Tag: inspiration

Promoting Your Writing on TikTok

mjmarsauthor

I’ve known for a while now that there are hundreds of writers out there who swear by TikTok to promote their books and connect with the perfect audience of potential readers. The whole idea of filming myself and coming up with content that people might actually see filled me with abject horror, and I was dreading the moment the time came to actually get out there and start promoting.

Well, that time came last week. The Suffering had just been released and I decided there was no better time to bite the bullet, download the TikTok app, and post my first video.

You guys. I actually LOVE IT!

I never thought I’d ever say that in a million years, but it’s true.

As I say, I’ve only been on there for a week and haven’t yet built any kind of following so I’m hardly an expert. But I wanted to let other authors who are grappling with the idea of starting a TikTok know what my experience has been, and encourage you to give it a go. I’ll also give you a rundown of a few book-themed video ideas to get started.

The Best Things about Promoting on TikTok

  1. It’s free! All you need is your phone. The app has a built-in editing suite that’s extremely easy to work your way around. If you make a mistake you can hit the ‘undo’ key so there’s never any risk when you’re playing around with your first few videos.
  2. You can post about your book all day long if you like. Unlike Twitter and Instagram, the BookTok community is extremely receptive to self-promotion. The great thing about it is you can slant almost all trending videos and sounds to fit your books. So even though you’re regularly discussing your releases, all of your videos can be a little different, keeping your followers interested.
  3. The algorithm automatically targets your ideal readership. TikTok’s algorithm is scarily accurate. When you first start to use it, you’ll be shown generic or popular videos that have been decided based on your initial data. But within a couple of days you should find that most of the videos you see are targeted to match the content you are watching and producing. This means that the same can be said of the people who are shown your video. Your content will be made visible to people who want to see it, and that makes a huge difference in terms of sales.
  4. You can imitate other people’s videos, and it isn’t stealing! In fact, copying trends is encouraged. My friend watches mostly dog content and introduced me to the ‘cheese tax’ song and videos that are doing the rounds at the moment. She made a fantastic version with her own dog (check out Kirsty B’s account @kirsty709 to see it!). You can scroll through the BookTok trend videos, make notes of the ones you like, and come up with your own. This can be as simple as using a funny filter with a reading or writing twist.

That’s all very well and good, but what in the heck are you going to post? Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

Bookish TikTok ideas

  1. Introduce yourself and your book. For your first post, it’s that simple. Tell people who you are, what you write, and what they can expect from your books. Use hashtags such as #booktok, #myfirsttiktok, and multiple tags related to the genre you write so that it finds its way to your reading community.
  2. Flip reveals and page flicks. As you spend time getting to know BookTok, you’ll probably see a lot of these. Simply hold your phone and film either your book’s spine for a few moments, or film yourself slowly flicking through the pages. At the last minute, reveal the cover and record for a few seconds. Then, edit the video and add text that describes your book, characters, or plot. Play around with filters and effects and be sure to add music that is popular in your chosen genre.
  3. Filter fun. There are so many filters readily available on TikTok, you can make hours of content. Consider what may be relatable to a writer or a reader and try and add a bookish slant to the filter you use.
  4. What are you reading? As well as learning about what you’ve written, the BookTok community is also keen to fill their TBR pile with recommendations. There are multiple ways you can present these videos. Pulling a new book from a shopping bag or unpacking a delivered box of shiny new books is always attractive to fellow book hawks! But it can be as simple as putting books in a pile and slowly lifting each one up to reveal the next. Be sure to give a little bit of information about each title, or, if you’ve already read it, an honest review.
  5. Lip Syncs. Okay, I feel your panic. This is a trend that only the bravest attempt, but they can be extremely effective. Search for soundbites that relate to a topic. They might be snippets from a movie, or even lyrics to songs. Practice until you know the words and the timing, then simply record yourself mouthing along. If the thought of introducing yourself is terrifying at the moment, I’m sure this is the last thing on your mind. But you never know, you might find yourself so comfortable with TikTok you’re giving it a whirl in no time!

