Category Archives: Blog Interview

Sunday Spotlight with the Creators of Writing Battle!

March 26, 2023Blog, Blog Interview, Community, Contests, Creator's Life, Interview, Q&A, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Creators, Writing Battle, Writing Challenges, Writing Contests, Writing PromptsBlog Interview, Interview, Spotlight Feature, Sunday Spotlight, Writing Battle, Writing Challenges, Writing Contests, Writing Promptsbydllewellyn

Meet Max and Teona!

What a fun conversation. I was so excited to go behind the scenes of this rapidly growing writing community contest phenomenon. Read on and be fascinated and inspired!

An Introduction from Teona

Once upon a time, Max was a software engineer for a large defence company and unhappy in the lack of creativity he was able to exercise in his job. As an amateur screenwriter himself, he had come across writing contests before but knew there was room for the framework to improve. His wife Teona, was coming to the end of her maternity leave and so Max, with the long term goal of making this his full time job, took over as full-time parent by day and used the very little time in between kiddo naps and nights to mould the contest. With iteration after iteration, integrating suggestions from his brother, the writing battle community, and a lot of long nights full of doubt, he has finally gotten to a place where the contest works remarkably well. Battle season nights can now be spent enjoying wine, reviewing feedback and chatting with Teona instead of sweating over the keyboard to ensure the forums that he built from scratch are ready for the next day (yes that really did happen). Now we are in year three, just wrapped up battle number 9 and Teona has been officially “hired.” We are so excited to watch the community grow and thrilled to hear people enjoy the tournament as much on the writers’ side as we do behind the scenes.

A huge thank you goes out to our community and supporters like Darci who make this dream work for us! 🙂

What a great intro! I had to add it here in addition to my announcement page. I can’t thank you both enough for visiting with me today and chatting about Writing Battle. I was intrigued as soon as I saw a post on Instagram, and so glad I signed up for my first battle. After participating in the Autumn Short Story Contest, I was hooked.

I’ve been noodling over how I might describe the highlights and why I enjoy the contests, but there are a lot of reasons. So, I’ll sprinkle my comments throughout our discussion and hopefully capture it all that way.

I know for me, I can get bogged down in the serious work of writing, so I’ll start off by saying, these contests are just plain fun, a great way to remind me to enjoy the writing process.

In your introduction, there are a number of pursuits mentioned, software engineering, screenplay writing, starting up a business, time for parenting, which led to Writing Battle. Can you each share more about your backgrounds and how they shaped the fantastic platform and resulting community?

Max: My background is a bit all over the place. I was super into film and music as a teenager/early twenties, and ended up joining the Navy. I went from that into Computer Science, but always had it in the back of my mind that I would start writing screenplays again. After participating in NYC Midnight and enjoying the peer critique on their forums, I thought – hey, maybe this could work as a writing platform. A writing tournament where it is entirely peer-powered. The thing with programming is that when you are coding all day long at work, the last thing you want to do is code in the evenings. For me anyway! So it was crucial that I dove head first into Writing Battle. Teona going back to work after mat leave facilitated that – where I could look after our then 1 and 3 year old during the day and code Writing Battle at night.

Teona: We were actually just chatting about this yesterday– I think like many other people during the pandemic, we were in search of something. I had just given birth to our second child and as we said in the intro, Max was very unhappy working in his defence gig which was only amplified by working from home. On my side, and I think (hope?) many parents can also identify with this, I got this overwhelming sense of loss of my own identity to the new one in parenthood; I was happy to go back to work as an EEG Technologist to regain some of that “me-ness” and in turn Max was able to continue developing the WB platform. Obviously both of us could work outside the home, but we always agreed that if we were to have children, we wanted someone at home with them (plus childcare costs in Canada are outrageous, especially having two).

Other things we did/tried during the pandemic:
Sell our house; join a cohousing community in construction; write and film a pilot concept with friends for a children’s show; serve as a script supervisor on a few short film sets; talk seriously and explore the idea of moving to other provinces, states, countries; start marriage counselling to better support each others’ search for that ever elusive “something.”

Max is the dreamer. I am the voice of reason (read: stick-in-the-mud). We are constantly trying to bring balance to each other which we are really starting to find in our own exploration of what Writing Battle is 🙂 The biggest thing we have enjoyed about WB is that we truly feel part of a really positive community, which I think at the end of the day is what we have always been looking for.

