Daydreaming into a word document is such a perfect way to word it. Aw when you cried, I cried with you. That’s a beautiful way to look at that. I really loved hearing you talk about all this ❤🍂🍂🍂
I’m not a writer or anything to be with writing but the reason that I keep watching you is because you give me positive vibe and you are so real and we found ourselves in many topics you you speak about. You can not believe but even my 7 years old son loves you and sometimes he watches you together with me.
🍁 I write mixed-race main characters who live on islands because I'm of mixed race and live on a twin island. I weave many of my traits into my characters, not intentionally - it just happens. That bit about having children and your writing / books being your legacy, I cried along with you, Andrea. Writing gives me a voice in a family household where I typically have none. It's my legacy. My writing is part autobiographical and part wish fulfillment. Sometimes it's even inspirational: When I see my characters overcoming obstacles I haven't, it gives me the courage and strength to at least try. Wrote a blog for almost a year and while the website is defunct, I kept the writing as it was like re-reading an online diary. Now I'm pondering whether to repost them on my website and start blogging again. Really love this new direction your vlogs are taking Andrea!
Oh my gosh...if anyone who's a part of this little corner of YT starts doing a blog please let me know. I would love to start my day catching up with bookish blogs instead of the news update in the mornings. It would probably make me a happier and more relaxed person.
I did not expect to get so emotional at that part, but it's so true. I don't know what will happen as far as marriage and family. It could still happen in some way and I have so many friends that I'm an honorary auntie to their kids, so I know I'll have a lasting impact on a younger generation beyond my students. But my books really are one way I'm leaving something behind of myself. And your comment that writing gives you a voice in a space where you don't typically have one is so powerful. I think that's why we need more authors, particularly women authors who don't have as much of a voice in more common spaces. It's why I'm such an advocate for being an indie author. I also love what you say about being inspired by your characters. Mine do the same thing for me. :) And omg, I second Mandy's comment, you should totally start blogging again. Writing is so powerful and while I love vlogging, there's something about blogging I'm really missing lately.
Pretty much all of my MC's have a piece of me whether it be a personality trait, a physical trait, etc. Similar to you, I dramatize their backstory to give them more depth on the page. I didn't realize until one of my friends pointed it out, but I also tend to give each of my MC's a piece of trauma or hurt that I have experienced. I think writing a story where my character overcomes that trauma or hurt, in a way, helps me to heal and move on in my own life, which I think is pretty cool! :)
I totally agree that writing a story where a character overcomes a trauma or hurt that we've experienced personally it can help us heal. I've totally had that happen in my writing. Thanks for watching Cody!
🍂🍁🍂🍁 As a reader I’m more interested in the story than where it fits in a category. Only thing I can do without is too much spice 🔥But as an author I struggle to fit my writing into anything specific other than fantasy. My book doesn’t have sword battles so some won’t be interested. I’m ok with that. Like your first novel, mine was just to “dream on paper”.
🍂🍁🎃 all of my characters have a little bit of me in them. Most of the micro interactions in the plot come from my life. I’m hurtling towards fifty, so I’ve had a fair amount of ups and downs. More to come, I’m sure. Great vlog! 😊
I just bought A Brave Start. I'm still relatively new here, and I'm excited to start diving into reading your books. Need to get caught up for the new release! 🍂🍁
This expanded conversation has been so helpful for me. Thank you! I was curious about what you classified your books as from both a reader and a writer standpoint. A lot of the romance books I run into are so heavily romance-focused and there's not much else to the story which leads me to not enjoy them as much as a reader. I prefer a little more "meat" to the story (if that makes sense) and really appreciate the main character(s) going on some kind of deep journey of discovery. The stories I write are a balance between a character's self-discovery and their falling in love and I've never known exactly where they would fit if I were to release them into the wilds of the world-at-large. Hearing this discussion has made me realize all of my stories straddle the women's fiction/romance line but they include a strong element of magical realism as well. My last WIP, the Regency vampire romance, was this way and the story I'm storyboarding now works like this as well. Having heard you talk about how much weight the different plots in your story carry and how you can always promise a HEA for your characters makes it crystal clear to me why I love your books so much. And it's helping me understand my own stories better. I love romance but I also love depth. It explains why so many romances I pick up lately just haven't been hitting with me. Apparently I need to assess them more carefully before picking them up because I require more from the story. Summer fluff is good in theory but I only really want that kind of book once in a while. And if I want to lol with a romance I'll probably just pick up something by Emily Henry. Anyway, I loved