Writer Wednesday: Is Blogging Worth It?

Over the past year, I've seen quite a few people say goodbye to blogging. Why? Well, it seems that the amount of people reading blogs these days has diminished. I can say I've definitely seen evidence of it. I don't get as many comments or views as I used to.

Blogging takes time, and we're all busy people. So if very few people are stopping by to interact on blogs, are they still worth it? Don't freak out on me, but I'm not sure anymore. I'll admit I've been toying with the idea of giving up my blog. I do still love Monday Mishmash and catching up on what everyone is doing, but I find that lately, I'm struggling to come up with blog topics for Wednesdays and even books to spotlight on Fridays because blog tours are fading away quickly, too.

So help me decide, please. Should I keep blogging? Should I cut back to Monday Mishmash posts? What are your thoughts on blogging?

Writer Wednesday: Trial and Error

One thing I've learned in this industry is that most things we do are done by trial and error. We try different POVs or tenses. We test new methods for promoting books. Trying different things and seeing what works can be brutal at times. Especially when those efforts require spending money, and let's be honest, they usually do.

I've mentioned before that 2017 is about trying new things for me. I'm taking part in two ventures (I can't really tell you about either just yet) that are completely new to me, and I'm nervous. Very nervous. Excited too. I feel like I'm walking into a dark room, waiting for someone to turn on the lights so I can see if my new efforts will pan out or not. But here's the thing. Even if they don't work out the way I hoped, I'm glad I'm testing the waters. I'm glad I'm doing different things, because I know what doing the same things looks like. I know what the results are. So in order to make changes in my writing income, I have to make changes to the way I put out books. 

I'll keep you posted on what exactly I'm doing as I'm able to speak more about the projects. Until then, what have you done differently this year?

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: First Person or Third?

If you've read any of my books, you know I love first person POV. It doesn't matter if it's first person dual POV or if only one MC is telling the story. I like to be inside the head of the main character(s), experiencing everything while they do. I don't read very many books written in third person because I feel like the perspective distances me from the characters and story. Until...

Recently, I decided to rewrite one of my Ashelyn Drake books in third person. Why? Well, it's going to be in a boxed set with a bunch of other authors. Oh, did I not mention that before? ;) More news to come when I can say more. For now, I'll just say that I was encouraged to alter the POV of the story for a few reasons. At first, I panicked. I may have ranted and raved for a day. Then I sat down and got to it, and you know what? Close third person dual POV reads a lot like first person dual POV. With this particular book, I realized I liked third person better. I couldn't have been more shocked, but it seemed to suit the story. Now this doesn't mean I'll be writing in third person from now on. No way. My plan is try a book out in both and see what works better. Just like with anything else, I think you have to find what works for each individual book.

Which do you prefer as a writer, first person or third? Do you find the same is true for when you are playing the part of the reader?

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Chapter Length

We all know that so much of reading and writing is subjective. So in the next few weeks, I'm going to talk about some of those issues that come up that are really nothing more than personal preference. This week, I want to talk about chapter length.

I once had a publisher tell me that chapters had to be ten pages long. If you just smacked your forehead or rolled your eyes, you're not alone. I did the same thing. Hence, you won't find any of my books with that publisher. ;) So let me start by saying there is no rule about how long your chapters have to be. That's just crazy. And if you don't believe me, ask James Patterson. Some of his chapters are a page and a half long, and he makes much more money than I can even dream about. Okay, now that we've cleared that up, how do you know how long to make your chapters?

A good rule of thumb is to leave your chapter hanging at a point where the reader wants to turn the page and keep reading. But that could be four pages in, ten pages in, or fourteen pages in. This is where that subjectivity comes in. Personally, I love short chapters. I think they give you a feeling of accomplishment because you are seeing new chapter heading so often. That's me though. I know others who prefer longer chapters. And really that's the point. We can sit here and beat ourselves up to get to that "perfect" chapter length, but in reality, there is no such thing. 

