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Every now and then, I like to take a moment to introduce an author to all of you! With this interview series, I've come to know an amazing group of writers and I want you to know them too! 

For today's installment, I've had the pleasure of interviewing author E. Rachael Hardcastle! According to her website, she's a "dreamer, a deep thinker, a bookworm and grammar nerd."

Of course, I know we all want to know more than that! That's why I've sent her an in-depth questionnaire with 75 of the most intriguing questions I could come up with! And since E. Rachael is an amazing interviewee, she took the time to answer every single one of them! So not only do we get one interview with E. Rachael, but we actually get three!

In case you missed the earlier segments, you can check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here!

About the Author:
  • If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? Any of Mitch Albom's books, particularly The Time Keeper and The Five People You Meet In Heaven. They are beautiful and inspiring.
  • What do you think your biggest accomplishment has been? In less than 12 months I have been on the radio and the television for my writing, I have almost reached my 2000 sales/downloads goal and I have met some wonderful people through my author interviews and podcast, The White Room.
  • What’s your next big goal? To re-write and release Eternity, book four in my Finding Pandora series. I also plan to re-publish the books as one volume.
  • What’s something that no one knows about you? I don't think I'm much of a mystery but I'll admit I hate being the centre of attention. When you're promoting books and speaking in public is hard to avoid! I'm an introvert.
  • Do you have any hidden talents? I'm lucky to be a writer because I can't draw, play a musical instrument or sing very well! I did learn to play the cup song like Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect with a plastic cup as a bit of fun. It's now my party trick.
  • What’s one thing that you think you’re horrible at? I'm an author so obviously I think I'm horrible at writing. I think this is something we all fear.

About Being an Author:
  • What’s one thing you’d be willing to give up to become a better writer? I don't think giving up anything can make you a better writer. Perhaps time spent on other activities like watching TV.
  • If you could be mentored by another author, who would it be? Why? Stephen King, Mitch Albom, Brandon Sanderson; and all of them if possible, because they all have something unique to offer.
  • Do you have a favorite team member, beta reader, editor, or someone else you’d like to give a shout out to? Just to the authors who I have interviewed, to everyone who has purchased one of my books and left a review, those who have recommended me, anyone who left a testimonial, to all the authors who have featured and interviewed me. Finally to my family and friends.
  • Are there any big lessons that you’ve learned throughout your time as an author? I think I have gained some confidence. I've gained a lot of knowledge regarding marketing and promotion, networking and editing. I have learned the basics of fantasy map making. I don't think these are big lessons but they contribute to my progress.
  • What advice do you have for other writers? To believe in yourself. Never let anyone tell you that you can't or you're not worth it. You can be whoever and whatever you want and if that's to be a writer, then go for it.

About Your Book:
  • If you could get your book reviewed by anyone in the world, who would it be? Why? Bestselling authors of the same genre. I think their feedback and advice would help me massively.
  • Did you base any of your characters on real people? If so, who? No, but I have been told several times that Arriette Monroe and I are similar in personality. We also look alike – green eyes and dark hair.
  • If your book was turned into a movie, who would be your ideal cast? I have always imagined Alicia Silverstone as Baby A and Vin Diesel as Reiko, but none of my other characters have a clear match yet.

About Your Writing:
  • Do you want each of your books to stand on their own, or are you trying to create a connection between each of them? I hope each of my novels would be enjoyable on its own, but they are usually all part of a series that would be enjoyed more if read in order.
  • How many unpublished/unfinished books do you have? Countless!
  • Do you struggle with writing your own story versus writing what you think will sell? I never write to market, I just write what I love to read and what I think I'm best at.
  • Do you have any fun collaborations coming up? No, so far I haven't collaborated with anyone else.
  • If you could co-author a book with anyone, who would it be? Why? Any of my favorite authors but they are way out of my league!
  • What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer? I interview lots of authors from around the world every day and I hope that some day I can call them all my friends. We help one another and we support one another. I have learned a lot from them just as I hope I have taught them something too.

About the Process:
  • What type of research do you do for your writing? Depending on the genre, this varies but I tend to use books and the internet as sources or ask people who I know have experience in the topic.
  • Which publishing method did you go with? Why? Self-publishing because I wanted to learn everything and get some experience first. I love being in control of my publishing process but that's not to say I won't publish traditionally in future.
  • How did publishing your first book change your process of writing? I think you can work on a book until you're sick of seeing it, publish it and then still find errors or return to it in 12 months and cringe. My first book taught me how to edit and how to format, so I'll be eternally grateful for that.
  • What was the best money you ever spent as a writer? Money has been well spent on several things – my progress journal, my headset for my podcast, my reference books etc. You can publish for free but these additional resources are unavoidable.
  • What’s the craziest or most successful thing you’ve done to market your book? My television and radio interviews in 2016-2017. It was so much fun but very scary!
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So, remember that time I put out a call for submissions for an upcoming anthology? Well, so many wonderful authors reached out that I honestly didn't know what to do with myself!

BUT... after months of reading, writing, and editing, something miraculous happened! Believe it or not, we put a book together! Like a legit 200+ page book 😱

Needless to say, I'm pretty damn proud of myself & the wonderful team that I've had the pleasure of working with! But lets be real, that's not why you're here. So I guess I'll get right to it!

As a chronic illness warrior myself, I've had something weighing on my heart. It was important to me that I created some type of literature for people just like me. And with that, came the idea for something big. So big in fact that instead of creating just one book, like any sane person would do, I decided to create an entire series!

A series that, from here on out, will be called the "Letters to Me" series. And if you haven't guessed it already, our chronic illness anthology will be the first book in said series!

So, without further ado, book one will be titled...

... wait for it ...


... drumroll please ...


... just a little longer ...


... almost ...



That's right! The title of the first book is...

Letters to Me & Other Chronic Illness Warriors: Volume 1

And of course, now that you know the title, I bet you can't wait to get your hands on the cover. So, get your calendars ready because October 7th is the big reveal!


Are you guys as excited as I am for this book release? Tell me in the comments below!

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Every now and then, I like to take a moment to introduce an author to all of you! With this interview series, I've come to know an amazing group of writers and I want you to know them too!

For today's installment, I've had the pleasure of interviewing author Sam Campbell! According to his website, he's a YA and a Multi-Genre author who specializes in "creepy and twisted."

