Truer words were never spoken. Many times at the end of a long writing session, I'm mentally exhausted. Especially with Forgotten Storm. My main character Nicole endured some horrific traumas in her life that warped her emotions, hardened her to such a degree, feelings of any kind paralyzed her. And frankly, paralyzed me when writing her journey. But, by the end, I secretly reveled in the emotional roller coaster because I felt a sense of accomplishment. Success or not, I told the story that spoke to me, that touched me, and in return I hope touches others.
As far as what occurs after you've written the book is a whole other level of terrifying. The querying process is daunting, stupid stressful, and discouraging. My advice to aspiring writers is don't stop. Keep doing what you love. Write the stories that inspire and mean something to you. Because one day, it will connect with others. One day, an agent, or publisher, or readers if you're self publishing, will love your story.
It's extremely important. Most readers, including myself, when they are hunting for a new read, whether in a bookstore or online, it's the cover that first snags their attention. Then if the title sounds intriguing, they will read the blurb or premise of the book. If you can't capture their eye with the cover, you've lost them.
Yes, I most definitely have, and it can be such a terrify or crippling moment. For me, when the ideas stop flowing, I need to walk away from it for a bit. It could be just a couple of hours engaging in something else, or several days. Either way, after the break, I force myself to sit down at the computer and just write. Anything. A thought, a blog post, a letter you never send, or hell just a FB comment. I find for me, that just getting something down, gets the creative juices flowing again.
Oh man, there are so many things. If I had to choose one I'd say the most important element of good writing is how the reader responds. Were they transported into the world you created? Did they really connect on a deeper level with the characters? Do they close the cover with tears in their eyes or a sense of victory? How readers react to your work will fully determine your success as a writer.
I've always been an avid reader of anything romance, but paranormal romance was my passion. Vampires in particular. Over the years, I felt the vampire mythology shifted. Vampires could walk in the sun, eat food, they couldn't teleport our use persuasion. They stopped feeding on humans and some even sparkled. I itched to write stories depicting the vampires I fell in love with; strong Alpha males with all the weaknesses and strengths inherent to a vampire.
I wrote my first novel in my twenties, a romantic suspense that really... sucked. (grimace). I was proud of myself I finished it but then life just happened and it sat in a box in the closet never to be seen again. I didn't return to writing until about 3 years ago. I reached a point in my life where I had the time and the support I needed to pursue my passion.