You don’t have anything to lose (unless you work for an establishment that doesn’t allow TikTok. Seriously guys, check with your workplace before downloading the app if you are in a data-sensitive environment!). Why not give it a try? You can always delete it if you hate it.

I’m brand new to TikTok, so come and follow me as soon as you get set up and I’ll follow you back! You’ll find me @mjmarsauthor.

One last thing, if you’re a writer you may have heard the rumours this week about a literary agent stating that you need “40k followers on Instagram and 100k on TikTok” to even be considered by a publisher. This may be true for some (if it is, it’s a sad state of affairs, and rules out a humongous portion of excellent talent out there). But I am proof that this isn’t true for all. I have about 2k followers on Insta, and I had 0 followers on TikTok a few days ago, since I didn’t even have an account! Don’t be disheartened by statements like this. Keep on submitting. And, if you’re worried and feel pressured into starting TikTok because of this agent’s comment, don’t let it stress you out. Like me, you might find it is surprisingly fun. And, if it really isn’t for you, don’t give up on your publishing dream. The right publisher is out there waiting, and doesn’t give a damn about your social media status. All they care about is your talent. As it should be.

From Rejection to Publication

mjmarsauthor

Scrolling back through my old blog posts, I stop at one and check the date. 18th February, 2022. Just over a year ago, now. The post is called “Reigniting the Spark”, and it laments the fact that I have struggled with motivation to write, particularly since finishing The Suffering and entered into the query phase. I’d been submitting queries for months at that point, and was disheartened to say the least.

A snippet from “Reigniting the Spark”

Although I felt bad that I hadn’t been writing anything new, I rationalised that it could be the universe’s way of telling me not to flit from project to project the way I usually did. To really see out the process and focus on getting The Suffering to as many agents and publishers as possible. And, boy, was I trying! As most of you who have gone through the querying phase know, it’s a bleak process. You submit with high hopes, silencing the voice of doubt by convincing yourself that you “have a good feeling about this one!” only for the inevitable rejection to come back a few weeks later.

When Wicked House Publishing opened its doors last year, I was pretty much at the end of my rope with The Suffering. Perhaps it wasn’t as good as I hoped it was. In fact, perhaps it was terrible! A book that nobody would ever want, and—worse—that nobody would ever get to read. I felt as though I must have been completely deluded when I closed my laptop after the final edit and declared with confidence, “I think this is pretty good!”

I remember when I saw the call-out for Wicked House submissions. It was a Sunday, and I was in the middle of a regular bout of burnout that made me stop to consider whether I could be bothered heading to my laptop to make the query attempt. I was feeling quite down-and-out, and more than a little hopeless about the whole thing. But, something made me haul my ass off the couch and spend the afternoon at the kitchen table, preparing my query and making sure my synopsis and opening chapters were as good as they’d ever been. I hit the submit button. By that point, I was way past “I have a good feeling about this one!” and instead prepared myself for rejection.

But it never came. A full manuscript request was sent instead. And, a few months later, an offer of publication.

Now, just over a year from posting a disheartened blog about fighting for motivation, I’m holding The Suffering in my hands. It’s being read around the world, and many of the reviews have been more positive than I could have ever dreamed.

Thank you to my lovely Mum for the champagne in celebration!

It would have been so easy for me to give up on The Suffering after receiving months of rejections. It’s hard, and if you’re experiencing something similar with your manuscript at the moment, I feel for you and send you virtual hugs and strength. Self-belief can only be sustained so long when multiple professionals in the business are telling you they don’t want your book. But here’s the proof that it only takes that one lucky shot. Never stop fighting for it. Haul your ass off the couch and make that submission!

Because one day it will be for the last time. And for all the right reasons.

Why You Should Never Listen to the Doubters

mjmarsauthor

With a week to go until my debut novel, The Suffering, is unleashed into the world, I wanted to tell you a story from when I was about 19 years old. This was at a time when I was feeling a little lost after a turbulent few years in my life, but I knew one thing and one thing only: I was going to be writer. It was the only thing I wanted to do.

