and having a social media presence.

Again, whichever platform you use, be consistent and be there. I was on Facebook a long time before I ever published a book, so that’s where most of my promo efforts are located, and when I say efforts, they simply contain in sharing my new releases, maintaining my author page on there, and above all to be social.

There is no need to bash your readers over the head with endless promos. Be engaging, be you, and they will naturally seek out your books, if you write in a genre they’re interested in.

And if you don’t? Well, guess what. That’s okay too. I’ve got many friends on FB who wouldn’t dream of reading my book, yet I value my interactions with them.

You are so much more than the books your write. Let your personality shine through, concentrate on writing the next book and the rest will fall into place.

Ah, but Doris, you say, that’s easy for you to say. You’ve been at this for five years now. You have a good reader base, yadda, yadda, yadda.

True, but I’m not doing anything differently now than I did when I started back in 2011 when I got my first contract.

I had three books out with three different publishers in the space of three weeks back then. Why? Well, one, because I don’t believe in putting all our eggs in one basket (proof in point, two of those publishers don’t exist anymore) and two, I’d been in a mad writing frenzy for a year and had lots of manuscripts available to me.

I have continued to be a prolific writer, though nowhere near as productive as some authors I know, who I’m convinced cannot do anything but write.

Personally, I prefer to have a life, spend time with my family, and get that work, write balance right. Because that is important too, you know, folks.

Give yourself time off from all that hard work, be that writing, or indeed the dreaded promo. Your stories will be all the better for it.

Nothing sells books as well, as more books. Think about the last time you discovered a new to you author, whose work you love. Remember that squee-worthy moment when you checked him/her out and discovered their backlist? Yeah, never underestimate the power of the backlist.

I’m a happy bunny indeed when I discover an author I love has lots of books I can gorge on.

Never forget your best promotional tool is to keep on writing. I know not everyone can write fast. For some getting two, three books a year out is a big thing, and that’s okay. If that’s the way you write, then you just have to go with it, but I’d say being you out there on Social Media becomes even more important.

Don’t be that author, who promotes the one book over and over and over. It will not gain you more sales, it will just make folks roll their eyes and yawn.

If you have a backlist, mention one of those. If you have an upcoming release, mention them. If you have nothing to promo, then post kitten pics…

Side note: I do love kitten spam! *smiles*

Seriously, though, you get the idea. Be YOU.

By all means, try out different promo hats to see what fits but don’t get too hung up about it. Don’t feel you have to try the latest craze that everyone is going on about, especially if you’re not all that comfortable with this whole promo thing.

Here at the Naughty Quills we covered this topic a few times, so, if you haven’t already, check out these posts:

Marketing Materials

An Author’s Backlist

Promoting Your Work

Anatomy of a Promo Kit

Newsletter Importance

Building Readerships & Relationships

Think that will do for now. Your head will spin if you read all that.

That’s all from me today.

Do stay naughty, won’t you!

D xxx

 

To the Newly Published Author by Jules Dixon of @JulesofTripleR #amwriting #marketing #MondayMessages

To the Newly Published Author by Jules Dixon

What a wonderful thing it is to be a published author. Whether it be self-published or traditionally published, you have accomplished what many hope and dream to do in their life. Congratulations!

And as a newly published author, I’d like to take a minute to guide you through your first book baby, post delivery into the great big world of reading, if you will.

First, you will be excited and many of your friends and family will be excited for you but that might not always be the case. You may run into one or more (hopefully not) who say things that come off as less than supportive. “Anyone can publish a book nowadays” or “I have an idea for a book, but I’m not going to write it because I don’t want to make you feel bad cause I know it’s going to be big, not like yours.” Yes, those are just a sample of things people have said to me. Prepare yourself for the “haters”, and don’t let them get to you. Let it slide right off, and write another book! Cause you know what, they be jealous most of the time.

Second, you will want to ask a million questions, but I’d ask you use your friend Mr. Google and inquire there first, narrow your question with the information you find, and then if you still have a very pointed and well-articulated question, then ask someone for clarification. It’s amazing what an author can find on Google or any other search engine, or in a supportive author group in the previous posts. In most groups, you can use the “Search” function and see if a topic has been approached and what the responses were.

Third, don’t be like Luke. When Luke is training in the swamp he freaks out, he gives up, and he acts like a goddamn baby. So don’t be like Luke…have some PATIENCE! Seriously, this probably should be #1. Understand that it takes time to learn. Have patience to accept that it takes time to get a fan base, build loyal readers and connect with readers. Restraint from saying and doing things you might regret later. Step back from holding Yoda in the air on your foot while lifting the rock, some day you too will feel the force, but when it’s all new, you need to take slower steps, listen, and focus. Just breathe.

 

Lastly, if a fellow author promotes you, give thanks, and make a mental note to do the same when they have a book come out. This is a reciprocity that speaks a lot to your professionalism, plus using people for your own promotion and not reciprocating is not acceptable. I understand things slip through the cracks, but authors take time from writing to help you, please do the same.

Okay, go forth and be a new and wonderful writer. It is an amazing event and you should relish the excitement and happiness you feel.

Congratulations to all first time published authors and to those who continue in this crazy business. We all deserve a pat on the back today.

❤ Jules

All gifs from Giphy.

 

Writing Inspiration #WickedWednesday #HumpDayHottie @KaceyHammell

 

Good morning.  Happy Wednesday and Happy Hump Day.

I have been blessed the last few days of frantic inspiration in my writing so my post will be short and straight to the point. It actually feels like a Wacky Wednesday to me. I am currently writing a new story that is coming at me in weird waves. Scenes, dialogue that aren’t quite in order exactly, and moments from the story that come in flashes. This has never happened to me before, and although I have written many scenes within my notebooks when on the go, this one only wants to be written in long hand. Boggles other authors’ minds, I know, but sometimes the process is different for some. Whatever works right?

So because I’ve been so focused on what I have been writing, and researching wolves since this will be my first wolfie shifter, I didn’t have a long or witty post for today. I haven’t really come up for air a lot. And even though I’m sure I’ll be able to patch my new words/scenes together at some point, I can’t knock that I am getting words in. In this weird way, but at least there’s no writer’s block.

I leave you today with some inspiration. Hopefully everyone is writing up a storm and enjoying what they love most.

(Source of all photos: Pinterest)

And I also leave you with my current inspiration for my hero (Theo James) who is my Hump Day Hottie too.

 

Until next week,

Happy Writing!

Kacey xoxo

 

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