Why authors are important…

Good Saturday morning! I want to share a little something with all of you. Not long ago I had a fan message me. She went on to tell me that my book had made her day. It helped her through a bad day, making things seem not as bad as it seemed.

Well, that message got me to thinking about the importance of authors in this world we live in. With so much uncertainty and despair, we as authors can spread a little joy. Or at least give someone a way to get lost for a while. As for my way of thinking, I consider authors important to our sanity. We have to continue writing the words that fill the imaginations of people all over the world. It only takes one book to give someone a chance to step out of reality, if only for a moment.

Romance authors have the chance to take someone to another time or place and give them a little romance to warm their heart. We can help someone realize that they are not alone in this world, but that love is all around us.

Mystery authors can add some intrigue to someone’s life. They give them a purpose, such as solving a crime or getting lost in a crime thriller.

Horror writers take us on a roller coaster ride with exhilarating chills. Fear can make the adrenaline flow in a sedentary time.

Self help writers can teach us ways to do things differently. We all need some help from time to time.

Now, there are many other genres to talk about, but for now, this will have to do. I have a deadline and maybe I’ll be able to get lost in a book for a while today.

As always, Good writing and May God Bless You…

Genre… How do you choose?

Wow! We made it people, we’re halfway to the weekend… I have question and it’s one that’s been asked of me, plus I’ve asked it myself. What is the genre you write in?

It’s like sitting down to watch a movie. You have to choose what you want to watch. If you love Rom Com’s, then you’re not likely to choose a Horror Flick. Same with books, people are specific when they look for a book.

So, you’re probably saying, you write romance, that’s easy. But, when you put your book on a publishing site, it’s not that easy. Ok, the main genre is romance for me, but there are many styles of romance. It’s endless and sometimes gives me a headache. How do you break it down?

For example, when putting a book on Amazon for instance, you have to list 2 categories and then 7 keywords. Yikes! And if you get it wrong, you won’t explode, but your sales may not either. If you get it right, you nail it!

Now, the categories for romance are long and sort of specific. Yes, I know that I don’t write Dystopian Romance. To be honest, I had to look up Dystopian, just to clarify. And no, I don’t write Erotic Romance. But, does my book fall into Contemporary, New Adult, General, Comedy, Western, etc… The list goes on.

My best advice on this subject is to go to writers that write like you. See where they have their books at and always, always, look at the bestsellers in that style. Because if they aren’t bestsellers, then they may be doing the same thing as you, trying to wrap their head around it.

Oh, and don’t forget the keywords. This is something that I change up often and I mean often. Of course, sometimes Amazon will put your book in other keywords or categories, like if your book is short, it could be listed under Kindle Read under 2 hours. Do your research!!! Let me repeat that so that all of those in the back heard me, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! Don’t you hate shouty capitals. Well, I hope I got your attention.

Go now and look at the book that’s not selling as well as it should. No, really, go now. You can’t afford for your book to be sitting in the wrong spot. It’s like a cook book that’s put under historical romance. Wrong! So get to it. And let me know how it goes. Make sure that you keep a spreadsheet on sales before you make the change, then after. See if it works and if you haven’t see a change in a couple of weeks, tweak it.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Changing can make all the difference…

Alright, you’ve got the first draft completed and you feel satisfied that it’s just as you want it, then it hits… DOUBT!!!

Have you been there? If you’re a writer, you’ve been there. It’s that nagging feeling that something didn’t work in the story. But, if you dig in, will you find more that’s wrong. If you feel this way now, please follow your gut. Dissect it now or get dissected later!

This is the time to dive in with both feet and take the story apart, chapter by chapter, or plot by plot. Just make sure that you have a beginning, middle and ending. Make sure that each separate part of the story has a rise to the climax, then ease it back down, but each part builds up to the final climax. Give it the time and work it needs to make your doubt go away.

Changing even something small can make all the difference. I’ve gone back into a first draft and only changed a minor plot hole, but it made a huge difference in the flow of the story. But I’ve also gone in and taken out whole chapters, whole chapters! Ouch, that hurts! But, you’ve got to do it.

Our goal as a writer is two fold in my eyes. The first side is getting the story out of your heart and on the paper. The second side is making your reader get excited, cry, laugh, sigh, or simply get lost in the story that you wrote. You want to take them to another world, the world you created. Now, get cracking, that story won’t write itself!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Take your reader on an unforgettable adventure!

Writing is easy, they say…

Good morning! How many have heard someone say, ‘Writing is too easy. Anyone can do it’? I’ve heard it so many times that I’ve lost count. My comment is always, great, give it a try.

Yes, it’s easy to put words on paper. But I need to let you in on some funny things about writing:

In order to write a story, it’s got to make sense and have a beginning, middle and ending.
Make sure that your plot is solid and there are no holes. And if you have holes, make sure they are small enough the reader doesn’t know that they are there.
Have you set the scene? Is the story readable? Have you kept to the story and not went on a chase down a rabbit hole?

That’s just three things that I’d tell someone wanting to write a book. Writing is not for the faint of heart and you definitely have to grow a thick skin. If not, you won’t last too long.

But, don’t get me wrong, I love writing. I love everything about it and yes, even after almost 50 published books, I still get nervous before I hit submit. In the end, it’s so worth it, but you better be prepared to put in the work to get it right or you’ll find out all too soon that you didn’t!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

How writers see their work…

Good morning! Writers… We’re a different breed of people. We see things differently. When we are out in the public, we see what looks like just normal activity as potential wip filler. A new song can lead to inspiration, as well as movies or just the news. Amazing thing is, we see potential in many things that non writers don’t.

As I looked at my irises yesterday, it made me think of the way I look at my work. Just as the picture under this paragraph shows, the iris is only just beginning to bloom. It’s like when you start a new wip in progress, as a writer, you see the beauty within your story. Even at the beginning, most of the time a writer can see what it will look like as it unfolds, although the reader is only just seeing it from the start. It’s important for the writer to have a reader looking at their work just as a flower lover looks at the unopened bloom. They should feel anxious to see what’s coming out.

But as the story unfolds, you see the beauty that is within. It’s amazing how exciting it is to watch your story bloom into so much beauty. Keep that excitement in your writing and focus on the beauty that it can hold. That will keep your readers interest. But be patient, impatience can lead to mistakes and a rushed story that will leave your reader unfulfilled. I’ve done that before and had to learn from my mistakes.

So, as always great writing and May God Bless You!!!

P.S. Go by my website and check out all of my new release news. There will be cover reveals every month and sneak previews of upcoming releases. Not to mention I started Dragonfly Designs to help authors with cover design. Don’t let the struggle to get it right hinder your writing process.

https://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/

Tuesday Teaser – The Journal

It’s time for a Tuesday Teaser. This week I’m teasing you with a new series that will start releasing this summer. It’s call The Journal.

So, what is the series about you might ask? This series will be a Time Travel Romance series that will take you on many adventures. You will spend time in medieval times with knights, in the old west with handsome cowboys, and many other places in time. You’ll find out in the first book what causes this time warp. It will be fun, exciting and romantic, so keep watching for the cover reveal that will be coming soon for ‘The Knight of Her Heart’, the first book in the series.

Here’s a sneak peak at the series header:

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Wednesday Wisdom – Be Yourself!

It’s Wednesday, we’re halfway to the weekend! Today I want to talk about something that affects most writers. What is that, you might ask. Well, it’s being yourself in your writing. What? Go against the grain? Yes!

As writers, we have our own style and if you didn’t know it, our own brains. When a story comes to us, it’s from us, not what current trends dictate. We need to stay true to what we know and love. If you do that, then it will show in your writing. But if you try to write to make the trends happy, it won’t be from your heart. So, be yourself in your writing.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Authors & Rejection

It’s Saturday, a day to relax and enjoy life. So, before we get to the easy-going weekend, let’s talk about rejection. Ouch!

Every author has to accept rejection. It’s part of the job. But, it’s not always that easy. Rejection is also good for us. Yes, I said that, but it is a good thing. Sometimes rejection is just what the doctor ordered.

So, let me jump right into the explanation. When a manuscript is rejected, it should make us look into it more. With each rejection I’ve received, it made me relook at my manuscript with different eyes. Sometimes I find things I didn’t see before.

Now, with that being said, rejection hurts, but I read an article a while back that told how many rejections some of the biggest authors out there have received. Even their bestsellers that went mega-platinum were rejected a time or two before they were snatched up. So, that should give us hope beyond the rejection.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

close up photography of crumpled paper — Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.com

Get up and move!

woman in black leggings while walking on brown road — Photo by Sebastian Voortman on Pexels.com

Ok, so yesterday I was talking about moving some. It’s important, especially when you sit for most of the day. Since I’m an accountant for my day job and a writer, well, that involves a lot of sitting, which causes health issues.

I try to walk at least three to four days a week for 45 minutes or more each time. And recently I set a timer to remind me to get up every hour and move! Yeah, I struggle with this one, especially if I’m in the middle of complex figures or a storyline that is filling my world at the moment. But, I’ve made it my goal to get between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day. I use the health app on my phone to keep up with my steps. Since my mailbox is at the end of my steep driveway, I walk it several times a day.

Since I’ve started focusing on my moving, I’ve noticed reduced pain in my legs and I’m feeling more energized. Not to mention the health benefits and weight too. For many writers, this is a struggle, but with a little focus, you too can get moving.

Oh, and while I exercise and walk, I work through plots and scenes. It’s amazing how a brisk walk can remove writer’s block completely. Try it, you might be surprised. So, get moving and make a healthier you…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Life steps in…

It’s Thursday, but it feels like Monday! Some days I wake up and just want to go back to bed, cover my head and sleep. Today is one of those days. But guess what, I’ve got a business to run and way too much to do for all of that. So, I managed to drag myself out of bed early so I could meet my morning word count. Did I meet it? Well, let’s just say I’ll have a writing lunch…

So, what is your day like? Recently I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Southern Writer’s Magazine, which will come out soon. It was eye-opening as I wrote out my answers to the interview questions. I realized that every day I manage somehow to schedule in some stress-relieving words. You may be saying, didn’t you already know that? Some days I think I don’t get enough time to write, but then others I get more than enough.

Yesterday I caught myself daydreaming about a character that has filled my head lately. Before I knew what I was doing, I was filling up stick it notes with character traits. Thank goodness I was waiting on a file to download, or I would’ve gotten behind. Then, the rest of the day, my eyes would go to those notes, wanting to write the story. Well, hopefully, today I’ll get to put a little work in on it.

Life steps in, but writing is part of that life, so make some time to focus on your dreams. This life is short, so make the most of it. Don’t forget to get up and walk some, it’s good for you and many writers don’t realize this. But that’s for another post.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…