So don't stress if one chapter is shorter than the others. That means it should be. Trust the writer in you to know when those breaks need to occur. Readers will follow suit, and if they don't, then they aren't meant to be your fan, but plenty of others will be.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Reading, Reading, and More Reading

This month, my editing plate has been full. I won't complain because my clients are seriously talented authors and I love working with them. I get to spend my days reading books I would have otherwise bought and read anyway. It's great.

The funny thing is that after reading all day, I want to wind down at night and I choose to... Did you guess read? If you did, you're right. The difference is that when I'm reading for fun (even though I find editing fun too!) I don't have to have the mental focus I do when I edit. I can have the TV on in the background. My daughter can be reading aloud. (She loves to do that!) My husband can be talking on the phone. None of that bothers me. But when I edit, I often use headphones because I want to drown out the world and focus solely on those words in front of me.

I equate reading for fun to watching a movie you seen over and over again, that you can put on at any point in the movie and not be lost. Even if I never read the book before, I can still immerse myself in it without tuning out the rest of the world. But edits are so much different. They demand my full attention.

So while I spend my days reading, they're different kinds of reading. One is work, albeit fun! The other is relaxing.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Boxed Sets

One of the new things I'm doing in 2017 is joining forces with other authors in boxed sets. One of them released yesterday.

Demons, Angels, Vampires, and Witches…
What do they all have in common?
If you want to survive in their world…you must be GIFTED.

Will they find you? Most likely.
Will you survive? Maybe.
However, one thing is certain, if and when you come across their radar…developing your GIFT is necessary!


7 FULL LENGTH novels by USA today, International, and Best Selling Authors.

Authored by:
Cassandra Fear
D.A. Roach
Nykki Mills
Jen Wilde
Kelly Hashway
Tawny Stokes
Apryl Baker

For this boxed set, my publisher made the decision to put seven of us together. I was very excited about the idea because multiple authors means multiple fan bases to pool. It also means sharing promotional ideas and the work of promoting. When one of us (or in some cases more than one) lost power and/or wifi during the preorder, the others picked up the slack. We shared in multiple newsletters, Facebook groups, and on all our social media platforms.

I love having the support system of other authors who want the set to succeed as much as I do. Writing and publishing can be lonely at times, but I didn't feel alone at all with this release. As a group, we talked, shared ideas, and supported each other. The experience definitely makes me excited for the next boxed set I'll be part of with an Ashelyn Drake title. More about that coming in the next couple months. ;)

But the really cool thing about boxed sets is they don't just help authors. They are HUGE deals for readers. I mean 7 books for $.99! That's crazy, right? Readers can grab up several books for very little cost and potentially find new authors to love. It's a win all around if you ask me.

What's your opinion of boxed sets? Do you love them as a reader? Have you ever been part of one? 

If you're interested in grabbing Gifted for only $.99, you can do so here.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Crunching Numbers

When I made the decision to go indie, I knew it would mean putting out more money for my books. So far, that's definitely been the case. I'm purchasing covers, which are gorgeous by the way. I'm paying editors. I'm purchasing different promotional services. In a word, it's expensive!

But my hope is that my books will reach more readers. I've been lucky that my editing jobs are covering my expenses for my books. I just hope I wind up with a little extra spending cash in the end. That would be nice, right? It's scary not knowing if you'll make back your investment, but that's nothing new for the world of publishing. 

In the meantime, I'll just stare at my pretty covers and hope others see them and scoop up these books!

Does the idea of putting out money before you see any in return scare you as much as it scares me?

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Book Sales and School Visits

It's no secret that I love to do school visits. The former teacher in me just enjoys being in front of a group of students and sharing my love of the written word with them. Well, this week I participated in an author reading and Q&A session at a school. It was an unpaid visit and not an official author presentation. I spoke with two groups of students. The first was two fourth grade classes, which took place in a classroom. The second was for the fifth and sixth grades in the library. I had a blast reading to the kids and answering questions about being an author.

When the sessions were over, the media special said she felt bad that they didn't have money in the budget this year to pay me, but then she asked if I'd be interested in having the students order my books and coming back to sign them. Of course I said yes. And here's why.

