Writing Advice

All my secrets about my writing process!

My best advice for aspiring authors?

My advice would be to write a lot.  And then write some more.  Writing is like any other skill…the more you practice the better you’ll get.  I even recommend trying out a few different genres to see which one feels right for you.  I wrote mystery and fantasy (both with a healthy dose of romance mixed in) before trying romance.  But when I started writing romance, I knew it was right.  It flowed so easily and I looked forward to it instead of thinking of it as “work.”  Writing should be fun!

Do you outline?

100% not.  I can talk about a chapter coming up that I’m excited about.  But that’s as far as I can go.  Any more than that and it stresses me out.  All my stories are character-driven, and I don’t know what the character is going to do next until I’m in that situation.  Most of the main characters in my books just react the way I would in their situation.  So I can’t plan anything out until I’m in the scene.  I actually do this really weird thing that while I’m writing I kind of see the characters in my head acting out the scene.  It plays in my head like a movie.  Which is why I so badly want to see my books become TV shows one day.  Because I’ve already seen the whole thing!  I know some authors who outline everything though.  You really just have to find what works for you.  But for me personally…I can’t do it.

What's your favorite place to write?

You can usually find me on the couch writing.  I know it’s terrible for my back and everything, but I really need to be comfortable while I’m writing.  And my couch is so comfortable!  I don’t even own a desk…but I should probably get one eventually.  I also love when it’s warm enough to write on my porch.  But it’s only a few months of the year where it’s warm enough and my allergies allow it.  I wish I could write outside every day!

Do you have a writing routine?

Routines are so important to tell yourself that you’re in writing mode.  After brunch (my husband Ryan and I only eat two meals a day so this is just breakfast but with non-breakfast food, much to my dismay) is usually my writing time.  Whenever I write, I try to do a whole chapter plus one paragraph of the next.  I find it a lot easier to sit down and start once there’s already a paragraph on my next chapter started.  But sometimes when I’m having trouble, I take a step back and make a cup of tea.  I know once I have tea and I’m comfortable on my couch that I have no excuses.  Tea means go time.  Oh and I always listen to music.  I have playlists for every single one of my books on YouTube.  I find music super motivating while writing. 

How often do you write?

It really depends on my deadlines and how consumed I am by the story.  When I’m on deadline I try to write 10k words a week.  Ideally that would be split up to about 2K a day.  But that rarely ever happens.  I tend to write in spurts.  Sometimes it’s more like 3k Monday, 4k Wednesday, 3k Friday or something like that.  I get really burnt out if I try to write more than 10k a week.  I’ve done it a lot and I get “mush brain” where I can barely form a coherent sentence.  And if I write more than 2k words in a day, I usually need the next day off from writing.  Which kind of breaks the routine I mentioned above.  And that’s okay.  I’ve learned to give myself the creative space I need to make each chapter as good as I possibly can.

Where do you get inspiration? 

I love to write from my own experiences.  I don’t mean that every single thing I write about has happened to me.  But I channel all my own emotions from similar experiences.  You can often find me laughing or crying at my computer.  I’m pretty sure Ryan thinks I’m nuts.  And maybe I am, but that’s okay with me.  Also I watch way too much reality TV to try to stay up-to-date with the cool kids.  Songs sometimes inspire me too!

Who designs your book covers?

I’m extremely lucky that Ryan is a graphic artist (among so many other things).  He designs all my covers.  Sometimes I’ll draw a quick sketch to show him what I’m hoping for and he makes it come to life in such an amazing way.  I believe that covers are one of the most important things about a book.  So make sure you’re using a professional.

What is the editing process like?

Editing is just as important as cover design.  Because it’s great when someone picks up your book…but if the inside sucks, they won’t like it.  Remember when I said Ryan is multi-talented?  He’s my editor too.  He pretends he adds weird things into my final manuscripts, but I don’t believe him.  Or maybe he does?  You gotta find an editor you trust.  So…not Ryan.  Just kidding.  He edits each chapter as I write them.  And then his mom also usually reads through them.  And then I read through the whole thing again and run the usually spell check and Grammarly to make sure there wasn’t anything we all missed.  And my ARC team is amazing and will usually catch a few things that we missed too.  Love you guys!

How do you deal with bad reviews?

I cry.  Just kidding.  I used to cry.  A very important distinction.  You need very thick skin in order to be an author.  I’m so devoted to my characters, it actually feels like they’re my friends.  My heroines all feel like me (especially Penny from The Hunted series).  So when readers rip them apart…it hurts.  But I always put out the best product I possibly can, and I’m proud of that.  And I love my characters.  Not everyone is like me.  So it makes sense that some people don’t like my stories.  And that’s okay.  I wish people weren’t so cruel when they don’t like me…but that’s just how hiding behind a computer is.  The haters are gonna hate.  They’re going to send hate mail.  They’re going to be at every turn.  And I’m going to ignore them always.  Positive vibes only here.

Are you nervous when you release a new book?

Yes.  It reminds me of the first day of school jitters.  It’s hard to sleep the night before and it feels like there are a million things you need to do to get ready for it.  But then it’s there and you realize you were actually just excited the whole time.  Or a combination.  I also get super excited because I always get to get whatever takeout I want on release days because Ryan’s the best.  Releases are a lot of hard work so it’s always something fun to look forward to.  Oh and the fact that my readers are amazing and I know that as long as I wrote a book that I love, they’ll most likely love it too.  I always say, if you love my books, then we’d be besties in real life.  And my favorite part about release day is talking about the book with everyone in my Facebook group – The Ivy Smoaksters.

How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career?

I have heard the word “no” so many times that I just learned to use it as fuel to try harder.  Whether it’s a one-star review or a publisher turning you down, you can’t let that stop you.   Nos have always led me to more success because I love to prove people wrong.  I’m tenacious, and I really think you have to be as an author.  You put your heart and soul into your projects, and you need to believe in yourself in order to make this all happen.

How do you get people to read your books!

Advertising is a crucial part of getting your books into the hands of readers. A great place to start learning is with Bryan Cohen’s 5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge.