FAQ

Updated December 2023

How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first recreational story when I was about 8 or 9. So . . . about 35 years, give or take a couple. ;)

Why haven’t you been published yet? / When do you plan to publish? / What are you even doing here (at this normal boring place working this normal boring job)?

I really hate this question, and I get it a lot. Let’s just say I had a cocktail of mental and physical health problems through my 20s, and basically entered adulthood a complete mess with no direction or guidance. Bear in mind this was the 2000s, and while nowadays anyone and everyone can be contacted through social media for advice, we were living in a very different world back then. Real-life adults at that time were generally not prepared for my problems or my questions about life or employment. Though some of course were excellent people, many that I encountered were toxic, unhelpful, or even dismissive. The “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” crowd, if you will.

What do you write about?

I am writing about an invasion of space aliens and shapeshifting alien dinosaurs on planet Earth in the mid-late 1990s, filled with thoughts and commentary on society — some intentional, but mostly accidental. I’ve heard people compare it to Men in Black and Stranger Things, although I like to think that’s because they haven’t read Animorphs.

Have you written anything else?

Of course, but much of it is very dated, and not very well representative of my current writing style. The best of it is probably from 1999-2004. I won a couple of regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards during that time in the science fiction/fantasy category, though I don’t have the physical awards, anymore. (Though I do still have one of the key pins.)

A lot of 2005-2010 would have to be scraped from old RPG chat room logs and character profiles, none of which belongs here, some of it for copyright reasons (not all of it is mine) and some of it because . . . well . . . yikes. Plus, there are a lot of memories from that time in my life that I’m not prepared to dig through. (God bless everyone I exposed my problems to, who stuck with me through it all. You don’t know how much that means to me. Thank you for still being here.)

In 2010, I started my current long-running project.

At least one of the non-RP stories has been recycled into something else, but I don’t have any current plans to publish it.

You really should write some short stories.

The energy I have left to pour into this series after my daily life’s tasks is limited. I have put myself through hell just to build a life for myself and my now-husband, and I don’t function like I used to. It’s a nice thought, though.

(Oh, and before you say, “That’s nothing. You haven’t seen hell until [insert someone else’s situation here],” stop it. We each have our own problems. Mine are none of your business, as yours are none of mine. I will disclose what I please as I please. Thank you for understanding.)

Your first book should only be x-y # of words, and your “magnum opus” should wait until you have a few out the door.

HAHAHAHAHA……….. I find standards to be limiting, first of all. I write what I want. I’ll worry about tightening up the text when I’m closer to the “finish line,” thanks. Secondly, my time and energy are limited, and I’m going to use them on things that matter.

These are honest-to-God my least favorite bits of writing advice, and I wish people would stop saying them. Please stop telling new writers in social media circles what their word counts should look like before they’ve finished their first drafts. My focus for the past decade has been on becoming a better writer. Period. Once I have my story written, I will pare it down with the advice of a professional editor. And yes: this advice is usually geared towards new writers. Because the assumption is that a new writer isn’t setting up for a long-running epic. According to Writers’ Digest, anything >110,000 constitutes an epic, and is usually discouraged because it’s more expensive to print, but within that 6-figure range is more normal for science fiction and fantasy. I’m close to doubling that number, but I’m still going to wait until I’ve finished revising my current Franken-draft before I worry about it.

(My distaste for this advice is shortly followed by people religiously hammering “show don’t tell”, even when the advice makes no sense. Speaking of word count: sometimes it really is enough just to say the “old lady screamed.” It’s really all about what you’re trying to say. Should an unpublished person give writing advice? Rest assured, it’s completely possible to ace a university-level critical review of someone else’s work without being particularly good at creating the work yourself. Those are two fundamentally different skills. I promise.)

Are you looking to be the next [insert famous author here]?

Nope, but I sure would love it if folks enjoy what I’ve got planned. It is pointless to compare my work to anyone else’s.

How many books are you planning? / How far along are you?

I wrote about 7.5 arcs in one shot. With additional notes to finish off the series, I’ve got that material outlined into 9 books, or roughly 3 sets of 3.

Who are you writing for?