I've been to schools that have healthy budgets for things like author visits and I've been paid very well. I've been to other schools that can't afford to pay me but offer to allow the students to purchase books. Those sales, directly through me, bring in a nice amount of money. So as long as a school isn't too far away and costing a ton in gas money, it's probably in your best interest (and the school's) if you're willing to be paid in book sales when paying for an actual presentation isn't in the school's budget.

Just something to keep in mind. Have any of you opted to be paid in book sales like this?

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: A Year of New Adventures

2017 is quickly becoming the year of new things for me. I've made some decisions to do things differently. I'm participating in boxed sets, one for Kelly in March and one for Ashelyn in September. I've rebranded two Ashelyn covers to more properly reflect the heat level in the romances. I'm trying new promotional opportunities. The list goes on. 

The reason why I'm sharing this is because this is new to me and quite honestly, it's a little scary. But my thought process is this: I have to try new things to find out what works. So that's what this year is going to be about for me. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things. Why not, right?

Is 2017 bringing you out of your comfort zone?

In case you missed my new Ashelyn covers, here they are. And yes, they are up and available for purchase.

 

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Titling Your Book

Two weeks ago, Mirka Breen asked me how I come up with the titles of my books. The question actually took me by surprise because I'm the first to admit I'm terrible at coming up with titles. My flash drive consists of manuscripts with the following file names:

New Idea

Thriller

Suspense

Aren't those just so imaginative and gripping? ;)

Fun fact for you: After I wrote The Monster Within, I had no idea what to call the book. It took me longer to title it than it did to write it. I got the title from a line in the book that mentioned a monster within the MC. So my first tip is to search your manuscript for a phrase that really hits on the tone and plot. Then play around with it to see if you can make that phrase work as a title.

When I wrote my Into the Fire trilogy, I knew my characters would be phoenixes. Using "fire" in my title seemed appropriate, and since my MC was about to be reborn for the first time, I felt Into the Fire suited the book. So there I used the story itself to dictate the title.

For my upcoming suspense, Lies We Tell, I have a main character who is living a lie. She spends every day telling the same lie, so this title was actually pretty obvious to me. 

After Loving You was one of the books that I titled before I started writing because my idea was to write about a couple trying to figure out how to live after losing their first loves. 

I like to jot down possible titles and play around with them to see what sounds the best. Then I go on Amazon and search for books with that title. You don't want a title that's been used so much that your book will be lost in a long list of search results.

I hope that helps a little, Mirka. If anyone else has any tricks for selecting titles, please share them in the comments.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Building a New Platform

Last Wednesday, the lovely Kai Strand asked me about building a new platform for a genre or age group you are branching out into writing. When I started writing romance as Ashelyn Drake, I did so without telling anyone I was Ashelyn. The reason is that I wanted to make sure Ashelyn could stand on her own two feet. To be honest, Ashelyn blew Kelly out of the water in sales! Romance is like that, though.

I set up accounts on social media for Ashelyn and started following romance authors I loved, interacting when them as often as possible. I also looked at their followers because those people could potentially be Ashelyn's fans. I followed those readers and tried to interact with them, too. I joined Facebook groups for romance authors and readers as well. I also promoted Ashelyn on my Kelly accounts (still not telling anyone I was both authors).

Well, last year I decided it was too much to have two separate platforms, and after seeing so many other authors who use pen names joining their accounts, I made the decision to do the same. This is tricky, though. I have one street team for both names, which means some members are only there for my Ashelyn titles or only there for my Kelly titles. The same goes for my newsletter.

You have to decide if you want to keep your names separate, join them completely, or link them but have separate accounts. Whatever you decide to do, check out what your favorite authors in those genres/age levels are doing and who they're following. Don't be a copycat, but learn from them.

I hope that answers your question, Kai. If anyone else has some helpful advice, please feel free to leave it in the comments.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Making Smarter Choices

No, I'm not talking about things like what you eat or how often you exercise. I'm talking about marketing yourself. 2017 did not start off on the right foot for me. I didn't make the best choices as far as marketing my YA title, Fading Into the Shadows. What I did was follow my marketing efforts for my previous release. My previous release went really well. The problem is that my previous release was an Ashelyn Drake new adult romance. That's quite a difference from a Kelly Hashway young adult paranormal.