I had no aspirations to be a doctor or a teacher. While my classmates were taking language classes so they could bag their dream roles in the tourism industry, perfecting tints and perms in beauty school, spending weekends at cadets to give themselves the right tools for a career in the army, or volunteering in a local lab while they worked through their science credentials, I was shut up in my room scribbling plots and character profiles.

I was close with my then-boyfriend’s mother, who was into new-age practices and spiritual awareness. One Saturday, she took me on a day out to a spiritual convention in Manchester. The day itself was a lot of fun, strolling from stall to stall. I browsed rows of glistening coloured crystals and listened to the whistle of a wand whizzing around the rim of a metal bowl. I was sprayed with various aromatherapy scents and advised which angel I should try and link to (Sandalphon – I even remember that today, for some reason, not that he and I have ever been in touch of course!)

We closed off the day with a psychic reading from a woman I was assured was “amazing” and “always right”. There was no crystal ball or velvet-covered table scattered with tarot cards. There was just a middle-aged, blonde-haired woman, smiling pleasantly as she took my twenty pounds and asked me to sit down opposite her. The reading was pretty generic, I imagine. Vague talk of a man in a military uniform hanging around, and general observations about my personality type. At the end, she asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I enthusiastically told her my dream: I wanted to be a writer.

“A writer?” she said, looking thoughtful for a moment. “No. I just don’t see that for you”.

I thanked her and went on my way but inside I was crushed. Remember, I was only 19 and very impressionable at that time, so when someone told me they could see into the future, I believed them. I remember going home and sitting in the bath crying my eyes out. My dream was pointless. The only thing I wanted to do with my life was never going to happen for me. It was devastating.

The thing is, I love writing. Even though I didn’t think it was in my stars to be a professional writer, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Yes, it knocked my confidence. Perhaps things would have moved a little faster if it weren’t for that set-back. I do believe that dashing people’s dreams in that way is cruel and irresponsible. I’m more sceptical now, of course, but I believed her wholeheartedly at the time. Perhaps, like some people often say to justify a mis-fired psychic reading, that was what I really needed to hear in order to make it happen for myself. Maybe the stubborn part of my brain needed a battle of wits. An, “oh, you don’t think I can do it? Well, let me prove you wrong!” Who knows?

All I do know is that in exactly 1 week from now, I’ll be a published author. When people shoot down your goal and make you doubt yourself, always remember that the future isn’t already written. You have the chance to make your dreams come true.

No matter what anybody else says.

Reigniting the Spark

mjmarsauthor

I used to find motivation pretty easy. All it would take was an interesting story, a mystery, a book with an intriguing character, or a film that I wished I’d written. Lately, whether it’s because of lockdown blues, self-doubt finally taking hold or – dare I even think it – age, I’ve been finding it harder and harder to find that spark again.

The kind of spark that sends you characters when you’re trying to close your eyes at night and leaves your heart racing so fast you’re still awake at 3am thinking up voices, items of clothing, favourite places, and songs for a person who doesn’t even exist.

The thrill that stops you from reading in the middle of a bath because the words on the page have been pushed out by the words forming in your own mind. Where your eyes trace the paragraphs on the book held above the bubbles in front of you, but your mind sees something completely different as your brain replaces that story with your own.

The joy of taking a walk and feeling the heartbeat of a new protagonist forming with every step you take, until you can’t wait to get home and sit at your computer.

I miss that feeling.

The funny thing is, I had it until the moment I finished my last book. Since then, I’ve been in a slump. But maybe this is the universe’s way of telling me, “Don’t you dare start something new until you’ve seen this one through!” Because, now that I’ve finished it, I need convincing that it’s good. And, for someone like me, that doesn’t come from inside. The process of submitting is mentally draining and makes me clamber into my cave before it’s even really begun, which is a feeling that I know many of you share. But this is the brink. This is the truly exciting part. The moment when anything can happen.

