Weekly Ask Me Anything Series: Balancing Originality and Reader Expectations

As part of my ongoing Ask Me Anything, I’m working my way through a short list of questions found on a website. Have a question? Ask. I’ll answer. Want to know something in general or about me specifically, I’m an open book.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Both.

No really.

So far, I have something like 12 series, between my two names. With more in the planning, but that’s not the point. One series should be read in order. The rest of my work, or nearly all of it, are series that any book can be read as a stand alone. Sure, it’s a better experience if you read it in order, but you don’t have to in order to understand what’s going on. Also, I often, at least among similar sub-genre’s will tie the series together, at least a little. For example, The Savage Warriors is a spin off series of Demented Souls. Same thing for Kings of Destruction. We were introed to the Kings in Ghost’s book in Demented Souls.

The same thing for my Harley books. The first Sons of Sin heroine is someone tied to the Fallen Angels club.

How do you like to read? Stand alones or series?

Weekly Ask Me Anything: Writer’s Common Pitfalls

As part of my ongoing Ask Me Anything, I’m working my way through a short list of questions found on a website. Have a question? Ask. I’ll answer. Want to know something in general or about me specifically, I’m an open book.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

I’m going to give you two here. There are more but to me, these are the biggest ones.

Overthinking / perfectionism.

I’m a firm believer in there’s no such thing as perfect. I can only get things as best I can and that will have to be good enough. I believe too many people who say they want to write get hung up in the belief that it has to be ‘perfect’ and that keeps them from even starting, or puts them in an endless cycle of editing that keeps them from going anywhere.

You have to give yourself permission to write badly. Badly written can be fixed. Blank pages are much harder.

Inner Editor

That’s the voice in the back of your head that tells you that what you’re writing/building/whatever is not good enough, it’s stupid, no one will ever read/like it.

Lock that bitch up. She’s wrong. Like ALWAYS. You are your own worst critic and she’s creation of your mind. It seems dumb, but one thing that actually helps is to find an image (proprietary images are fine, this is for personal use, you’re not selling it anywhere) whether in a magazine, book, or online that you print out. But take that physical image and lock it up. Put it in a toolbox or a cash box or even a jewelry box and lock it up. Or depending on how dark you want to go, torch it. Lay the picture on the grill, light it up and watch it burn.

It’s shockingly freeing.

Fourteen years

Fourteen years ago I published my first book. Change.

A lot has changed since then. So much.

Then, I had 3 kids, ranging from 5 to 11. I wrote slowly, but I was finding my niche.

Now, I have 4 kids, ranging from 19 to 25 (yes, we acquired another in there, she’s 2 months younger than our oldest). I write much faster in fact, I wrote 8 books last year alone. Last week my 80th title was published. On top of that I that, I’m planning at least 7 more this year. I have written more than 3 million words for publication. Three million. That number just boggles my mind, but at the same time fills me with satisfaction.

Life itself has changed. Instead of my schedule being set by chasing kids and getting them to school, sports and whatever, I’m setting my schedule around writing and the old man’s schedule. Though I’m hoping he’ll retire soon then we can do some travelling.

The best part about what I do and wanting to travel? I can sit down with a laptop or tablet and keyboard and write anywhere! He want’s to fish, go ahead. I’ll sit back and get some words in!

I’m well aware that what I write isn’t for everyone. That’s okay. That’s the beauty of the world of books. There is something for everyone, no matter what they like to read.

As for what’s to come? Keep coming back, because I have no intention of stopping writing!