Teona rants a bit if you can’t already tell 😛

Darci. Haha. Ranting (aka elaborating) is what this creator’s life chat is all about. To hear all the exploration that led you separately and together to what participants can now enjoy in the writing community is truly phenomenal. Thank you for sharing that! I was curious if NYC Midnight influenced some of the ideas behind WB. I’ve enjoyed a few of those competitions, too, though I got a little lost in the giant forums. I must say, Writing Battle does a great job giving its participants a community forum scaled to a fun and manageable size. It’s an amazing design.

The wonderful Writing Battle homepage image (the graphics are another attraction) totally has me picturing you two battling at home with pens and paper, and the lightbulb switching on-Why not spread the fun and get a community involved in battling with us? (Thanks for letting me indulge in my imagination.) Have you, Max, designed other software for fun or for your own creativity before Writing Battle? Did you have earlier manifestations/dreams of a Writing Battle-like platform, or was it only a recent realization?

Max: Thank you haha and I never really saw ourselves in that image, but now that you mention it – I can definitely see it! Especially before marriage counselling (ha). The artist’s name is Nikita Mazurov, and does absolutely amazing art. As far as software for fun, no, not really – just for other companies. I was always interested in online games and board games that explored the social interactions between people like Balderdash. I’m going to sound like a huge dork, but I LOVE the tv show Survivor. I think it’s the coolest social experiment. That’s how I look at Writing Battle. It’s really just a month-long social game for writers.

Darci. Believe me getting to the end of the competition twice now has made me feel like a survivor! I can totally see that influence. All those are great elements and exactly the fun tidbits about the creative process I love sharing with our readers.

Besides your own creative mind and lifestyle changes, are there other people, communities, philosophies, entities who inspired you to go for this?

Teona: I’ll chime in here– I mentioned earlier about joining a cohousing community in the pandemic. I think that in the end, even though that lifestyle didn’t end up fully resonating with how we saw our future, there was something there that may have inspired what we saw WB becoming. Positivity, sharing and evolving ideas, supporting one another– these are all pillars of what that kind of environment is enriched with and we still wanted a part of that in our lives despite leaving the cohousing development. I think Max would agree that we joined the cohousing community in search of “our people” and then tried really hard to fit what we thought that meant instead of coming as we are. I think being our authentic selves and full transparency became incredibly important to us through that experience and we hope that WB showcases that.

There is also one person in particular that was an incredible support to Max throughout this experience and that was his brother Alex. Alex was there cheering on and pushing Max to continue in the deepest moments of discouragement. “Just keep going for a few more months… see what happens and reassess.” That on repeat was our focus. One more battle, one more goalpost with more information. Is this viable? Is this worth it? Can this passion project truly become a source of income? Even when that answer felt like a “no” Alex was there believing in WB, believing in his brother.

Darci. Fantastic. Thank you Alex for helping to keep Writing Battle going so we can all enjoy it! And I’m thrilled to hear it’s becoming viable for you as an income, Max and Teona. Here’s to continued success!

You mention the Writing Battle community feedback helping you improve the platform. What were your biggest hurdles in the beginning and your favorite suggestions?

Max: Special shoutout to Leila Poole from the forums and my brother, Alex, who I bounced ideas off of for the entire first year of Writing Battle. It started with 11 participants from the NYCM forum. Leila was one of the first to agree to participate and “got” what I was trying to do. My initial idea for the site was that it was to be Screenwriting-only, entirely free, and people would only pay if they wanted to redraw their prompts. As you can tell, we’ve had to pivot many times to make this contest work and the community feedback has been crucial. It’s hard to pick a favourite suggestion because honestly, the entire contest has been shaped by the community.

Darci: Ah. The ingredients for success and what a win win for the community and Writing Battle.

One aspect of Writing Battle that really stands out is the peer judging. When I first looked into signing up, my initial reaction was, Oh no. I’m not qualified to judge other writing, and wow that’s quite a commitment in order to participate. But after thinking about it, I could see the appeal, the potential to enjoy a variety of writing styles and learn from them, then benefit on the other side of the coin through the responses to my writing. I did experience a little of that with the NYC Midnight forum and now we know how that platform got the ideas rolling, but can you tell us more about the story behind the peer participation?

