Saturday, October 6, 2018

What's Stopping You?

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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!
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