Writing Update

I Need To Slow Down

I need to slow down and approach the next book like I always have. It has to mean something to me, so it can mean something to you.

Occasionally, a reader will reach out and thank me for my books. Sometimes it’s a generous review, or they will stop by my booth at a con and say some kind words. Once, I even received a handwritten letter. More often, it’s a private email. Last week I received an email that was so profound and moving that I have a hard time not choking up when I think about it. Not only was this message a timely reminder of why I write, but it also made me realize that I need to slow down.

The Rush Of Success

The success of Entriss Online has been inspiring. Between Kindle Unlimited and e-book sales, it’s been my strongest debut to date on Amazon. Thanks to those readers, I signed a deal with Podium Audio. They now have the rights to publish the Watson’s Worlds audiobooks and are actively working on Entriss. All of this has driven me to write the second Watson’s Worlds book in record time – and it’s been a disaster.

Not Quite A Disaster

Maybe disaster is an exaggeration. I don’t hate what I’ve written so far, but I also don’t feel connected to the story or the characters. I’ve been in such a hurry to get words on paper, that I almost forget what’s important.

Goals

My goal has always been to write fun stories with characters readers will miss when they finish. Those characters mean something to me when I write the books. While I wrote Angst to be fun escapism, many readers relate to Angst because he knows he was meant to do something more with his life. I wrote Clod Makes a Friend with a purpose, and for some readers, it’s more than escapism.

Why I Write

I won’t share the email I received, just that this reader connected to Clod’s story and it helped. It was more than that, and honestly, everything I could hope for as a writer. I couldn’t be more grateful that they shared this with me, because, like I said, this is why I write.