Of course, I know we all want to know more than that! That's why I've sent him an in-depth questionnaire with 75 of the most intriguing questions I could come up with! And since Sam is an incredible interviewee, he took the time to answer almost all of them! So not only do we get one interview with Sam, but we actually get two!

In case you missed the earlier segment of Sam's interview series, you can check out Part 1 here!

About the Author:
  • If you could put any book in the high school curriculum, what would it be? Why? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Not only is it a great example of world-building for creative writers, but it also has some beautiful themes as well: loss, friendship, character, right vs. wrong. It’s deep!
  • If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? Again, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I would happily take the credit! It’s what started the entire HP success and phenomenon. It also means so much to so many readers. I’d love for people to be that passionate about my work.
  • What do you think your biggest accomplishment has been? Writing and publishing Doll House. Creating a book is no small task. It’s work! YEARS of work. And now I’m officially an author, which has been my dream since I was 14!
  • What’s your next big goal? To see Doll House spread like wildfire and be made into a film. (Shooting for the moon here!)
  • What’s something that no one knows about you? Well, most people didn’t know I was a writer! They got the hint when Doll House came out :)
  • Do you have any hidden talents? I sing and play the piano. It’s pretty much a secret outside my church’s four walls.
  • What’s one thing that you think you’re horrible at? Math! And underwater basket weaving.

About Being an Author:
  • What is your ultimate author goal? What are you doing to make it happen? Or is something awesome already in the works? As I’ve mentioned before, my ultimate author goal is to see Doll House gather a huge following and be turned into film. I’d love to see this story and these characters on the big screen!
    I’m constantly promoting and thinking of ways to promote. I believe that if Doll House gets in front of enough eyes and the right people, big things can happen. So lots of promotion!!
  • Do you read your book reviews? If so, how do you react/cope with them? I do! I know a lot of authors advise against it, but I honestly can’t help myself. I’ve put so much time and energy into this project, I want to see people’s reactions. 
  • Do you Google yourself? What’s the funniest thing you’ve found? I have, and Google said I was another author named Sam Campbell who died in the 1800’s…
  • If you could be mentored by another author, who would it be? Why? J.K. Rowling. She obviously has so much wisdom about storytelling and creating wonderful characters. I need to learn her ways!
  • What advice do you have for other writers? If at all possible, unplug from the internet when you sit down to write. Seriously. Two minutes on Twitter turns into two hours REALLY quickly!

About Your Book:
  • If you had to compare your book to another published work, what would it be? Why? I always compare the tone of Doll House to Coraline. That may be pretty presumptuous, but I think it’s true! They both have that dark, children’s horror aspect to them. Both creepy!
  • If you could get your book reviewed by anyone in the world, who would it be? Why? J.K. Rowling. Or maybe R.L. Stine.
  • Did you base any of your characters on real people? If so, who? None of the characters are based on real people. However, certain characters have characteristics and mannerisms that resemble people in my life.
  • If your book was turned into a movie, who would be your ideal cast? As much as I want Doll House made into a movie, I have no clue! I will say I can see Ben Kingsley playing the role of Armonzo Delaney. Maybe a young Hailee Steinfeld (with blue eyes, of course!) as Emma?

About Your Writing:
  • Do you have any new projects coming out? The prequel to Doll House.
  • Do you try to include a moral or lesson in your writing? I don’t purposefully include any lessons or morals, but after the book is finished, I can look back and see that some did weasel their way in. Which is perfectly fine!
  • What's the hardest scene you've ever had to write? I just finished an intense action scene for my current project, and it was hard work! It left me physically drained and exhausted!
  • How many unpublished/unfinished books do you have? I completed my first full manuscript when I was 20. And it was AWFUL. That book will remain hidden in the depths of my closet.
  • Do you struggle with writing your own story versus writing what you think will sell? I used to struggle with this all the time. In fact, that first manuscript was a complete Harry Potter/Chronicles of Narnia knockoff. Now that I’m older and more experienced, I write the story that’s important to me. I write the story that’s inside me. It’s pointless to copy something that’s already been done. If you’re not completely passionate about the project and simply trying to write the next bestseller, you’re going to burn out and start to hate the writing process.
  • If you could co-author a book with anyone, who would it be? Why? I think Neil Gaiman (author of Coraline) and I could put something together! We both seem to enjoy the creepy and strange things of literature. Although I’d feel completely inferior trying to write alongside of him…

About the Process:
  • How often/how much do you write? I do most of my writing on the weekends. Since the week is so busy with my other job, I try to devote most weekends to writing!
  • Do you have a special writing routine or playlist? I always have some kind of caffeine, whether hot coffee or a frappuccino! And I personally don’t listen to music while writing. I know many writers do, but it just distracts me. I start to sing along and forget about writing!
  • How long does it take you to write a book? Way too long. I spent two years writing the first draft of Doll House. The next book will not take that long! PROMISE.
  • How did publishing your first book change your process of writing? It motivates me to write faster! I have people waiting for the prequel, so I need to stay off Twitter and get those words down!
  • What’s the craziest or most successful thing you’ve done to market your book? Facebook writer groups are amazing. I joined several groups, and everyone is so encouraging and interested in your work. I highly recommend! They’re great places to discuss your book and get feedback.
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The time is here! I can't believe it, but this is the official announcement for my call for beta readers! I honestly didn't expect to be ready for extra eyes this early in the process but I am! So make sure to get your name in the running!

About the Poetry Memoir:
After much consideration, and years of hiding, I have finally decided to share my story with the world. Originally, I thought it'd be in a "Tell-All Memoir" style format, but what came out of me was much, much different. Instead of taking the usual memoir approach, my story came out in the form of brutally honest free-verse poetry.

With that being said, my story is not for the faint-hearted. There are over 170 pages covering topics spanning from abuse, to depression, to self-love, and everything in between. And while I compare my story to that of Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur, it is unlike anything either of us has ever read before!

At a whopping seven thousand words, my poetry memoir is divided into three different sections: My Story, My Pain, & My Future. Through each of my poems, and my book as a whole, I truly hope that my readers will be able to relate to my story. If not by the circumstances within it, but by the emotions that the poems bring out. I would never wish my past on anyone, but I am grateful for the person that it has made me. I only hope that my readers see that too!