You can go ahead and ask, "What were you thinking?" I asked the same thing of myself. You can't market a YA paranormal the same way you market an NA romance. You just can't. I mean, you can try, but you will fail. So from now on, I plan to spend 2017 analyzing the best ways to market for specific age groups and genres. No more being lazy and repeating what I've done in the past with the hope that it will work again. Most of us hate marketing, but we shouldn't make it that much harder by not putting in the time and research to figure out what works best for each book.

How about you? Are you looking closely at how you promote and market yourself?

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Simultaneous Drafting

Today's topic comes from the lovely Mirka, who asked: "How many first drafts can you do simultaneously?"

I will be the first to admit that I can only draft one book at a time. That's just how my mind works. I need to focus on one story. Now having said that, I can revise one book while drafting another because I find revising and drafting don't tax my brain in the same ways. I can also plot one book (jotting down notes) while drafting another. Yes, those are similar, but I'm not actually drafting two books at once, so I can pull that off.

The issue for me is that I need to immerse myself in the world I'm creating in order to draft. This is also why I fast draft. I let the story fully consume me, and as a result, I can't fully focus on much of anything else. ;) 

For those of you who do draft multiple books at once, how do you do it? Do you have any tips to share for those who would like to multi-draft? (Did I just make that word up?)

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Failed Author Moments

On Monday, my daughter and I went shopping. I bought a pretty new dress for YA Fest, and when I brought it to the register, the woman asked my daughter if she had a dance coming up. I told her the dress was for me. (Note: I'm not that much bigger than my daughter any more, and because of my small size, I have to shop in the juniors section if I don't want my clothes to fall off me during the course of the day.) What happened next had me wanting to smack myself.

No, the cashier didn't make fun of me for shopping in the juniors department. I told her I'm an author and I was buying the dress for an upcoming book signing. She looked at me in amazement. Then she proceeded to tell me how cool it was that I'm an author and asked what I write. Here's the part where I wanted to smack myself. I told her the book released that day and it was for teens. That's all I said. She looked at me like she was expecting me to say more, which I should have, but I paid my bill and left the store.

Here's the thing. I'm not comfortable talking about being an author to people I meet under normal everyday circumstances. I tend to dodge the subject. If I'm at a book signing or a school visit, it's a completely different story. But put me with people who don't know what I do for a living and I clam up. Why? I could say I don't know, but that's not true. I do know why. I'm not a best seller. I'm not a name people recognize unless you know me. Should I be embarrassed because of that? Of course not! Yet I don't talk about my books unless I'm in a book-related setting.

I've published 23 books, 3 novellas, and over 200 short stories. Why shouldn't I be proud of that? I'm sharing this today because I suspect I'm not the only author who acts this way—thinking less of him/herself because he/she hasn't hit the NYT best-seller list. We need to stop acting this way. I look at my daughter, who couldn't be more proud to have her book published and available for free. She gets it, and she's nine. Maybe we all could learn something from her.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: I've Revised. Now What?

The other day I received an email from someone asking what they should do when they have revised and think they have their book where they want it. I figured others might have the same question, so I'm going to discuss that here today.

First, these tips are for when you are happy with the story itself. You're convinced you've cleared up plot holes and any other issues. What now? You're not finished revising. Now you need to focus on different things.

~Put Your Book Away  You need time away, at least a month, but I recommend two to three. Write something else, and read in your genre in the meantime. You need to forget that book in order to read it with fresh eyes.

~ Track Your Timeline  I keep a notebook where I track the timeline for each book I write. It looks something like this:

Chapter 1  page 1   Monday, October 3rd  morning to evening

Chapter 2  page 7   Monday, October 3rd  evening through Tuesday, October 4th midday

Chapter 3  page 13 Tuesday, October 4th midday through night

Why do I do this? Simple, you want to make sure you don't skip a day somewhere. Also, if I say the MC has two weeks to do something, I better make sure I'm accurate on those two weeks. (You can create this timeline as you are drafting.)

~Send You Manuscript To an e-Reader  I email my files to my Kindle. ALWAYS! Reading in a different format makes a huge difference as far as catching errors.

