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Hey! Nice to meet you!! My name is Beka and I’m a 25 year-old author from the Pacific Northwest. When I’m not reading or writing, I’m dancing to Taylor Swift in my favorite coffee shop drive-through.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n My debut indie novel is being published with Lake Country Press<\/strong><\/a> in December 2022. It\u2019s a paranormal romance about a vampire that runs a hotel in the Arctic, where Polar Night liberated him three months a year.<\/p>\n At my desk, with a candle burning and my twinkle lights on, OR weirdly, in the shower, because apparently showers make creative miracles.<\/p>\n I approach new books a lot like how one might approach buying something expensive. I try to focus on my regular life\/current little projects until I literally can\u2019t get the idea out of my head. Once the plot starts fully forming, I know I need to start drafting.<\/p>\n Fantasy Romance.<\/p>\n Yes, I\u2019ve always written. It started with silly little ideas and sloppy notebook pages when I was a kid and now it\u2019s snowballed into basically my entire personality (just kidding, sorta).<\/p>\n That is usually a sign that the project isn\u2019t working and I need to readjust something about it, OR that I need an honest-to-god BREAK.<\/p>\n I absolutely do. I\u00a0 truly believed reading in your same genre can spark a ton of ideas for your own work (noticing places where the author disappointed you and fill in that gap in your own writing, or by emulating the same attention to your own books in places where you felt that author did really well\u2014learning the craft through reading is my favorite way to improve).<\/p>\n Book titles tend to happen naturally for me. One day, in the middle of drafting usually, I\u2019ll decide that I\u2019m sick of the placeholder name and do some brainstorming. Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes it takes so deep dive Pinteresting. I have a lot of fun brainstorming titles.<\/p>\n Get it done. Don\u2019t read back until you finish. It\u2019s okay if it\u2019s really bad, that\u2019s what editing is for. And be proud of yourself! You\u2019re doing it! YOU\u2019RE WRITING A BOOK! YOU\u2019RE AN AUTHOR.<\/p>\n I love, love world building. This is also something I love to spend time on. Often this process can be summed up in a couple questions. Say you have this magic you want to include in your WIP. First ask yourself HOW it works. Then, WHY is it there? I\u2019ve found a lot of luck with just these two questions, because it often leads me to think about the lore of that part of my world, the origins, and that seeps into my actual story and plot.<\/p>\n With time. Once you have a CP you love and trust, the criticism doesn\u2019t seem so harsh, because you know they want what\u2019s best for your story. In the beginning though, it\u2019s rough. Just take a deep breath, walk away for a minute if you need to, and then come back when you are ready to look at the feedback with a growth mindset (to see where you can improve your craft). Also keep in mind that you are your story\u2019s best advocate, so you often ride that line between \u201cchanging for the better\u201d and \u201cknowing what is right for YOUR story\u201d.<\/p>\n Right now, I\u2019m drafting the first book of a fantasy trilogy featuring seraphim and creepy merfolk. Think From Blood and Ash meets Throne of Glass, with a tough, red-headed MC investigating a trail of dismembered bodies washing up on shore.<\/p>\n Short books or Long books<\/strong><\/p>\n Long Books.<\/span><\/p>\n Romance or Fantasy<\/strong><\/p>\n UGH, I really don’t want to choose between Fantasy and Romance, but if I have to then Romance.<\/span><\/p>\n Bright book covers or Muted book covers<\/strong><\/p>\n Bright book covers.<\/span><\/p>\n Ebooks, Paperbacks or Audiobooks<\/strong><\/p>\n Paperbacks.<\/span><\/p>\n Writing in the Morning or Evening<\/strong><\/p>\n Writing in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n Character Driven or Plot Driven<\/strong><\/p>\n Character Driven.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, what\u2019s the best piece of advice someone has given you about writing, marketing, or just generally about life?<\/strong><\/p>\n The best advice I’ve ever gotten was actually a personal encouragement, but I think it applies to more than just me. Your voice is very special, no one in the world has the same stories to tell as you do, and don’t allow anything to tear you down or make you think that you can’t blaze a trail to your goals. Don’t give up, don’t wallow in discouragement. Get better through every disappointment and know that your time will come.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where can you find Beka?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n Where can you purchase Beka’s debut?<\/strong><\/p>\n1. Tells us about your writing\/ published book(s)<\/h3>\n
2. Where\u2019s your favourite place to write?<\/h3>\n
3. How do you approach starting a new book?<\/h3>\n
4. What\u2019s your favourite genre to read?<\/h3>\n
5. Have you always wanted to write?<\/h3>\n
6. What do you do when you have writer\u2019s block?<\/h3>\n
7. Do you like reading the same books you write?<\/h3>\n
8. How do you choose your book\u2019s title(s)?<\/h3>\n
9. What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?<\/h3>\n
10. How do you approach \u2018world building\u2019?<\/h3>\n
11. How do you handle criticism?<\/h3>\n
12. Tell me about your current work<\/h3>\n
This or That<\/h3>\n