What I'm Looking for:
First and foremost, I should probably explain what a "Beta Reader" is! Among basic definitions, a beta reader is someone that receives an early manuscript (unfinished) in order to give the author suggestions about various pieces of their writing.

In my case, I'm looking for a few different things in a beta reader. Ideally, I'd like a reader that enjoys reading poetry for fun and is excited to read something new! Additionally, I want to get the opinions of other beta readers to see what the word is about my book! I don't need a traditional review, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the work as a whole, as well as receive answers to specific questions that I have. Mainly though, I just want a general census on the book and an extra set of eyes!

Applicant Guidelines:
In order to apply to beta read my poetry memoir, it is important that you agree to the following guidelines:

  • All work copyrighted by Ivy Cirillo will remain private.
  • Applicant will read the manuscript within a timely manner.
  • Applicant will fill out the "Beta Reader Worksheet" that will be provided to them.
  • Applicant will provide honest suggestions about the manuscript, the individual poems, the poem titles, the book formatting, and more.
  • Applicant will return worksheet and feedback to the author in a timely manner.

Additional Info:
Compensation:
Unfortunately, there will not be any type of compensation for this beta reading position. Although I wish it weren't the case, I do not have the funds to hire beta readers at this time. However, there will be special mention of any exceptional beta readers in my memoir's acknowledgments section :) And who knows, you might get picked up for my next book too!

Legal Information:
Ivy Cirillo is the copyright holder for the previously mentioned poetry memoir. Any pieces of the manuscript or book are her own work. Potential beta readers and readers in general do not retain the rights to any of the work that Ivy Cirillo shares with them. Under no circumstances can anyone copy, plagiarize, or publicize a piece of Ivy Cirillo's work without her approval. 

Interested in Applying?!
In order to apply, please email ivycirillobooks@gmail.com with the subject labeled "Poetry Memoir - Beta." Make sure to include your name, a little bit about yourself, why you think you'd be a good beta reader for this project, and an estimated time to complete this beta reading.


In case we missed something, or you have additional questions, feel free to contact us today!

If you're interested in this project, but don't want to act as a beta reader, that's ok too! There are lots of other ways that you can help support this new book!


If you happen to know of someone that you think would be interested in beta reading, please share this post with them!


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Every now and then, I like to take a moment to introduce an author to all of you! With this interview series, I've come to know an amazing group of writers and I want you to know them too! 

For today's installment, I've had the pleasure of interviewing author Denise Walker! I  sent her an in-depth questionnaire with 75 of the most intriguing questions I could come up with! And since Denise is such an amazing interviewee, she took the time to answer every single one of them! So not only do we get one interview with Denise, but we actually get three!

Let's get started :)

About the Author:

  • Where are you from? I am from Edmonton, AB, Canada and I’ve lived here all my life.
  • Are you a full-time writer? If not, what else do you do? Writing is not my day job. I work full-time as an Emergency Communications Officer at Ambulance Dispatch. I take 9-1-1 calls and dispatch ambulances for central Alberta. However, at work I do get downtime here and there and while some people knit or draw, I write.
  • If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be? Why? I would love to do something with wine and food. Become a sommelier and open a winery, hire a skilled chef, maybe even have a literary theme to the branding. Wine is a huge passion of mine, though all of that would be much more labour intensive than writing books!
  • What’s your favorite genre to read? My personal favourite genre is thriller/suspense. I love a book that’s dark and twisted. If it shocks me and my mind is blown by the end, the book has done its job.
  • What’s your favorite book? CREEPERS by David Morrell


About Being an Author:
  • When did you know that you wanted to be an author? I’ve always enjoyed writing, as far back as grade 3 when my short story THE MAGIC HARP was published in the neighbourhood newsletter. The first time I realized I wanted to be a published author, I was 13 or 14 years old. Well, guess what, teenager me, you did it!
  • Were you ever discouraged about pursing your passion? I’ve been lucky enough to never experience someone saying “you can’t do it” or “that’s crazy” or “but there’s no money in that.” I’ve only had people say that they think it’s really cool and that it’s something they could never do themselves. However, negative reviews can really hinder my creative drive, it’s difficult to overcome someone disliking something you worked so hard at.
  • Does your family support your writing career? Yes. My dad was one of the first to finish reading CEDAR VALLEY. My mom teaches English to adults and is an avid reader so she’s always been supportive, however she says my novel is too violent for her. I think she’ll cave and read it soon, though.
  • Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym? Not for this book, but I’ve considered for another that is extremely personal and honestly, a bit scary to write about. It’s a story I need to tell, but I wouldn’t want certain people knowing that I’ve written it. Perhaps I will find the courage to keep it under my real name!
  • Is writing your passion or your hobby? I would have to say both! I don’t occupy my time with much, but writing has always been a constant through the years.
  • What has been your best experience so far as an author? Throwing a launch party for CEDAR VALLEY. I invited all my friends/family/coworkers, there was prosecco and snacks, I did a reading. It was so amazing to celebrate my accomplishment with others. I highly recommend this to everyone!

About Your Book:
  • What gave you the ideas for your most recent work? I was camping with friends and one night around the campfire, one friend said, “What if at a certain age you had to kill your parents?” Dystopian premise at it’s finest. I took that idea and ran with it.
  • What inspired your novel’s cover? My designer and I played with many ideas over many months and decided we wanted something unique and graphic oriented. The inspiration came from an image where the words were buried in flowers. We tweaked that to match the tone of CEDAR VALLEY. I love the final product.
  • What was the hardest part of finishing your novel? Accepting that it was done. As a writer, you tweak and edit and revise and rewrite a million times. Eventually, you have to say enough is enough and let that beautiful book fly free.

About Your Writing:
  • What’s your favorite genre to write? Anything dark. I want my readers to be surprised and entertained.
  • What’s one genre that you secretly want to write? Secretly? Maybe something with more romance. Not erotica romance but I do enjoy a tortured love story now and again.
  • Where do you get your big ideas? Usually when walking, people watching, or when I’m deliriously tired.
  • Did any of your books stem from dreams? Yes, definitely. My current work in progress THE GEMINI BOOK is based on a dream I had.
  • How do you come up with the names for your characters? Sometimes it’s first instinct but with Peter and Ari, I had them labeled as P for protagonist and A for antagonist for a long time before they had real names.
  • Who’s your favorite character you’ve created so far? Why? Definitely Ari. Writing from the antagonist’s point of view was challenging and exhilarating. Peter is a close second. In the beginning, I had created Peter out of necessity but by the end I had fallen in love with him. I hope my future readers enjoy both of them as much as I do!

