June 2019: Wish You’d Known
~ N.J. Walters ~
CTR asked:
What is something you wish you’d known when you first started writing? (Craft or career).
N.J. Walters said:
Writing is a business like any other. It’s a lot of hard work. I don’t mind working hard, but what a lot of writers don’t know is that the more you publish, the more “other” work you have to do that is not actually writing. That’s actually truer now than it was when I started back in 2004. With the advent of social media, an author must maintain a presence on at least some of the platforms. Then there are blogs, guest blogs, newsletters, a website, advertising, promotion, and more. If you’re a working writer, chances are you do a lot or most of this yourself. It’s time consuming, but a necessary part of the job.
One of the things I’ve come to learn over time is that some authors are better at that stuff than others. I’m technically challenged—one of the reasons I don’t self publish—but that’s okay. Some authors write faster than me, while I write faster than many others. There’s no one way to do this.
And that’s an important thing to understand, otherwise you’ll spend much of your time feeling inadequate. You’ll always feel as though you should be doing more and doing it better. That kind of thinking will end your career if you’re not careful.
There are times when you won’t feel like writing, when the demands of publishing overwhelm and leave you floundering. When that happens, and it likely will if you’re in the business long enough, go back to basics and just write. Write what you love. Write something because it appeals to you, even if it never publishes. Find the joy in it.
This is a business of ups and downs. It’s always changing and evolving. I’ve struggled to keep up and find my place in the industry. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it. I’ve had ups and down, I’ve contemplated giving it up, but in the end, I love telling stories. That’s what it’s all about.
– Website – http://www.njwalters.com
– Twitter – @njwaltersauthor
Drakon’s Knight (Blood of the Drakon, book 7)
[Paranormal Romance/Dragon Shifter]
Drakon Jericho Drake, the child of a pure-blood dragon and human, has a simple plan: Kill the leader of the Knights of the Dragon and start a war. Except, when he meets his target, Karina Azarov, she can’t remember who she is. Worst of all––he can’t kill her. His dragon side has just claimed the dangerous woman as his mate.
Karina has no idea why these Drakon’s have taken her to their home. And she most certainly does not understand why she’s so drawn to her captor. Maybe because he’s strong, intelligent, and caring, in his enigmatic sort of way. One thing she knows, he’s not going to hurt her. If only she could remember something from her past that would explain why these Drakon’s hate her so much.
But if her memory returns, mated or not, he may get his war.. And one of them will die.
Available in Ebook:
More Authors Dish about what comes first.
https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2019-jun-wishknown/
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