So, perhaps the spark is changing for a reason. It’s not the after-effects of lockdown, or the self-doubt taking over. It certainly isn’t age, because…fuck that! The spark can’t be about new projects for a while. It has to be something different. Something that already exists. The sleepless nights can be from wondering whether today’s agent query will be the one that leads to success. The bath time daydreams that take over the book I’m reading can be about signings at a book fair, or the premier when it gets turned into a movie (it’s going to happen – of course it is! I’ve picked out my dress and everything…)

The spark might well be there if I just let it grow for the manuscript I already have, rather than something I’m yet to write. Losing it may be just another form of self-sabotaging procrastination, when really all I need to do is light the match under the next stage of the process. Next time I take a walk, I won’t be thinking about a new protagonist. I’ll be thinking about the ones I already have. I’ll get as excited about you meeting them as I was to get home and write about them when I first started my book all those months ago. And I’ll hurry home to sit at my computer. I’ll hit “submit query”.

And that’s when I’ll feel that spark.

Which part isn’t the hard part?!

mjmarsauthor

I haven’t posted on here for almost a year now, a fact that has kind of been weighing on me (and my auntie Elaine, who keeps reminding me – hey Elaine!!). But I completely threw myself into finishing The Suffering ready for querying, so that’s what took up all of my free time. I didn’t have anything else to say. But now the book is complete, the querying has begun, and I can breathe a big sigh of relief at having some time to do other things.

I checked the properties when I finished the wip and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw I’d spent 2,300+ hours on writing, editing, editing, editing a little more…and just a smidge more editing. It seems like a ridiculous number. A huge mistake. If someone had asked me how long it had taken me to write it I might have shrugged and took a stab, “I dunno…a hundred hours, maybe?” – feeling like an overly-dramatic sensationalist at that.

So this is why I felt like I never had time for other things (or…ahem…people). This is why every time I tried to relax and play games or watch a movie I had an annoying voice in the back of my mind reminding me that I had far more important things that needed to be done. And once I’d finally drawn the line and decided that I had to quit the endless editing process for fear of removing any ounce of my own personal writing style, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off me.

I’ve taken a few of weeks away from writing after sending the book out to my first and second agency choices, and the break has been fun. It’s strange not to have characters and scenes jostling for brain-space at all times of the day. My baths have been spent relaxing in bubbles, not leaping out and pattering wet footprints down the stairs in search of a notebook halfway through when an idea pops into my head. On my walks down the local quay I can now stick a headphone in and listen to music, not having to worry about drowning out a potential plot twist or character arc that may come to mind.

I’m starting to feel the urge to write again, returning to the Calls for Submissions pages and contemplating new horror short anthologies. I’ve missed the rush of writing to a set theme and waiting to hear if my story might just be good enough to make it in. That too went on the back-burner, and for the last year I haven’t submitted a single short. I’m excited to see what’s to come.

But I’m also feeling the anxious little pangs every time I check my writer’s email. The dread of the upcoming rejections by my prospective list of dream agents. It’s part of the process, of course. I don’t think there’s been a writer in history who was snapped up on their first attempt at representation (well, perhaps there have been a lucky few, but I’m positive it’s a rare occurrence).

So, writing the book was hard. Being away from all of my old favourite additional activities, writing-related or otherwise, was a bind. But it’s done with, at least for now. At least until that magical offer of a 3-book deal comes sliding into my emails. Until then, I’m going to enjoy my little blog posts (when I can actually think of something to say!). I’ll get excited about sending out various shorts and writing to set anthology themes in the hope they get accepted.

But, if that deal does come about I’ll be dropping everything again in a heartbeat! Another 2,300 hours to write a sequel – count me in! It’s a crazy dream. It’s almost impossible to find time. It’s ALL the hard part. But it’s worth every second. All 8280000 of them.