About the Process:
  • What is your writing process like? I write the 1st draft all at once. No editing, no stopping, just unabashed words on the page. Then I rewrite, revise, replot if I need, and then go through a series of edits. I trade chapters with my critique partner. More edits. Edit a printed version. Then beta readers. Then more edits.
  • Is there any part of the process you wish you could delegate to someone else? Finding plot holes. Through all the revisions, I’m bound to change something and forget to change it in another section.
  • What’s your favorite part of the writing process? The blank page. The very beginning. It’s the moment where absolutely anything is possible.
  • Are you a planner or a pantser? Definitely planner. I will never finish if I don’t have an outline. The creativity just dries up if I don’t know where I am going.
  • Writers block, how do you cope with it? Many say writer’s block doesn’t exist and I am inclined to agree with them. If you just start writing, the words will come. Even if it is a heap of garbage.
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Every now and then, I like to take a moment to introduce an author to all of you! With this interview series, I've come to know an amazing group of writers and I want you to know them too! 

For today's installment, I've had the pleasure of interviewing author E. Rachael Hardcastle! According to her website, she's a "dreamer, a deep thinker, a bookworm and grammar nerd."

Of course, I know we all want to know more than that! That's why I've sent her an in-depth questionnaire with 75 of the most intriguing questions I could come up with! And since E. Rachael is an amazing interviewee, she took the time to answer every single one of them! So not only do we get one interview with E. Rachael, but we actually get three!

In case you missed the first one, you can check it out here!

About the Author:
  • Be honest, do you judge a book by its cover? Yes, which is why I feel indie authors should outsource or spend some extra time on their cover designs. I designed mine alone, but they went through several versions before I settled.
  • If you had the power to unread a book, which book would you choose? Why? Flood by Stephen Baxter. I very rarely have to put a book down, but I think I stuck with it longer than I should have. It wasn't for me.
  • Who has been your biggest inspiration so far? Mitch Albom, Stephen King and Brandon Sanderson have inspired me a lot over the last 12 months, but other indie writers inspire me too.
  • If you could tell your younger writer self anything, what would it be? To believe in myself and not to slow. Writing needs motivation and dedication. It took me longer than it should have to focus my energy on writing.
  • If you could put any book in the high school curriculum, what would it be? Why? There are a lot of books I believe should be read in schools. I can't pick just one. I think to some extent students should be able to choose their own, providing it suits the topic of study and is appropriate.

About Being an Author:
  • What’s one thing you said you’d never do as an author? Have you? I haven't said this on my website or officially, but I don't think I would ever write erotica. So far I have dabbled in romance but have not published anything more than a short story.
  • What does author success look like to you? Have you achieved it yet? I think authors make their own success and that each goal we meet is a success in itself. We should be celebrating our new book covers or our 1000 sales markers or our 2000 Twitter followers because each of these are new experiences we have worked to achieve.
  • What is your ultimate author goal? What are you doing to make it happen? Or is something awesome already in the works? I think we all dream of writing full-time but it's very difficult. I'd love to be on the NY Times Bestseller's list with a high fantasy novel, and I'm working on one at the moment. I'm even learning to make maps, which is so much fun.
  • Do you read your book reviews? If so, how do you react/cope with them? I read all of my book reviews because the readers took the time to write them, so I should take the time to listen. I try not to take negative feedback personally – you can't please everyone, and I note down the points I clearly need to improve on.
  • Do you Google yourself? What’s the funniest thing you’ve found? I do sometimes just for fun, and everything I've found is fairly standard. Just links to books and images of me.

About Your Book:
  • Is your book a part of a series? If so, can you give us a little preview of something that’s ahead? Yes my Finding Pandora series will be 12 books long, most of which have been written but only three are currently available. I'm re-writing and re-releasing the others. Book one is free on most devices and chapter one of book two is at the back if anyone would like a sneak peak.
  • Which formats are available for your books? Paperback and e-book on a wide range of devices.
  • If you had to compare your book to another published work, what would it be? Why? I try not to compare myself to other writers. We are all unique and talented in our own way. A 4 star review of Aeon Infinitum: Run For Your Life said, “It's a strange mixture of City of Ember and Hunger Games."

About Your Writing:
  • If you could spend time with one of your characters, who would it be and why? Arriette Monroe. She has some awesome supernatural powers and lives on a beautiful futuristic planet.
  • Do you have any new projects coming out? Yes I have a few. I have the fourth Finding Pandora Book (Eternity) in the works, two more Aeon Infinitum books (The Wanted, Faded Realm), a post-apocalyptic zombie book (It's All In Your Head) and my high fantasy book (Dragonborn).
  • What’s your favorite piece of work so far? I tend to prefer my newest books because I think they reflect everything I have learned as a writer.
  • Are there any secrets or patterns hidden in your writing? I have been told there is a spiritual theme (meaning of life etc) in my work but this is not intentional.
  • Do you try to include a moral or lesson in your writing? Yes, most of my stories so far have involved the destruction or ruin of Earth and human beings being unkind. I want to bring current related issues to notice and encourage people to be better.
  • What’s the hardest scene you’ve ever had to write? The death of a character, but I'm not going to give away who or how!
  • What made you choose to publish the debut novel that you did? I’m sure that you had other awesome ideas to work with :) My debut novel is no longer available and I count Finding Pandora: Book One: World as my first due to how much work into promotion etc I have done. It was the first in a series and I love the genre and the characters so much that I wanted the world to know them.

About the Process:
  • How often/how much do you write? As often as I can. Everyday. Sometimes not for very long though due to other responsibilities.
  • What does your day look like as a writer? I don't write full time so I can't detail what my day looks like, but I try to focus on writing scene by scene and not worry too much about a word count.
  • Do you have a special writing routine or playlist? I just have a YouTube music list with songs I like or that have been recommended. It never changes, it just gets longer.
  • How long does it take you to write a book? I can write a book in a month if I don't have other commitments, but usually an initial draft will take approximately 4 months.
  • Do you support/participate in events such as NaNoWriMo? Why or why not? I did in 2012 and I wrote the first draft of my book Aeon Infinitum in 30 days. I haven't since, though.
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Every now and then, I like to take a moment to introduce an author to all of you! With this interview series, I've come to know an amazing group of writers and I want you to know them too!