this discussion! I'm not sure I put much in my books that would classify as autobiographical because my life is, quite honestly, too boring to transfer onto the page. I would put the reader to sleep. I like to explore other people and circumstances I know I'll never personally encounter except in the pages of a book. I try to write the things I want to read, especially since I'm my own audience and doubt I'll ever actually publish my work. The one exception might be how frequently book lovers show up in my stories. If I can add a cozy space full of books and a character who loves to spend their time in that place then I will. So, I guess in that sense all the bookish story nerds are some version of me. But everything else is playing with things on the page I'll never get to play with in real life: trips to Scotland, being a music composer or a painter, having the audacity to say whatever pops into my head, weekly campfires music jams with friends, being the quirky girl, falling in love with a man who has dragon blood, freeing prisoners during a dangerous raid, advocating for the innocent, or even living in a secluded house with a vampire I'm worried might want to harm me but who has the cutest little nephew who makes me too enchanted to want to leave...those sorts of things. All of those things have shown up in my stories. Except for Scotland. I really should do something about that. Maybe with the next one. Heh. I prefer books that are a mix of genres. I prefer Romantasy or Literary Fiction/Romance or women's fiction/romance. I'm getting ready to annotate The Roughest Draft which is one of my favorite books. It will be the first fiction book I've annotated and I haven't annotated anything since college...but it hit perfect with me and now my writer brain needs to pick it apart and figure out why. LOL, maybe I'm crazy but I HAVE to know how they did it. Plus, I want to easily find all the most beautiful moments again quickly so I can read them over again and again. I used to read about 100 books a year and this year I've read about 30, 20 of which were re-reads. I'm really in a place where I just want to slow down and savor everything. Live with it a while. Allow myself to enjoy it to the fullest. I'm beginning to wonder if it's an age thing, now that I'm in my 40s and entering a new stage of life. A lot of things in my life are slowing down. I'm letting go of some things and savoring the presence of others. I wonder if anyone else is finding this to be true? I'm so weary of so many things careening their way through my life and through my head all the time. I want to settle in, get cozy, and find a sense of peace. Of course, this could be in part to the change of seasons as well. Fall and winter are the time of year to slow down, get a hot drink and curl up with a good book. This year I'll be doing that with ATP 4 and I'm so excited. I've adored Jonathan from the moment I met him on the page. I really don't know if you should go back to blogging or not (you do have a lot going on!) but I think if you do you need to start it over fresh with the fresh vision you have for it. If it supports you and doesn't drain you...if it makes you happy and uplifts you and is fun...then I say go for it. Just don't let it become a burden to you. Omg...I am so glad fall is finally showing up. Summer can kiss my a** at this point.
Omg, I love this comment. Thank you Mandy, and thank you again for emailing me the question that kicked off the conversation. I feel very similarly about the romance genre. I can do the lighthearted fluffy romance, but I always love the ones that go deeper and have the character go on a more complicated journey than just "will she get the guy?" Now you have me thinking about annotating some of my favorite books to pick them apart and see how the author built their story. That sounds like such a great way to learn more about the craft of writing. I'm reading a lot less this year too, only about 34 so far. But I'm ok with that and I'm enjoying reading more slowly and have time in between where I'm not reading anything. As for blogging, I really want to, so now I need to figure out how to make it work without it becoming "one more thing" lol. And omg yes, summer can eff off all the way. It's getting back up to 110 here this week. I'm so over it.
I think sharing even more about your life experiences, like the challenges of being single in your 40s, your thoughts on relationships, and your personal journey toward fulfillment, would really strike a chord with viewers in similar situations. So many people would find strength and encouragement in your story. Plus, titling your videos with phrases like “Single Woman in Her 40s” or “Being Single in Your 40s” would help your channel reach even more people who can relate. 🌙
We can leave legacies in so many different ways besides having children. What's most important is that we each live our lives authentically and proudly. :)
Daydreaming into a word document is such a perfect way to word it.
Aw when you cried, I cried with you. That’s a beautiful way to look at that.
I really loved hearing you talk about all this ❤🍂🍂🍂
It's the best way I can describe how I feel when I write. :) Thanks for watching Shannon!
I just want to say, as an aspiring author, I just love your Vlogs. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. :) More author/writing vlogs coming soon.
I’m not a writer or anything to be with writing but the reason that I keep watching you is because you give me positive vibe and you are so real and we found ourselves in many topics you you speak about. You can not believe but even my 7 years old son loves you and sometimes he watches you together with me.
