Hello,
I came across your profile here on AllAuthor and your book really stood out. Congrats on getting it out into the world! How’s the journey been so far?
Great, I’ve been connecting with authors in your genre and it's been insightful hearing how different everyone’s approach to promotions has been.
Do you have a go-to method that’s working well for you right now?
Let the emotion happen. The emotional connection is a powerful part of good writing; it connects you to your characters in a way that provides deeper insight and makes the story more relatable and engaging. That’s the good side of emotional engagement. There is also the bad side – the stress of deadlines, unrealistic expectations or negative feedback. Ultimately, the stress from all of these negatives is self-imposed – we get to decide how we will react to them. Every challenge is a lesson – step back, take a breath and learn from it then make course corrections. This is how to grow as a good writer.
My first book was a 20-year haphazard accident that grew into a novel. I don’t mind admitting that. It began as an outlet for dealing with some of life’s hardest moments and turned into a story of hope and redemption that reflected something God was doing in my life personally. It also taught me how to be more practical and focused with writing. Now I use outlines, rough scene drafts and realistic deadlines to help me.
Negative reviews can be hard, especially when the reviewer seems to have missed a key point about the plot (such as saying a story about someone’s search for God is ‘too religious’). However, even those offer good insights that can make you a better writer. I’ve been extremely blessed with many that are good -- offering glimpses into ways that a story has touched someone’s soul. That’s ultimately why I write!