For today's installment, I've had the pleasure of interviewing author Sam Campbell! According to his website, he's a YA and a Multi-Genre author who specializes in "creepy and twisted."

Of course, I know we all want to know more than that! That's why I've sent him an in-depth questionnaire with 75 of the most intriguing questions I could come up with! And since Sam is an incredible interviewee, he took the time to answer almost all of them! So not only do we get one interview with Sam, but we actually get two!

Let's get started :)

About the Author:
  • Where are you from? Amherst, Virginia
  • Are you a full-time writer? If not, what else do you do? I do not write full-time (definitely the dream!!). I currently work as a talent recruitment manager for an international talent organization. Each year we hold a competition around the L.A. area for performers from all around the world (think of an international version of “America’s Got Talent”). It’s very exciting! I handle a lot of the paperwork and social media.
  • If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be? Why? I would love to be an actor. I’ve always loved film, both in front of and behind the camera. However, if THAT didn’t pan out, my ideal career would probably be a veterinarian. What can I say…I love the animals!!
  • What’s your favorite genre to read? Too tough to choose! Top two: YA horror and YA fantasy.
  • What’s your favorite book? Besides the entire Harry Potter series, probably Coraline by Neil Gaiman. That book still inspires me to this day.
  • Be honest, do you judge a book by its cover? Yes! I’m sorry. The saying is not true. 
  • Who has been your biggest inspiration so far? J.K. Rowling. Her personal story amazes me. I never get tired of hearing how she worked on Harry Potter during her darkest times in life, rose from the ashes of poverty, and connected with so many readers.
  • If you could tell your younger writer self anything, what would it be? Don’t try to copy another writer’s story just because it’s appealed to the masses. It’s already been done. Be unique. Write the story that’s inside you. Write what you love. Chances are, someone else will love it too. They’ll see the passion in your words.

About Being an Author:
  • When did you know that you wanted to be an author? I was 12. My aunt gave me an “illustrate-your-own-story” kit for Christmas that year because I was always the artsy kid. The kit contained about 10 pages. At the bottom of each page you wrote a few lines, and at the top you illustrated whatever was happening in the story below. Then you sent it off, the company bound it in a hardback, and shipped it back to you. I can still remember receiving the finished book in the mail…it was magical. The lightbulb went off that day. I realized I loved writing and creating stories!
  • Were you ever discouraged about pursuing your passion? If so, how’d you push past it? Each rejection letter was hard, some more than others. Sometimes you wait for months to hear back from an agent who is reading your manuscript – just knowing they’re going to sign with you – and then you receive the rejection. It’s tough! But I’ve always had a strong will, and I think that’s helped me persevere through the whole publishing process.
  • Does your family support your writing career? Definitely! They’re constantly praying over me and my writing. They know it’s my passion, and we all believe God has a perfect plan.
  • Is writing your passion or your hobby? Passion. I treat writing like it’s my JOB. I put a lot of sweat and tears into it!
  • What has been your best experience so far as an author? Apart from receiving my first hard copy in the mail (emotional day!), I would say the best experience has been receiving wonderful reviews and comments from people I’ve never met. They don’t owe me anything, so I know their praise for the book is genuine!
  • What does author success look like to you? Have you achieved it yet? I think there are many levels of success. Of course the big dream would be to have Doll House connect with millions of readers and be turned into a film. However, I see my current success as simply being published and having my work out in the world. That’s a huge milestone that I’ve crossed, and I’m so thankful!

About Your Book:
  • What gave you the ideas for your most recent work? I wish I had a great answer here, like I had a magical dream one night and the story just came to me. Truth is, I don’t know! My family was without power for an entire week during the summer of 2012. It was 110 degrees outside, so you couldn’t go out. We were all cooped up in the house, and I was super bored. I just remember pulling out my laptop and starting to type this story about a girl who goes to this orphanage and uncovers a dark secret. A+ for boredom I guess!
  • What inspired your novel’s cover? I always pictured Crummings’ Home for the Dispossessed (the orphanage) as this giant, gothic building. One day I drove past this old church and snapped a picture – it was exactly what I pictured the orphanage to look like! So of course that had to be on the cover. There’s just this dark, mysterious quality about it.
  • What was the hardest part of finishing your novel? Editing. I could edit until the cows came home. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I was constantly changing things. Finally I had to just close the laptop and tell myself it was finished. No more editing. That was the hard part: Just knowing I couldn’t make any more changes and it was out there for the world to see.
  • Is your book a part of a series? If so, can you give us a little preview of something that’s ahead? Right now, there are no plans for a series. However, I am working on a prequel to Doll House. I’m very excited about this project!! 
  • Which formats are available for your books? Paperback and ebook.

About Your Writing:
  • What’s your favorite genre to write? MG/YA horror, fantasy, mystery (Can they all be lumped together??)
  • What’s one genre that you secretly want to write? Dystopian. I’d love to create an awesome world, something that hasn’t been overdone.
  • Where do you get your big ideas? My random thoughts.
  • Did any of your books stem from dreams? No.
  • How do you come up with the names for your characters? Some come naturally, others are just a mix of fun names I like. But they always have to compliment the character’s personality.
  • Who’s your favorite character you’ve created so far? Why? Definitely Emma. I’ve spent 5 years with her now, and she feels like an old friend. Plus, I admire her courage and tender heart.
  • If you could spend time with one of your characters, who would it be and why? Again, probably Emma. Both our sarcasms would make for a great conversation!

About the Process:
  • What is your writing process like? It takes me forever to get that first draft down, mainly because I’m guilty of editing as I write. (The perfectionist inside me makes me. I try not to!) Once I get that first draft down, I try to divide the manuscript into chapters. Then I spend the rest of the time editing, editing, editing!
  • Is there any part of the process you wish you could delegate to someone else? Editing. I stress myself out doing it!
  • What’s your favorite part of the writing process? The first draft. I don’t outline, so it’s so much fun to just discover the story as I write. Sometimes I don’t know what’s next! It’s an adventure.
  • Are you a planner or a pantser? Definitely a pantser.
  • Writers block, how do you cope with it? Workout. Watch author interviews on YouTube. Go eat.