A More Organised Writer…?

mjmarsauthor

Did you guys make any writing related New Year’s Resolutions? We’re almost a month in to 2020, so how have you been getting on?

This year, I chose to focus on streamlining my writing process with a view to keeping my stress-levels low and my productivity high. So far, it seems to be working. I filled a diary with upcoming submission calls for short stories, and the two that stood out with deadlines at the end of January are almost complete. Having the diary has helped me to focus my attention on where it is needed, instead of constantly having ideas floating around my head without any order!

In between submission calls, I’m looking at working more methodically on my novels and full-length scripts. There are a couple of works that require some editing or plot-development before I can take them any further, so I’m blocking out time in between deadlines to work on those. When I have them mapped into my diary, I can forget all about them in the meantime, which is definitely preventing me from panicking or experiencing plot overload!

In terms of my horror novel, I am still plot mapping at the moment. I’ve drafted a few of the key chapters, but want to make sure I have the full structure worked out before I take it any further. I’ve been working to the Save the Cat plotting method which was developed by Blake Snyder, and found that his structure pretty much fit my basic plot plan for this particular work in progress. Having the template in front of me is helping me to focus my ideas and stick to the most important elements of the story. I was pleased to find that I was on the right track according to Snyders development plan, and so it was surprisingly positive to shift from being a complete pantser to a plotter! I’m going to book a solid week or two off work later in the year to finalise the finished draft. Knowing that I’ll have that time in a few months to worry about the finer details is helping me to take a steadier pace this time around. I am training myself to stop charging through the process, and I have to say I am enjoying the change of tack.

I hope that if you made any writing resolutions that they are working out well for you so far. If you did but haven’t been able to utilise them for whatever reason, I hope it’s given you a helpful insight into what may work for you in the future. If you hate making resolutions and already had a positive writing structure going for you, then long may it continue into 2020! And, finally, if you hate making resolutions but still don’t have a writing schedule that works for you, don’t give up on yourself. It will come in time.

Wishing all my fellow writers a positive and productive year ahead.

Being the Guest of a Writing website

mjmarsauthor

Something very exciting happened recently. I was honoured to be asked by the incredibly talented Kate Nilski to answer a few questions on the subject of bravery in writing for her website The World of Words is Wonderful. I received the questions and mulled them over for a while, thinking that I had a solid set of answers in my head.

Then I sat down to write. Truly reflecting on yourself and your opinions as a writer can be surprising and enlightening, and after this experience I would encourage any of you to ask a friend to set you a few questions to consider. You may be surprised at your answers! By delving deeper into my writing process, I understood that some things I took at face value were actually products of something bigger. It gave me a better understanding of why I did things in a certain way, and helped me to highlight certain patterns that I hadn’t known existed.

I am becoming more brave in my writing, mainly through sharing more about myself on social media. This interview was really the cherry on the cake. And I understand now that my writing process is ever-evolving. Since answering the questions, I’ve changed direction again! Back then, I was all set to slog away at my young adult fantasy WIP. Now I have faced facts in the mirror and decided to put that particular project away for a while to focus on horror. Becoming a writer is about making yourself a brand after all. I have an idea for a full-length terror-based plot, as discussed in my previous blog, and the excitement building from this new venture tells me it is the right thing to do. That’s one of the incredible things to embrace about being a writer. It is an ever-evolving, changing process. And so are you, the writer itself.

So a huge thank you to Kate at The World of Words is Wonderful for giving me the opportunity to tap into this aspect of myself and allowing me to reflect. It was just what I needed at this crossroads. And thank you also for allowing me to feel like a bit of a celeb! After the interview was shared on Facebook I had friends messaging me saying things like, “I thought – hey, I know her!” which felt amazing. Faking it til you make it is a huge part of taking your place on the literary ladder, and I certainly feel like I’ve hopped a few rungs this year.

You can check out Kate’s fantastic website, hire Kate for your digital copywriting needs, and have a nosey at the interview here

Unexpected Writing Inspiration

mjmarsauthor

One of the main things that I love about writing is its unpredictability. You might have a set plan, and you may be productive in your routine for a while, but in the world of writing it doesn’t always work out that way.