Max: The initial inspiration came from how valuable I found peer feedback for my own screenwriting, but there’s a bit more to the story – I also found that the judges for writing contests tended to all be cut from the same cloth. And I mean, why wouldn’t they be? It takes a certain type of person to apply to be a creative writing judge. To begin with, you have to think that you’re qualified! So they are typically literary academics that understand the craft of creative writing. There’s nothing wrong with that, and feedback from those folks has value, but they don’t represent the entire readership pool. Far from it. Like you say, it’s a bit intimidating to think about joining a writing competition where you are also a judge. However, if you can read, you can judge. You know what you like and what you don’t like. We believe authors should be striving to write stories that everyone wants to read. Not just academics.

Darci: I for one have benefitted from the feedback in a myriad ways, especially when there is a consistency in the tone or a specific element(s) of the story that gets pinpointed by a majority of the judges. If you can suck it up and take it to heart, you can’t help but grow by leaps and bounds as a writer. Highly recommend the experience!

When you register, there is an opt out of the judging for stated reasons. I’ve been curious. Do you get participants who select that option?

Max: No, very few people select the opt-out option. Last Battle, out of 725 people only 4 selected that option. It’s our way to help folks that may be too busy to read stories that month or perhaps have triggers that would make it too risky to read unvetted stories. All of the extra money goes to members of the community that have chosen to read more stories that Battle. Essentially, it’s a reading fee. But yeah – not very popular. People seem to love to read/judge other stories even if there is some risk involved with triggers.

Darci: You must really dig statistics like that. What a great way to know it’s working.

Now for the details because those are what infuse the Writing Battle platform with fun. I adore it when it’s time to draw my prompts! I love having options to redraw and going through the decision process to determine whether to keep my initial draw, or take a chance on another combination. The fun in this is reflected in the community comments when contestants share how they went outside of their comfort zone to write in a different genre for the first time. That’s happened to me each time (Cannibal Comedy and Lost World). When I read the results of their efforts, I’m blown away every time. Can you give us some behind the scenes on developing the tarot card idea?

Max: I was just always into poker as a kid and I love card games so that’s where the redrawing came from. Writing prompts seemed like a good fit to stick on a card. There’s no fun tarot card story really haha I just thought it would look cool 🙂 glad you like it!

Darci: Awesome! Your fun is our fun.

How do you come up with/decide on the genres?

Teona: A lot of that has been community feedback. We noticed we got the best reactions when we had the wildest genres – as long as they were from a spread of genre categories (plot-driven, spec, comedic, and more serious). Max and I have SO much fun sitting down, drinking wine, and throwing crazy genre ideas at each other. Some are solely to make the other person laugh like Cannibal Comedy. There have been some killer community forum suggestions for this last Battle that will heavily influence our upcoming competitions.

Darci. There’s that image again of you two at the table. Such a great icon. I’m going to have to find more time to read the forums. This is another great example of your creative energy influencing the writing community and bouncing back to you. I love it.

I noticed the prompts are repeated in the contests like they’ve been reshuffled for the new batch of genres. How do you come up with the prompts?

Max: They’re really just from lists that I’ve compiled from the internet, and it’s always amazing to read the stories that people come up with. In the very first battle, there was a prompt type called ‘Things’ and it consisted of every single noun in the English language (which I downloaded from some online dictionary). We’re talking tens of thousands of words that people could draw, but that just made people upset when they drew prompts like praseodymium and had no idea what to write. We pruned that list to around 600 words and called it ‘Objects’ instead of Things haha. There’s still work to do on expanding the other prompt types.

Darci: Oh that’s a great story. I’m looking up praseodymium… hmmm, a mineral from the periodic table. Might have to give it a go. Wait. I have tried that. My supernatural romance series features promethium used to make a weapon deadly to shifters because for some weird reason I wanted to incorporate rare earth minerals into my story. Love it!