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I promised I’d be back, and here I am. In the first part of this I went through the creative process behind creating a book cover. The steps and thought processes involved in what makes a good cover. It’s a good starting point for how to conceive the outside for your hard labor.

If you missed the first instillation of this series, you can check it out here.

Now, let’s get technical.

When you write, it’s not all creative. There are just as many technical aspects behind what you write as what you think. On a smaller scale you have sentence structure, punctuation, and pretty much every aspect of grammar. Then, on the larger scale, there is character development, tone, and all the other elements of storytelling. If you know how to put all that together, then you have the means to create a novel.

And you also have the means to create the actual book. Unlike the first part of this series, which put everything on a mental level, this one involves other tools. For a professional designer, those tools likely come from Adobe, but you don’t have to have a subscription to Creative Cloud to produce a book. Most word processors have options to output a press-ready file to varying degrees. Do a little research on the what and how of what you own. Learn those tools. I’m not able to tell you how they work. I’m just going to give you pointers on what to do with them.

Let’s work from the inside out.

The interior of the book is the actual structure of the novel. Like sentence structure, you have to build it in a logical manner that is clear and easy to understand. It might look intimidating, but you need to break it down to its most simple form: a page. Don’t think of it as building a whole book. You are putting together a page. Just like you take one sentence and add those together to create your novel, taking the pages one at a time add up to a whole book. Like a sentence, a page has structure. The subject of the page is called the live area or body. It’s the heart of the layout and where you put all of your novel’s text.

From a sentence structure perspective, the area around that is the predicate. It’s what creates the action by focusing the eye on the subject. Designers call the part towards the spine the gutter, and the part on the outside, top, and bottom is the margin. You need to keep enough margin so that the body of your book is clear of the edge. Your word processing program likely has pre-set margins for a page. These are generally meant for printing out on a 8.5” x 11” piece of paper. You will need to adjust them for the printing press so that the on odd numbered pages, there is a larger margin on the left-hand side of the page, and on even numbers, you move that to the right. There is probably a setting for this in your program. Look for a tutorial on that specific program and put it to use. Note: if you are laying out for an ebook, this isn’t as important. Margins for an ebook are the same on all four sides of the page.

The last part you need to worry about for the internal layout of your book is punctuation. For layout, this is going to be your font choice and paragraph formatting. While you can probably name a half-dozen fonts already, there are only two types of fonts you need to concern yourself with: serif and sans-serif. Those fonts that have a little “tail” on the letters are called serif fonts. Which makes the ones without those “tails” to be the sans-serif ones. The rule here is pretty simple. If you are doing the book for print, use a serif font. Research shows that reading serif fonts on paper is easier. For an ebook, it’s the opposite. Use a sans-serif font, for the exact same reason—research says it’s easier to read.

Paragraph formatting is a little trickier. You’ve likely seen the line-spacing option on your word processing program. Generally that’s listed as single, double, etc. In a design sense that is called leading (pronounced led-ing, by the way). I’m going to go back to story structure to describe this one. You can’t have a book where the only thing that happens is a fight scene. Three hundred pages of fight scene will appeal to no one. Even if that is the core of the story, you have to give the fight scene some room to breathe. Do the same with your paragraphs. Let them breathe. And not just the lines of the paragraph itself, but allow for a little extra space between the paragraphs. The one other thing I want to touch on for the paragraphs is the alignment. For print, you will want to use left-aligned text. That’s the text that looks like it has a jagged edge on the right-hand side, but everything is straight on the left. For ebooks, use justified text. That’s where the text lines up not only on the left, but also on the right.

Now, I’m going to go outside and touch on the cover for just a moment. There are three parts to the cover of a book: the front cover, the back cover, and the spine. The two biggest things that you need to keep in mind from a technical point of view correlate to character development and tone. The character development of your cover is, once again, the font. This is what will give a tone to your book just by reading the title. A font that drips blood screams horror. A font that looks like it is made of metal makes you think it’s science-fiction. Hand script fonts are romance. Choose a font that tells people what they need to know before they open the book. This, however, isn’t the important part. When you build a character, you want people to understand the character—even if they are supposed to understand that the character is impossible to understand. Which, in a design sense, means, above everything else, make the font readable. It doesn’t matter how cool you think the font looks, if it isn’t instantly recognizable it fails. People don’t linger. They move quickly. You have two seconds to get them. Use it wisely.

Now, to that end, the tone of your book is color theory. How you set up the cover and move it along is the tone, and nothing does that more than color. Colors are associated with emotion. Blue is calm. Red is anger. Purple is mysterious. Yellow is happy. Use these colors to set up the initial impression of the book, but also the underlying tone. Color theory is the way that colors interact with each other. So use those colors in the right combinations. Complementary colors stand out from each other, and will create a more shocking effect. These are the colors that are opposite each other on a color wheel. Analogous colors are ones that are next to each other on the color wheels and they create a more subtle feel. Let those colors set the tone of your whole book.

There’s a lot more to it, but hopefully just looking at the pages in a new way will help. I will say again, you can do this yourself. If it gets overwhelming, however, get help. There are plenty of people who will give you free advice and help. And if that doesn’t prove to be enough, hire someone. At the very least you should be able to give those designers a little direction.
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Guess what time it is?! Yup, time for my weekly writing and reading recaps! Check out this week's stats and see how my current projects are coming along! And as always, get a little insight into my life :)

Monday
In honor of my two year wedding anniversary, I took the day off today! So instead of spending all day on my computer, I spent it with my husband and our three fur babies! Once he got home from work, we filled up on Easter leftovers, watched tv, and took a nap. And after two hours of sleeping, we got all dressed up and made our way over to Outback for a yummy steak dinner! Being the lucky person that I am, my husband and I exchanged gifts at home and he surprised the crap out of me! Among other things, he found me a signed copy of my favorite book, Tuesdays with Morrie. Needless to say, today was pretty amazing :)

Page Count: 0
Word Count: 0

Tuesday:
Today started out pretty rough. I did a lot yesterday and my body is definitely making me pay for it. Not to mention the allergies that are kicking my butt! Luckily though, I figured out part of the problem and it was my meds. My rheumatologist recently switched me from Zyrtec to Benadryl and boy was it making me sleepy! So, I took it upon myself to switch to Claritin, which will arrive on Thursday, and I'm hoping that does the trick! But until then, I've been wandering around like a zombie in between naps, barely able to accomplish anything other than the occasional email response; so I'm headed to bed! Hopefully I'll be able to finish my book before falling asleep again!

