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Eve and Gen Ellaway turn a year old today! The idea for Eve’s story first came to me over TEN years ago, but I didn’t start writing it until the end of 2018, and finally published in 2025. This book was definitely a long time coming!
It’s that time of year again, when people set unrealistic goals that seem great while in a cheese-and-chocolate-induced haze, but suddenly feel impossible when it’s time to throw away all the sugar in the pantry or wake up at 5:30am to hit the gym before work.
While I don’t set resolutions, I do set goals throughout the year.
When a book is no longer carried in libraries or bookstores, people can’t read it. They can’t buy it. And the eventually publishers choose not to buy more books from that author. In order to maintain a career as a writer, these authors are forced to self-censor, to choose “less offensive” topics. To erase diversity from their books.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve had plenty of times in your life when you were faced with a decision and your gut screamed one thing while your logical ol’ brain insisted on another. Maybe you listened to that feeling in the pit of your stomach, or maybe you did whatever your brain insisted was the rational choice. Or maybe the universe aligned and there was a big neon arrow blinking “THIS IS THE WAY” so you shrugged and figured okay sure I’ll listen to my gut this time.
Two years ago I announced that I was taking a sabbatical from writing. I was burned out, exhausted, frustrated, and ready to be done with *waves hands around* all this. Initially my break was only supposed to be from marketing and social media, but shortly after I announced my break, I also stopped writing.
I rarely stop moving, and that’s been true over the past two years, but I removed the yoke that had been weighing me down and spent my time doing things I enjoyed. Reading, being outdoors, wrangling my very demanding puppy. I volunteered in my community, I started a writers’ happy hour — something I’d wanted to do since before the pandemic. I connected with old friends and met new ones. I came up with a bucket list for my 50th birthday.
A lot of authors create a playlist specifically for the book they’re writing. Sometimes the lyrics speak directly to the story, and other times it’s more the vibe of the song that fits, but we play it every time we sit down to write. After a bit, the first notes of the first song feel like slipping into comfy sweats and you’re right back in the flow of the story.
I’ve never based the main plot of a book on anything from my life — I slip real details into the side stories. The little scenes that may not stick with reader. The small opinions and observations and random conversations — those are often based on my personal experiences. A character hates nuts in baked goods? *waves hand* Hello! (My husband hate that too. A super random thing we agree on.) Has a dad that points at them and says ‘behave’ before they go out with friends? Me again.
I began 2024 hoping I would find my way back to writing and I now have TWO unfinished manuscripts. While I would prefer to have a complete first draft, I’m back on track and believe I’m heading in the right direction. And that direction is forward.
I’ve always loved to tell stories. From songs and short stories as a kid to novels later in life, words have always held an importance to me unlike most anything else. I revel in crafting an interesting tale, then watching for my audiences’ reaction. Even my day job is in marketing and communications and my top StrengthsFinder strength is Communication.
If you’ve spent any time in bookstagram, bookthreads, or any of the book-themed social spaces, you’ve probably seen a graphic featuring a book cover surrounded by short phrases and cutesy arrows pointing to the book. These graphics provide readers an at-a-glance summary of what themes they can expect in the book, and oftentimes these images include details that might be left out of the “official” book description, which makes them a valuable piece of a marketing plan.