For some folks this is the first question. Like-minded souls, I suppose. C.S. Lewis once said of himself and Tolkien, “We wrote the books we wanted to read.” I took that advice to heart once I heard it, and I ran with it. Maybe you’re one of those souls. My themes primarily surround personal identity. This started, in part, as a way for me to talk about my own experience of racial isolation due to my circumstances in the 90s.

I often use my characters and creatures as a means of exploring what it means to be civilized, or for that matter, sentient. There’s definitely a socialist leaning to my work, but really there’s a little of everything. I come from a historically very conservative US state, and I am one of those who will sit down and really try to consider where the other side is coming from. I may not agree with you, and I will ignore you online if you’ve got your ears closed and you’re just looking for an echo chamber, but I will at least consider your point of view. If nothing else, it broadens my picture of where we are and where we’re going as a society. At one time, I thought I could write a book that appealed to both sides. That dream ended somewhere between 2016 and 2020. At this point, I’ve given up and returned to my original themes, and found it more beneficial to let my characters muddle their ways through their existing social structures. Readers may take from it whatever they will.

Isn’t that self-indulgent?

Call it an experiment, to see if I’m truly as alone as I sometimes feel. If you don’t like it, I’m not forcing you to read it. If you’re like me, time is a precious gift. Go read something you do like. Besides: I’ve reached a point of critical mass. I’m either going to take this project seriously, or I’m going to hole up alone like a wacko and live in my head while I finish it for myself, knowing that I never reached for anything bigger, while I continue to work for blue-collar industries.
I’m here now at the encouragement of basically anyone and everyone who’s ever caught a glimpse of the sheer scope of this project, and because there’s nothing else I’d rather be working on.

Can I see a sample of your writing?

Currently uploading to Royal Road.

What will you do when you’re finished?

Finished? My dears, there is a whole other series. My characters don’t stop when I’m not writing. They just keep finding romance, making babies, and getting into new troubles.

Holy crap.

Yeah, that’s usually where this conversation goes. Let’s just say that ADHD is amazing, and reigning it in is a task.

Do you take medication for ADHD?

Remember those mental health issues? Medication was a HUGE contributor. No meds. I never want to go through any of that ever again. I’ve met very few others over the years who ever went on medication and stayed there.

What do you recommend?

Sleep on a regular schedule.

Keep a stable, happy household. If you can.

Exercise. (Doing something you like!)

Stimulating activities.

Be constructively unconventional. (Honestly, I wrote this like six months ago, and I’ve left this here because I’m still trying to figure out what I meant by this cryptic statement. Probably something about making life more interesting without getting in your own way, or finding creative solutions around your daily problems.)

“Hyperfocus” is a thing. Learn to channel it. Many years ago, back in the early days of young folks realizing they could use the Internet to get their messages out to broad audiences, a young man gave this advice in an article about his book (this was around fifteen years ago, and I can’t find it now).

Reward yourself. Give yourself a reason to look forward to finishing a dreaded task. (I hate cleaning. Having friends over or taking part in video chats gives me impetus to get it done because I’m also very self-conscious.)

Remember that no one’s perfect, and that’s okay. Do the best you can.

Talk to your doctor about other reasons you can’t concentrate. Various health issues can contribute.

Respect and care for yourself. Everything is connected, mind and body.

Take the time to get to know what your diagnosis means for you, and make necessary lifestyle changes.

As a creature of habit, I recommend setting good ones. Again: lifestyle changes.

I am not a doctor. I am only speaking from personal experience, and based on others I’ve come across who aren’t medicated. Retraining the way you focus on things is the best advice anyone ever gave me.

Some days I think it’s probably also autism, which would possibly explain my weird errors and myriad miscommunications. That’s increasingly a possibility.

Have you ever read or seen book/movie [x]?

If I had a dime, and extra hour of time, for every time someone has ever asked me if I’ve read a specific work or seen a specific movie, I wouldn’t need a day job. I’m gonna start charging people who tell me I need to read more. I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got, here. It ain’t much, but that’s the world we’re currently living in. Writing on its own is like working a second job, and just because you might see it as a “hobby” does not make it any less time-consuming. Love y’all. Please stop. <3

That said, working my day job is a significant draw on the time I would otherwise spend studying and writing. I would absolutely love to spend more time honing my skills and crafting a better series. Please support me through Ko-Fi, Substack, or Patreon, and together we can make dreams come true.