Page Count: 40
Word Count: 0

Wednesday
I swear, I don't know what's up with my body, but it does not want me to get any work done! So, while I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with me, I used today to focus on social media! I invited a couple bloggers to join my Perfectly Ambitious Blogger board on Pinterest, then I followed a ton of authors on Twitter, and then I did a HUGE following spree on Instagram. So much so, that I actually managed to get temporarily banned on both of my Instagram accounts! Once that happened, I switched to Hootsuite and started scheduling my social media and giveaway posts :)

Page Count: 0
Word Count: 0

Thursday
Today has been pretty productive! I got a ton of stuff done for both of my blogs, plus I marketed a bunch for my two current giveaways. And on top of that, I got a lot of reading in! I'm planning on going to a book festival this weekend, so I'm trying to read something from each of the attending authors before I get there! It's been difficult, but I've finished three of their books so far and I'm hoping to finish a couple more tomorrow too! Fingers crossed!

Page Count: 201
Word Count: 0

Friday
The day didn't exactly start out as planned, but I've gotten a lot done anyways! In addition to laundry and packing, I've also prepared both of my blogs for my absence this weekend and I'm ready to head to Montgomery! I'm beyond excited for the Alabama Book Festival and I can't wait to meet everyone there! Hopefully, I learn a lot with each of the panels and workshops and I'm hoping to get some books signed too :)

Page Count: 121
Word Count: 0

Saturday
Can I just say that today was absolutely AMAZING?! I truly mean it. No matter how much pain I'll be in tomorrow, no matter how long it takes for me to recover, today was 100% worth it! I met so many amazing authors, I took workshops with Molly Brodak and Jay Asher, and I ran into a few of my author friends! Honestly, the Alabama Book Festival was everything I could have hoped for and more! I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to go and I only hope that I'll be able to participate as an author next year!

Page Count: 0
Word Count: 0

Sunday
For those of you that don't know, today is my birthday! So, I will be spending my day reading and recovering and that's it! I won't be working in the slightest and that is completely unusual for me, but necessary nonetheless! And after yesterday, I think I deserve it :)

Page Count: 217
Word Count: 0

Weekly Wrap-up 
Although I didn't get any writing done this week, I'm incredibly proud of my progress! I managed to finish three different books from the Alabama Book Festival authors and I had an amazing time at the actual event. Believe it or not, I pushed myself to walk around the festival from 8:30 am until 3 pm and then I drove myself home. And even though it took far more strength than I had, I'm happy to be able to say that I accomplished it. More than that though, I'm thankful for all of the support that I received from both the staff and the presenters at the event!

Page Count: 579
Word Count: 0

Books Read: Sometimes Lessons Look Like Love, Into White, and What Light.
Debut Novel Progress: 80 pages in
Second Novel Progress: 49 pages in
Third Novel Progress: 20 pages in
Anthology Progress: 4 pages in
Poetry Memoir: 120 pages in



What have you accomplished this week? Tell me in the comments!

* This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I'll receive some type of commission. For more information, you can read our full disclosure here. *

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Every now and then, I like to take a moment to introduce an author to all of you! With this interview series, I've come to know an amazing group of writers and I want you to know them too!

For today's installment, I've had the pleasure of interviewing author Jennifer Acres! According to her website, she's a "YA and A multi-genre author who loves complex characters in emotionally moving stories."

Of course, I know we all want to know more than that! That's why I've sent her an in-depth questionnaire with 75 of the most intriguing questions I could come up with! And since Jennifer is an amazing interviewee, she took the time to answer every single one of them! So not only do we get one interview with Jennifer, but we actually get three!

Let's get started :)

About the Author:
  • Where are you from? I was born and raised in the Houston area. I still live there currently.
  • Are you a full-time writer? If not, what else do you do? I'm not at the moment, though that is my goal. I also work as an administrative assistant at a real estate company.
  • If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be? Why? I've thought about this quite a bit and still have a hard time answering it. I love writing so much that I can't imagine another career. I would most likely end up teaching or starting a non-profit geared toward promoting diverse art in a variety of mediums. My passion is to help people, to help them feel heard and understood. Any job in which I could do that, I'd be happy.
  • What’s your favorite genre to read? I read a broad variety of genres, so picking a favorite almost feels like picking a favorite star in the sky. If I had to choose, I would probably say Fantasy because of the sheer number of worlds in which you can immerse yourself. But Contemporary is a close second.
  • What’s your favorite book? Can I cheat and say a series? I love Harry Potter. Seriously. LOVE! My husband and I went to Orlando for our honeymoon just so we'd have an excuse to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. I'm such a geek about it (and a proud Hufflepuff).
About Being an Author:
  • When did you know that you wanted to be an author? I don't think there was ever a particular moment for me. My journey into writing has been pretty nebulous. I wrote ideas and stories long before I ever considered it for a career, and I still oftentimes have difficulty seeing it that way. The most pivital moment for me when I first discovered how much I wanted to write, though, was in college during a screenwriting class. When I saw the reactions of people reading my work and engaged with them, writing became a much more collaborative thing to me. It became more than just me alone with my words.
  • Were you ever discouraged about pursing your passion? If so, how’d you push past it? I'm lucky in that I haven't been openly discouraged about pursuing my passion. However, coming from the south and in a Christian community, I have definitely been steered to use my passion in a very specific way. Not that there is anything wrong with that way, necessarily, but it has pretty severe limits. 