Oh thank you so much for this comment. I love that your son watches with you, that's so cute! I hope you both enjoy the coziness of the vlogs. :)
🍁 I write mixed-race main characters who live on islands because I'm of mixed race and live on a twin island. I weave many of my traits into my characters, not intentionally - it just happens.
That bit about having children and your writing / books being your legacy, I cried along with you, Andrea. Writing gives me a voice in a family household where I typically have none. It's my legacy.
My writing is part autobiographical and part wish fulfillment. Sometimes it's even inspirational: When I see my characters overcoming obstacles I haven't, it gives me the courage and strength to at least try.
Wrote a blog for almost a year and while the website is defunct, I kept the writing as it was like re-reading an online diary. Now I'm pondering whether to repost them on my website and start blogging again. Really love this new direction your vlogs are taking Andrea!
Oh my gosh...if anyone who's a part of this little corner of YT starts doing a blog please let me know. I would love to start my day catching up with bookish blogs instead of the news update in the mornings. It would probably make me a happier and more relaxed person.
I did not expect to get so emotional at that part, but it's so true. I don't know what will happen as far as marriage and family. It could still happen in some way and I have so many friends that I'm an honorary auntie to their kids, so I know I'll have a lasting impact on a younger generation beyond my students. But my books really are one way I'm leaving something behind of myself. And your comment that writing gives you a voice in a space where you don't typically have one is so powerful. I think that's why we need more authors, particularly women authors who don't have as much of a voice in more common spaces. It's why I'm such an advocate for being an indie author. I also love what you say about being inspired by your characters. Mine do the same thing for me. :)
And omg, I second Mandy's comment, you should totally start blogging again. Writing is so powerful and while I love vlogging, there's something about blogging I'm really missing lately.
Pretty much all of my MC's have a piece of me whether it be a personality trait, a physical trait, etc. Similar to you, I dramatize their backstory to give them more depth on the page. I didn't realize until one of my friends pointed it out, but I also tend to give each of my MC's a piece of trauma or hurt that I have experienced. I think writing a story where my character overcomes that trauma or hurt, in a way, helps me to heal and move on in my own life, which I think is pretty cool! :)
I totally agree that writing a story where a character overcomes a trauma or hurt that we've experienced personally it can help us heal. I've totally had that happen in my writing. Thanks for watching Cody!
🍂🍁🍂🍁
As a reader I’m more interested in the story than where it fits in a category. Only thing I can do without is too much spice 🔥But as an author I struggle to fit my writing into anything specific other than fantasy. My book doesn’t have sword battles so some won’t be interested. I’m ok with that. Like your first novel, mine was just to “dream on paper”.
'dream on paper' sounds lovely
Dreaming on paper is such a great way to describe it! :) And your book was so enchanting. The right people will find it and love it. :)
🍂🍁🎃 all of my characters have a little bit of me in them. Most of the micro interactions in the plot come from my life. I’m hurtling towards fifty, so I’ve had a fair amount of ups and downs. More to come, I’m sure. Great vlog! 😊
The older we get the more life experience we have to give to our characters. :) Thanks for watching!
I just bought A Brave Start. I'm still relatively new here, and I'm excited to start diving into reading your books. Need to get caught up for the new release! 🍂🍁
Thank you sooooo much Angie! I really appreciate your support of both this channel and of my writing. It means so much to me. I hope you enjoy it!
🍂🍁
Thanks for watching!
This expanded conversation has been so helpful for me. Thank you! I was curious about what you classified your books as from both a reader and a writer standpoint. A lot of the romance books I run into are so heavily romance-focused and there's not much else to the story which leads me to not enjoy them as much as a reader. I prefer a little more "meat" to the story (if that makes sense) and really appreciate the main character(s) going on some kind of deep journey of discovery. The stories I write are a balance between a character's self-discovery and their falling in love and I've never known exactly where they would fit if I were to release them into the wilds of the world-at-large. Hearing this discussion has made me realize all of my stories straddle the women's fiction/romance line but they include a strong element of magical realism as well. My last WIP, the Regency vampire romance, was this way and the story I'm storyboarding now works like this as well. Having heard you talk about how much weight the different plots in your story carry and how you can always promise a HEA for your characters makes it crystal clear to me why I love your books so much. And it's helping me understand my own stories better. I love romance but I also love depth. It explains why so many romances I pick up lately just haven't been hitting with me. Apparently I need to assess them more carefully before picking them up because I require more from the story. Summer fluff is good in theory but I only really want that kind of book once in a while. And if I want to lol with a romance I'll probably just pick up something by Emily Henry. Anyway, I loved this discussion!
