My advice for aspiring authors

I get asked for advice so often that I’ve created this page of advice and resources.

I've been writing for a LOOONG time (decades). I've written and published many books under different pen names in different genres. I spent many years learning my craft and there's really no substitute for practice. My first book isn’t my “best” book, but I love it because it was my first.

• If you’re passionate about the written word, congratulations! You’re a writer! The main difference between a writer and an author is that an author is published. Doesn’t matter if an author has published one book, or 100. They are both authors.

• When it comes to art and creativity, there really is no "right" or "wrong” way to express yourself. I think it's all about the journey as a creative person, rather than trying to achieve some idea of perfection. My writing became MUCH more enjoyable when I stopped wringing my hands and trying to be perfect. Perfectionism has a tendency to kill inspiration and creativity. There is psychological research all about this topic, if you just do some searching online.

• The best way to gain experience is by reading a LOT and writing a LOT. Read books that you love. You aren't obligated to finish the ones you don't like. Life is short. It’s ok to DNF a book. Make notes on what worked for you and what didn't. What made you stop reading? What made you unable to put the book down? What made you care about the characters? What made you hate them or not care at all? Author Tip: not caring about a character is a LOT worse than hating them!

• There are authors who are plotters, and authors who are pantsers (who write by the seat of their pants), and there are infinite combinations of both. One way is not "better" than the other. They’re simply different approaches to get to the same place (the end of the story). You do you. I'm definitely somewhere in the middle. I know what I want to have happen, and I build a basic framework of the story. That way if I change my mind about something halfway through the book, I haven't painted myself into a corner. And I still get to experience the joy of discovery writing.

• If you prefer to plot using online tools like Plottr, rock on! If you like writing out index cards and sticking them on a bulletin board, do it. If you like writing things out in dry erase marker on your patio door, that’s an option. What works great for one person can be a nightmare for another. Again…you do YOU.

• Ask yourself what you want to get out of your writing. Is it a hobby? A form of creative expression? An emotional outlet? Do you want to share your writing with others? Do you dream of seeing your work in a physical book form? Do you want to be a professional author? It’s YOUR life. You can change your mind at any time. I started writing for my own entertainment, and now I run my own small publishing company.

• Pen Names…it’s a personal choice. Some reasons to use a pen name include:

  — You might lose your job/position if the wrong people discover what you write.

  — You’ve got kids. How bad will the teasing be in school when your child’s classmates find out you write kissing books? They WILL find out if you’re using your real name.

  — Your name is hard to spell, doesn’t fit with your genre, or is nearly the same as an existing author.

  — You plan to write in multiple genres. If you use the same name for horror and romcoms, you’re going to mess up search engine algorithms, making it harder for your readers to find your books.

  — Privacy. Sometimes it’s easier to write freely when you’re not worrying about having your real name disparaged online…or having a relative find out what a freak you actually are.

• You don’t need to get a university degree in writing to be a writer or a published author. If you want a degree, go for it! But you don’t need it. You also don’t need a bunch of student loan debt. It costs zero dollars to upload a book to Amazon or Wattpad.

• You don’t need to get an agent and be traditionally published to be an author. You can go “trad” or “indie.” You can even be hybrid. There are pros and cons to all options. Explaining the difference would take a novella, so just keep scrolling for references below.

• You should never, ever pay to have your work published, unless you’re entering a contest and there is a small entry fee. Publishers take a cut of your profits. Traditional publishers take a lot more of your royalties than independently doing it yourself. But if you don’t make money, they don’t make money.

• There are “author services” everywhere, including editors, formatters, cover designers, publishers, marketers, personal assistants, etc. Some are lovely. Some are…not good. Some are outright predatory scammers. Your best defense is joining author groups online and asking for recommendations. Always, always get multiple references from different people before spending money on things like that. I hate seeing inexperienced writers get taken advantage of.

• Don’t sign contracts without consulting an attorney. Even if the contract is from a friend. Nobody will look out for your best interests as much as you will. For all you know, their contract was drawn up by their cousin who did a Google search of “contracts.” Be smart. Protect yourself.

• Don’t feel obligated to be on every social media platform, and do ALL THE THINGS. Pick the places you enjoy the most and add more/ditch some if you want to. Right now it seems like everyone is doing Kickstarter campaigns. (Everyone is not.) To me, it seems like a ton of work. I’d rather write new stories than give myself carpal tunnel from signing the 1000 copies of books stacked to the ceiling in my garage…and then package them all…and ship them all. But again, you do you.

• Don’t respond to negative reviews of your work. Not everyone will like your stories, and that’s fine. Sometimes a negative review actually HELPS you by telling a new reader exactly what they’re looking for. “Too much sex, not enough plot—ONE STAR!” That’s a one-click purchase for a lot of folks! Now, if everyone is saying the same negative things in your reviews, like the pacing was slow or a character was lame, learn from that information and apply it in your next project.

  If someone is being an asshole, just ignore, delete, or block them. They aren’t someone who matters to you in your daily life. It’s ridiculously easy to be mean online. You know what’s NOT easy? Baring your soul and publishing a book.

  Write what you love, and ignore the haters.

Here are some book recommendations:

For writing & plotting:

— Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes. Super stripped down (and FUN) instructions on how to create a basic romance novel. The sky is the limit for how detailed you want to be.

For character & plot development and beyond:

For author development:

web-based resources:

For writing a wider variety of sexy words, check out https://laurelclarke.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/sexy-thesaurus-romance-erotica-words/ She has at least 3 lists now. Good stuff there!

For all-around writing help, there is a TON of free information (and downloads!) available from Jami Gold. Her site is a bit dated BUT the information is SOLID. Use what works for you, skip what doesn't work. Maybe in a couple of years the information you skipped will be exactly what you need. This might be a good place to start: https://jamigold.com/2012/06/how-to-make-the-most-of-a-scene/

There are also Reddit & Facebook groups for writers if you start looking around, although I would take your time finding the right ones for you. 20 Books to 50k on Facebook is a HUGE group, full of beginners and 7 figure-authors alike. You can find a TON of priceless information there if you search, and they have great mods who keep things professional.

I'd also suggest you find a couple of groups that are in your genre, but the most important thing is to seek out a healthy vibe where people are cheering each other on and lifting each other up, not tearing down others. While I love snark and sass and a well-timed burn/roast, I have almost zero patience for mob mentality, mean girls, and bullies. I think negativity feeds more negativity, and that kind of environment drains my creative energy.

Phew!

I know this was a lot to take in! There is SOOO much information and advice out there, and the things I've suggested aren't the "right" or "wrong" way, but they are some of the resources and mindsets that have worked best for me.