  • I have to keep reminding myself that, as well-meaning as the people around me may be, the stories I'm telling are mine. They will have my name on them and I will have to answer for them. My focus has to be the characters. If I make them do things they would not do to appease a few readers, then I am lying. My job as a writer is to tell the truth, and sometimes the truth isn't pretty or makes people feel uncomfortable. I'm not here to make people feel comfortable.
  • Does your family support your writing career? My immediate family does. My husband especially is incredibly supportive. Extending out from there (I'm Irish on one side of my family and Italian on the other – so BIG family), I tend to run into a bit of the “we like the idea of you being a writer so long as you write what we think you should write.” Oftentimes, I think they believe it's my hobby, so they don't worry about it too much.
  • Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym? I do right now, sort of. My author name is actually my maiden name. I also considered going by my middle name – Erin. Since I write in multiple genres, it's quite likely that I will use different pen names for each.
  • Is writing your passion or your hobby? I could never drain it down enough to be a hobby. I'm much too invested in every way. Even before I started writing, I would make up stories to keep myself occupied. I was terrible at making friends growing up, so I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands. The stories I created became a sort of lifeline for me. I could live and be with these characters and it allowed me a sense of belonging I didn't have in reality. Even now, if I go too long without writing, I become exceptionally crabby and morose. I need to write or I slowly begin to lose myself.
  • What has been your best experience so far as an author? Meeting other authors and readers has by far been my favorite thing. I know that sounds completely counter-intuitive since hanging out with people doesn't exactly put words on the page, but being in such a supportive and diverse community puts words in your soul. I feel that I become a more well-rounded person and writer the longer I'm here. I'm learning every day and that gives me something to write about.

About Your Book:
  • What gave you the ideas for your most recent work? The military/first responders aspect of On the Way to Simple came from personal experience. I have many friends and close family members that were or are actively serving. I found that when I spoke to people who did not have loved ones in these fields, they tended to romanticize them, thinking of how they're portrayed in the movies and such. So the entire story actually came from me wanting to show what it's like on the other side of those images – what so many families of servicemen and women go through.
  • What inspired your novel’s cover? In the book, one of the characters tries to reason with Dakota saying that her plans are like train tracks: rigid and may not even lead where she wants to go. So the girl on the cover is standing on the train tracks, looking off at the forest beyond. She's beginning to see what's beyond her unyielding plans.
  • What was the hardest part of finishing your novel? For me, the hardest part of finishing any project is finally letting it go, saying that it's actually finished. I'm a perfectionist, so no matter how much I work on something, I can always find a flaw that needs to be fixed. It took me years of rewriting and editing the same projects over and over again to realize I would never complete anything that way. I'm still learning that it's okay to say, “This is good enough. I have done my best. It may not be perfect, but no amount of me 'fixing it' will make it so.”

About Your Writing:
  • What’s your favorite genre to write? I don't think I have a favorite yet, but the main ones I enjoy are Contemporary Romance and Paranormal/Supernatural. Most of my ideas fall into those genres, which is odd since they're so different.
  • What’s one genre that you secretly want to write? I would love to be able to write a true fantasy series. I'm really getting into reading those, but I don't think I'm ready to write one yet. The world-building itself is a little beyond me. Still, I haven't written it off as a possibility for the future.
  • Where do you get your big ideas? They come from a lot of different places. I've had them come from movies, paintings, anecdotes I've heard from friends, and a recent one came from a friend's status update on Facebook. It had nothing to do with what she was talking about but was rather an off-shoot of something in it I misread the first time. I believe ideas come from anywhere and everywhere if you let yourself perceive them. We often look at things but don't really see them. It takes practice to let yourself be that curious but it's well worth it.
  • Did any of your books stem from dreams? Not usually. I'm hyper sensitive, so my dreams end up way off the deep end as far as story goes. I might use elements, but I would have to get pretty far out there to use a whole dream scenario.
  • How do you come up with the names for your characters? I do a lot of research on baby name websites. Sometimes, I look for names with particular meanings that are important for the character. For others, I pick their name based on how their name will be used. For instance, if it's a character that's there for a highly intense purpose, like the girl is there to save the guy from certain death, then the guy's name is more than likely going to be screamed at some point. So he needs a short name that wouldn't sound weird to be shouted. I certainly couldn't imagine someone screaming “Benedict!” without it sounding a little goofy. It's weird I know, but it's how it works in my head.
  • Who’s your favorite character you’ve created so far? Why? My favorite character I've written, hands down, is Josie. She's from a project I started several years ago but still have yet to release. She's the most intelligent, snarky, complex character I've ever had in my head. This is probably why I haven't published her story yet! Every time I edit it, I think of some new layer to add and I feel as though the story just isn't good enough for her yet. But I will finish it. I can't keep her to myself forever.
About the Process:
  • What is your writing process like? My process is a bit in flux right now. I'm learning that the process I have for one story might not be usable for the next one. Every book needs something different from me. But generally speaking, I try to get my first draft out as fast as possible, work through my own edits, then when I think I'm close, I'll send it to Beta readers. After the edits I make from their notes, I send it to my editor and use her notes to make my final edits.
  • Is there any part of the process you wish you could delegate to someone else? Some of the later stages of editing do not fall into what I would call my happy place. After so many rounds through the book, I often completely lose sight of what the story is even about. That's usually the signal that I need to step away for a bit. It would be nice if I could get the ideas where I want them and let someone else pretty it up, but I'm way too much of a perfectionist to let someone else take over like that.
  • What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Brainstorming. By far. I love the process of taking a story idea and finding meaningful and exciting connections between the original thoughts. I thrive on these “ton of bricks” moments.
  • Are you a planner or a pantser? I'm half and half. I have to go into a story with at least the skeletal form of the plot, but I like to leave myself wiggle room, especially when I'm going into the first draft, to make pantser choices as I'm writing. I've found that oftentimes the best moments in my writing come from allowing myself to change course, but it all falls apart if I neglect the structural points.
  • Writers block, how do you cope with it? In looking back over years, I can't think of a single time I've had writer's block. Don't hate me yet! I'll explain. I've heard most people define writer's block as this soul-sucking lack of motivation or ideas to write. I have had this feeling many times, but I don't think that's actually a writing problem. It's not even an idea problem. It comes from trying to water a plant with an empty pitcher.

    We expel so much creativity while we're writing, pulling this from deep within ourselves, and it only makes sense that we need to refill that creative well, as Julia Cameron calls it in The Artist's Way. Without fail, every time I've come to one of these empty moments, it's been because I've literally run myself dry. So I have to refill by consuming creativity – watching a movie, reading for pleasure, taking in an art exhibit. It sounds like self-indulgence, but it's truly as necessary for creative people to enjoy and consume art as it is for any human being to breathe. Depending on how long I went without refilling, it takes just as long to fill back up again. I've had times when I thought I truly would never write again, but I have come back every time once I allowed myself to do this.
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About [span]me[/span]

Hi, my name is Ivy!

I'm an avid reader and an emerging author. I've always been drawn to the young adult genre and I've decided to try my hand at writing my own novel or five!

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