~Allow Your e-Reader to Read Aloud to You  This is one of my favorite tricks because it's been proven that your mind can read misspelled words as long as the first and last letter of the word are in the correct positions. I find "form" instead of "from" all the time! "Titled" instead of "tilted" is another common misspelling. Your e-reader can only read what you wrote, not what you meant to write, so it's wonderful for picking up on these errors. Also, hearing how your book sounds is very important for determining flow, voice, pace, and repetition.

~Read Your Book Backward  This one always confuses people, but it's a must! I don't mean word for word. I mean paragraph by paragraph or sentence by sentence. If I were reading this post backward, I'd start by reading the last paragraph first. Then I'd read the second to last paragraph. Then I'd read the third to last, and so on. The point of this is to keep the story from consuming your thoughts. You are focusing on sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, missing words, and spelling. The cool thing about reading backward is that repetition jumps out at you. I have no idea why, but it does. 

~Check for Common Misspellings  The publishing world defaults to Merriam-Webster. Live on that site!!!! I always have it open. Here are common misspellings I find all the time: (Note these are American spellings taken from Merriam-Webster.)

backwards - There's no S on this word!

forwards - There's no S on this word!

towards - There's no S on this word!

afterwards - There's no S on this word!

(Notice the common thread with these?)

~Check for Overused Words  There are some that we all overuse, and then there are others specific to each writer. Here are some common ones to look for and cut:

just

that

then

though

and

but

all

too

turn

like

~Find a Beloved Beta or Two  When you're finished doing the above, it's time to pass your book on to some betas. Fresh eyes that aren't familiar with your book work wonders. Once you get feedback from your betas and make changes, I'd repeat sending the manuscript to your e-reader and/or reading the manuscript backward to catch any errors created during your revision.

Your manuscript should be in good shape and ready to submit after that. If you're self-publishing, please hire an editor. It's a must! If you're submitting to agents or publishers, you'll eventually be paired with an editor, so no need to hire one.

Have any tips I didn't mention? Feel free to share them in the comments.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: 2017 At a Glance

2017 is the year of taking control of my career. Here's what I plan to do this year, though this is just a rough outline and isn't totally filled in yet:

January:

• Edits booked for the entire month
• January 16, 2017  Release Fading Into the Shadows (YA, paranormal, Kelly Hashway) 
• January 21, 2017 Attend the Pocono Writers Conference

February: 

• Edits booked for the entire month
• Final proof of Lies We Tell (Adult suspense, Kelly Hashway)

March: 

• Edits booked for the entire month
• March 18, 2017 Sign at YA Fest

April: 

• Edits booked for the entire month
• April 10, 2017 Release Lies We Tell (Adult suspense, Kelly Hashway) 

May: (Still booking edits)

• Write the second book in my adult psychic mystery series.
• Proof It Was Always You (Adult romance, Ashelyn Drake)
• Tentative date for local Book Expo signing

June: 

• Write book two in my Sapphire Springs series (Adult romance, Ashelyn Drake)
• Considering opening up to ebook formatting services

July:

• July 10, 2017 Release It Was Always You (Adult romance, Ashelyn Drake) 
• Take a blogging break

August: 

• 1 Edit booked so far
• Proof Unseen Evil (YA paranormal, Kelly Hashway)

September: (Still booking edits)

• Send Evil Unleashed  (YA paranormal, Kelly Hashway) to my editor

October: (Still booking edits)

• October 9, 2017 Release Unseen Evil (YA paranormal, Kelly Hashway) 
• Send Love on Hold (Adult romance, Ashelyn Drake) to my editor

November: (Still booking edits)

• Proof Secrets We Keep (Adult suspense, Kelly Hashway)
• NaNo? Probably unofficially this year.

December: (Still booking edits)

• Get adult psychic mystery #1 ready to send to my editor.

So that's how my year is starting to take shape. I'm sure I'll add a lot to this, and as you can see, I didn't list everything. Marketing is ongoing, so I didn't put that on here. I also didn't put cover design or cover reveals on here. I'm considering this outline a work-in-progress, much like 2017. ;)

What does your year look like?