I mainly write horror shorts when I sit down at my desk. However, this year I branched out a little and began to write a young adult fantasy novel. I was inspired by the writing community on social media, and had a few ideas about my own little bunch of budding heroes, traversing adolescence whilst dealing with their new powers. It was fun. It was exciting and, being someone who struggled through my own childhood with the X-Men permanently reminding me that it was okay to be different, it was relevant. So, 60,000 words in with only a few lingering chapter inserts, fillers, and a final edit remaining, it should be ready to roll on to the next stage. Only, it’s not happened that way. I’ve completely shelved it. I think about it often. I occasionally make an insert or an edit here and there, but I have lost that spark of inspired joy that I usually need to complete a project. This has left me with two options. One; slog on and finish it anyway. Or, two; leave it and move on to a new book. For me, these are both equally impossible without the right kind of inspiration. I didn’t know what I was going to do.

Then, this morning as I was walking to the supermarket in the sunshine, a song came on my iPod that I hadn’t heard in ages. It was Coheed and Cambria’s The Suffering, and I loved it. I stuck it on repeat, and pretty much listened to it constantly as I walked the length of St George’s Quay to town. A thought popped into my head: “The Suffering. That would be a cool title for a horror short.” As I walked the rest of the way, the story ideas began to flow. Once I had the title (thanks Coheed and Cambria!), the plot followed, and I knew that the story will be perfect to submit to the upcoming Horroraddicts.net ‘Dark Divinations’ Victorian horror submission call. And that wasn’t all, my friends! I realised that the short story would make a cool origins tale for a full-length horror story set in modern times. So, that’s what I’m going to do next. Get the Victorian short story locked down, then use it as the origins tale for a modern full length horror.

That’s not to say I’ll never return to my fantasy wip. I’ve put many hours into it after all, and I love the characters. But right now I guess it’s important to work on what feels right. Two beautiful things about writing, then. It’s ever-changing. Never set in stone. The possibilities are endless. And you can find sudden inspiration anywhere – even when you’re walking to the shops.

The Shortlist Paradox

mjmarsauthor

After making a succession of short story anthology submissions this summer, the inevitable rejections have begun to slink into my inbox. It is a part of every writer’s world, so I am not complaining about the process. However, this last couple of weeks has had me musing over whether being notified that you have been shortlisted, only to be informed of rejection in the final cut, could be worse than not hearing anything at all until the axe falls.

Every submission comes with a ‘dare to dream’ moment or two. If it didn’t there would be no motive to submit in the first place! I usually submit with suppressed hopes, then put the publication completely out of my mind until I hear either way. Otherwise I find myself daydreaming about the possibilities. About what I would do if I got a yes. What would I post on social media? How would I tell my friends and family? Then the flutter of desire kicks in, and the potential for disappointment grows.

I had this recently with the latest SNAFU publication, Last Stand. As I mentioned in a previous blog, this publication was the anthology equivalent of the Holy Grail for me, as it will be introduced by the director Tim Miller. Marvel are a huge fixture in my household, so the potential to be linked to anything involving the Deadpool director was a huge draw. I crafted the story as best as I could. I looked back at previous hints and tips that the editors had provided, keen to tick every possible personal preference box on their list. Then, I hit ‘send’, locked the hopes and dreams in a little box in my brain marked “Do not open”, and went about my business. Then I heard the news that the story had made it through the first round of shortlisting. Wow. That was a buzz. The flame of possibility grew. I dared to dream a little bit. I was honoured that they liked my story, and repeatedly rationalised that at this stage, even if it was a ‘no’ in the end, I could be proud that it made it so far.