I'm not sure I put much in my books that would classify as autobiographical because my life is, quite honestly, too boring to transfer onto the page. I would put the reader to sleep. I like to explore other people and circumstances I know I'll never personally encounter except in the pages of a book. I try to write the things I want to read, especially since I'm my own audience and doubt I'll ever actually publish my work. The one exception might be how frequently book lovers show up in my stories. If I can add a cozy space full of books and a character who loves to spend their time in that place then I will. So, I guess in that sense all the bookish story nerds are some version of me. But everything else is playing with things on the page I'll never get to play with in real life: trips to Scotland, being a music composer or a painter, having the audacity to say whatever pops into my head, weekly campfires music jams with friends, being the quirky girl, falling in love with a man who has dragon blood, freeing prisoners during a dangerous raid, advocating for the innocent, or even living in a secluded house with a vampire I'm worried might want to harm me but who has the cutest little nephew who makes me too enchanted to want to leave...those sorts of things. All of those things have shown up in my stories. Except for Scotland. I really should do something about that. Maybe with the next one. Heh.
I prefer books that are a mix of genres. I prefer Romantasy or Literary Fiction/Romance or women's fiction/romance. I'm getting ready to annotate The Roughest Draft which is one of my favorite books. It will be the first fiction book I've annotated and I haven't annotated anything since college...but it hit perfect with me and now my writer brain needs to pick it apart and figure out why. LOL, maybe I'm crazy but I HAVE to know how they did it. Plus, I want to easily find all the most beautiful moments again quickly so I can read them over again and again.
I used to read about 100 books a year and this year I've read about 30, 20 of which were re-reads. I'm really in a place where I just want to slow down and savor everything. Live with it a while. Allow myself to enjoy it to the fullest. I'm beginning to wonder if it's an age thing, now that I'm in my 40s and entering a new stage of life. A lot of things in my life are slowing down. I'm letting go of some things and savoring the presence of others. I wonder if anyone else is finding this to be true? I'm so weary of so many things careening their way through my life and through my head all the time. I want to settle in, get cozy, and find a sense of peace. Of course, this could be in part to the change of seasons as well. Fall and winter are the time of year to slow down, get a hot drink and curl up with a good book. This year I'll be doing that with ATP 4 and I'm so excited. I've adored Jonathan from the moment I met him on the page.
I really don't know if you should go back to blogging or not (you do have a lot going on!) but I think if you do you need to start it over fresh with the fresh vision you have for it. If it supports you and doesn't drain you...if it makes you happy and uplifts you and is fun...then I say go for it. Just don't let it become a burden to you.
Omg...I am so glad fall is finally showing up. Summer can kiss my a** at this point.
Omg, I love this comment. Thank you Mandy, and thank you again for emailing me the question that kicked off the conversation. I feel very similarly about the romance genre. I can do the lighthearted fluffy romance, but I always love the ones that go deeper and have the character go on a more complicated journey than just "will she get the guy?" Now you have me thinking about annotating some of my favorite books to pick them apart and see how the author built their story. That sounds like such a great way to learn more about the craft of writing. I'm reading a lot less this year too, only about 34 so far. But I'm ok with that and I'm enjoying reading more slowly and have time in between where I'm not reading anything. As for blogging, I really want to, so now I need to figure out how to make it work without it becoming "one more thing" lol. And omg yes, summer can eff off all the way. It's getting back up to 110 here this week. I'm so over it.
I think sharing even more about your life experiences, like the challenges of being single in your 40s, your thoughts on relationships, and your personal journey toward fulfillment, would really strike a chord with viewers in similar situations. So many people would find strength and encouragement in your story. Plus, titling your videos with phrases like “Single Woman in Her 40s” or “Being Single in Your 40s” would help your channel reach even more people who can relate.
🌙
I will definitely be talking about it more and I'm changing my thumbnail and title strategy to be more likely to be picked up by the algorithm. :)
I’m not having children, either. I began my transition to male at 45. My books can live on after I’m gone.
We can leave legacies in so many different ways besides having children. What's most important is that we each live our lives authentically and proudly. :)
I would say your books are romantic fiction, similar to Jenny Colgan in the UK
I really need to read more Jenny Colgan. I've read one of her books and loved it. Thanks for watching Emma!