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: What 2016 Taught Me

Maybe I should have titled this post, "What I Learned in 2016." It was a tough year, but I did learn a few very important things. Here they are in no particular order:

• Cover design  ~  I've been designing covers (in secret) for years, but this year I learned a lot about cover design and even did my own cover for Fading Into the Shadows, which I love.
  
• ebook formatting  ~  I've been doing paperback formatting for a while, but this year, I learned fancy ebook formatting thanks to some awesome programs.
• Self-Publishing is the way to go for me  ~  I've been traditionally published, but I'm not interested in that route anymore. I've worked on both sides of publishing for years now, and I'm ready to take my future in my own hands and self-publish from here on out. (I'm very excited about this!)
• I love writing adult mysteries  ~  For years I swore I wouldn't write adult books, but look at me now. I don't know why I didn't think I'd like it, but I find the 25-30 age group really fun to write about.
• Balance  ~  I'm particularly proud of this one because I've had the goal of finding balance between editing for clients and working on my own books for the longest time. I just couldn't figure out how to pull it off until I participated in NaNoWriMo this year. Now, I know I can balance the two and get all my work done on time.

Those are my top five writing lessons learned in 2016. What did you learn this year?

Writer Wednesday: Author Websites

Today's topic comes from Sheena-Kay, who asked:

What is the best way to create an author's website? How can you do it yourself or affordably without it looking cheap and do expensive looking sites really sell books?

Great question, Sheena-Kay. My answer may seem confusing at first, but I promise I'll explain. First, I don't think websites sell books. However, you need to have one. ;)

Okay, here's what I mean. A reader comes across your book title or name in conversation or on Amazon. You want to make sure that if that reader googles you, they find something. So you need a website that has all the information they might need about you: 

• your social media links
• your newsletter
• information about your books
• buy links for your books
• a press kit with your author bio
• contact information

The danger with having that information on sites that sell your book, like Amazon, is that some retailers (AMAZON!!!!) will check to see who follows you on social media and will not allow that reader to review your book because you're "friends." Don't even get me started on this. Don't link your social media to your Amazon account! Just don't! But do put those links on your website. Also, you don't really want to give out your email to the world, right? Maybe if you have a separate email for fans, but otherwise, I wouldn't. Websites offer contact forms for readers to get in touch with you without giving out your email address. I love this feature. Many will also offer an email address attached to your website to keep it separate from your personal email.

So, how do you set up a website now that you know you need one. (You know that now, right?) I'm a huge proponent for doing it yourself. Yes, this takes more time, but it also takes less money, so it evens out. You should know how to operate your own website though because you don't want to have to run to your website designer every time you need to update the site. Find a website host that seems relatively easy to use. Some people love Wordpress. I hate it! Truly hate it. You have to go with what works for you. So look around and take tours of the sites to see what will work for you. Then take the time to get your site looking professional (with all those things I mentioned above) before you publish it. You want the site you create to be something you're proud of, not something that you're still fiddling with and that looks amateurish. 

Sheena-Kay, I hope that answers your question. If anyone has tips for creating a website or website hosts you can recommend, please feel free to share!

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.

Writer Wednesday: Following Ideas Regardless of Age Level or Genre

Lately, I've noticed more than a few writers switching genres and/or age groups. I've written across both for years, but I've noticed a definite trend in the books I've been drafting over the past year. They're all adult.

My first love was middle grade because I taught middle school. Then I had my daughter and was reading picture books, so I turned to writing those. I never set out to write young adult, but I got an idea one day that suited a young adult novel better than middle grade, so I ran with it. The one thing I swore I'd never write was adult. ;) We all know how that went.

I guess part of growing (both as a person and a writer) is recognizing the stories that you need to tell. I know changing genres and age groups affects readership, but I firmly believe you can't force a story. If I were to continue writing MG because readers wanted it, the writing wouldn't be as good because it's not where my heart is at the moment. That's not to say I'll never write another MG. All of this has proven we can't predict what ideas will come and when.

So, to those of you who are scared of following that new idea because it's out of your comfort genre or age level, I say go for it. Why not try it and see what happens? At the very worst, you can chalk it up to writing for experience, which is never a bad thing.

*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.