To my absolute shock and delight, I made it through the next round of cuts. At the beginning of that week, I had seen on the publication’s Facebook page that the next refusals were imminent, and I was convinced I would be amongst them. But I wasn’t. Double-wow. Could it possibly be? I started to get really excited. I talked about it with my friends, which is something I wouldn’t normally do unless I’d actually made it into the book. I’m cagey about my writing at the best of times, having always had a fear of the old ‘pride comes before a fall’ warnings. But this time, it couldn’t hurt to talk about it. It was a huge deal after all, and I clung to the fact that it was something of an accolade that the story had made it so far.

Well, come the final round of cuts. And a rejection letter. Albeit a very positive, constructive rejection letter, but a rejection nontheless. Wow again. But this time, a crushing, “Wow, I really thought I might have had that, there. Damn.” This was the moment that I started thinking about shortlist emails. They are always a joy, don’t get me wrong. And there was a point in my writing career when I would have chopped a hand off just to get one (possibly a counter-productive move – don’t judge me, I was a neurotic, fledgling writer!). But that moment of daring to dream a little bigger…The moment the “Do not open” sign gets torn off the hidden box in my brain that shows me visions of what I might do if I got the news that I’d been accepted. The moment when I let my daydreams wander to potential future opportunities that a yes decision may have brought. That kicks in as soon as the shortlist email comes in my inbox.

And, you know what? In the end, they ARE a good thing. Because it is that little boost that verifies that we’re on the right path. It’s the feedback from almost making the cut and being told exactly why we didn’t in the end that makes us better writers. That makes the next story an improvement on the last. It’s the step towards the next acceptance, because we’re always learning. The shortlist email, even if it makes the rejection a little more disappointing in the end, reminds us of why we do this. The rush. The thrill of the chase. The potential for that elusive ‘yes’.

So thank you to those editors who take the time to let us know when we’re through to the next round. And to those who let us down gently with constructive words when we don’t quite make the cut. We need thick skin in this industry, and at certain times for whatever reason, it’s not easy to remain positive. The shortlist reminds us that we’re almost there. Even if it’s a harder fall.

June Goals

mjmarsauthor

June was a fun writing month for me. I took on an extra day of work in my day job, so I knew I had to shake up my writing habits if I was going to keep any kind of momentum. I think it was the unexpected jolt I needed, in all honestly. I’ve been feeling a bit stagnant recently, experiencing days where I had free hours stretching ahead of me – a perfect day for a writing spree. But I just didn’t have the motivation to create anything new. I would wake up with the best intentions, only to find that three YouTube Unexplained Mystery videos, lunch out, a movie, and a long hot bubble bath later, that it was time for bed and I hadn’t managed to write a word! Having the extra day away from my computer really made me value the time I did have with my imaginary worlds. I missed them, as I knew I would, because I didn’t have the option anymore.

It just so happened to fall that a number of open short story calls were coming to a close on 30th June. With my restricted free time and a looming deadline, I actually managed to get my butt in gear and create four new stories to suit the submission requests. I was inspired by the themes, and I was thrilled to see so many fantastic horror opportunities this month! Horror inspires me like no other genre, so I thoroughly enjoyed planning, creating, and writing my attempts.

That said, I’m pretty sure three out of the four don’t stand much of a chance. There is one that I’m keeping a quiet hope burning for, but we shall see. Even if none of them get selected this time around, that’s four new stories that might be suitable for other placements later in the year, on weeks where I really don’t feel like writing, so it still feels like an accomplished month.

July is going to be all about the second edit of my full-length work in progress. I’ve got a number of chapter insertions to make, a timeline to perfect, and I’m sure a few plot-holes to iron out! I had a fantastic night out with my girlfriends on Saturday, which absolutely blew the cobwebs off! I’m still recovering from it, I have to admit, but it was a lot of fun letting our hair down, sinking a few wines, and having a good old girly catch up. For me, the night out heralded the end of my June goals. I gave them a good solid crack, and I guess it remains to be seen how successful the month’s work will be in terms of publication. But no matter what the outcome, I gave it my best shot. That’s all we writers can do! And, as I said on Saturday night, “I’ll drink to that!”