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Our topic this week is what do we say to people who tell us,
“I’ve always wanted to write a book.” I think my fellow SFF7 bloggers have
covered the subject pretty well. I tend to think to myself in these cases “Well,
what’s stopping you?” but I try to be more tactful out loud and offer a bit of
encouragement. Something along the lines of urging them to just stop thinking
about it and dive in, even if they just write a few words every day. Those words
do add up!
Of course I offer advice if the person seems serious (rather
than them classifying their ever writing a novel along with their ever winning
the lottery or someday climbing Mt. Everest). And if the person had actually
written a book and wants specific tips, I’m happy to help because I received
much help along the way. Pay it forward!
I’ve got twenty five books out at the moment with three more
to come in the next two months and I wrote them one word at a time and I wrote
them because I have to write the way I have to breathe, having written since
the age of 7, so possibly I’m not the best person to wistfully inform “I’ve
always wanted to write a book.”
Comments I’ve had made to me of a slightly different but
related tenor include “Hey, I have a great idea for a book so why don’t you
write it for me?!” Um, because I have all my own ideas, thanks, and utterly no
interest in writing someone else’s story. I’m not a ghost writer or a
nonfiction author.
Or this one: “I have
some great plot ideas for your next book!” Yeah, DON’T tell me. It’s highly unlikely that anyone else’s ideas
are going to fit with where I’m going on my own with my characters, my world
building and my plots. Besides in this litigious world of today, I don’t want
the slightest hint of “idea stealing”. In recent events in Romancelandia it’s
been made abundantly clear that many naïve people have no idea how common
certain ideas, tropes, words and plot twists, even character names are. I’ll
just do my own thing over here in this corner and if you like the books, yay!
Additionally, when I release a book, I’m usually already
knee deep in writing not the next book, but the book after that, so the person
making suggestions has no idea of the events they haven’t seen yet, in
whichever of my worlds I happen to be writing.
I don’t mind if readers want to discuss the books or the
characters and say to me wistfully, “You really need to give so-and-so his own
book.” Or “I wish you’d write a sequel
to Book XYZ.” Reader involvement and feedback is priceless. Golden. BUT I’m
not looking for plot ideas. I have so
many bursting in my head at all times, I’ll never get them all written in this
lifetime. And truthfully, I’m not going to have the enthusiasm for someone else’s
idea that I’ll have for one of my own. Not sure what fiction author would? That’s the
point where I say, “Oh you should write a book!”
My next Sectors scifi romance novel is releasing this coming
week, on the 9th. It’s STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER, in the Pets In
Space 3 anthology…
STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER blurb: Tassia Megg
is a woman on the run after the death of her elderly guardian. Her search to
get off the planet in a hurry comes when chance directs her to an open dance
audition for the luxury cruise liner Nebula Zephyr’s resident troupe. If there
is one thing Tassia can do, it is dance!
Security Officer Liam Austin is suspicious of the newest
performer to join the Comettes. She shows all the signs of being a woman on the
run and seems to fit the Sectors-wide broadcast description of a missing thief,
accused of stealing priceless artifacts. As he gets to know Tassia during the
cruise, he starts to wonder if she’s something more – a long vanished princess
in hiding from deadly political enemies of her family perhaps? And what’s the
story with the three-eyed feline companion other crew members swear Tassia
brought aboard the ship? Does the animal even exist?
As the ship approaches its next port of call, all the issues
come to a boil and Liam must decide if he’ll step in to help Tassia or betray
her. Life is about to get very interesting aboard the Nebula Zephyr as Liam
tries to uncover the truth. Could F’rrh, the peculiar alien cat he has been
hearing about, be the key to the mystery and Tassia’s fate?
Anthology Blurb:
Pets in Space™ is back! Join us as we unveil eleven
original, never-before-published action-filled romances that will heat your
blood and warm your heart! New York Times, USA Today and Award-winning authors
S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones,
Carol Van Natta, Tiffany Roberts, Alexis Glynn Latner, E D Walker, JC Hay, and
Kyndra Hatch combine their love for Science Fiction Romance and pets to bring
readers sexy, action-packed romances while helping our favorite charity. Proud
supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space™ authors have donated over $4,400 in
the past two years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans. Open
your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Embrace the Romance: Pets in
Space™ 3 today!