I blogged a bit recently after my second contest about how Writing Battle works. I broke it down into stages, which is another fun element; the different ways we can be involved over the weeks as we move towards the final judging. But I admit, I had to describe the peer review (duelling) elimination rounds in general terms because the process is mind boggling. I’m still not sure if my story was eliminated in the second or third round. 😁

My confusion is probably due to my lack of a gaming background or some brainy, techy component I’m missing, but I would love for you to give our readers more on the concept in layman’s terms, so we might understand how it works.

Max: Haha I’m still trying to figure out how to describe it! I’ll do my best.

The first stage has the writer redrawing prompts and writing a story in a short amount of time.

After submission, the contest enters the second stage where each writer becomes an anonymous judge. They are given 10 stories total, but spread out over the course of 3 weeks – given two stories to judge at-a-time. They have to read each of the two stories, give a bit of feedback, then choose a “winner” of the two. That process is called a Duel. Those Duels help progress a massive best-of-five, single elimination tournament. The peer judging stops when the top two stories from each of the four genres have been determined and that brings us to the third stage.

There’s a bit of a fog-of-war until the third stage. No one knows who wrote what or how their story did. The third stage allows the writers to share their story in a semi-public forum called Debrief. Because the peer-judging is over, it’s now safe to reveal yourself (if you choose to do so). You read each other’s stories and comment on them, but this time not anonymously and not in a Duel. We then slowly lift the fog-of-war and reveal the tournament brackets over a week-long period while the industry judges (authors) pick the four winners from the final 8 that the peer-judging chose in the second stage.

Darci: Thank you!

Can you share the gist of the collective feedback you get from the community on participating in the Duels?

Max: I think the initial reaction is something like – “Uhhh wait this sounds like work.” Haha, which is fair! It is a bit of extra work. But by the time the fifth Duel rolls around, I would say in general it becomes their favourite part about the contest. It’s also an unexpected educational tool. You read stories of varying quality and you get to decide for yourself what works and what doesn’t and then maybe even ask yourself why something connected with you. I’ve had a participant in his 80’s tell me it not only changed the way he writes, but even changed the way he reads. I found that fascinating.

Darci: That’s great, and I can relate to my fellow participant’s comments.

How do you find and involve the amazing professional judges?

Max: I just cold-email everyone until I get a response. We’re still trying to perfect that part of the contest.

Teona: I had the exact same question when Max told me the calibre of people he had agreeing to be the pro judges! Like how? You didn’t sell our firstborn right? Haha.
He insisted he just cold-emailed them on a whim, ensured me artists were supportive of other artists and that that’s what drove them to support our little cause.

Darci: Haha. So fun to hear from you both on that. And I didn’t expect the cold calling technique though I don’t know why because it’s simple and it works. I’ve employed the “it can’t hurt to ask if you want something” policy many times. That’s how I invited you both to chat with me. 😄

I’m going to put you on the spot here. Do you get to read any of the submissions after they are open to the community?

Teona: YES! And not just after, we read them all throughout the judging stages, keep an eye on our favourites, or on members like yourself who we have developed a relationship with through the community 🙂 We are also sifting through all the feedback during the battle to ensure people are adhering to the rules. Sometimes that requires us to read stories to make sure the judges are doing their part and being fair to their duels by truly reading and providing feedback that directly addresses the stories facing off. On at least two recent occasions, Max has looked over at me at my desk and I was in tears, and he asked “what happened?” and I simply respond “I just read an amazing story that may not have existed without WB and I am grateful to be a part of that” ❤

Darci: OMG. I love it! What a bonus to see what your competition inspires.

It seems to me that the numerous contest opportunities scheduled throughout the year are planned to perfection and run smoothly at this point in time. Any plans for enhancements or additional features?

Max: Always. I am currently rebuilding the website and all of the code from scratch. The new website should be released in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

Darci: Ooh. How exciting! Thank you for sharing that right here on my blog!

The aesthetics of the Writing Battle website are very appealing and inviting. It adds so much to the fun. Who does the artwork/design?

Max: Thank you! I mentioned the artist, Nikita Mazurov, who did the art for the landing page. Design has been the hardest part for me. I didn’t know it at the time, but I think I (perhaps poorly) was going for a neo-brutalist web design when I first created the site. It’s been fun to learn as I go. The new website is a lot more chill and maybe a little easier on the eyes if you’re on the site for longer periods of time.

I’d like to include one more question on a personal note. Do you both find time to write and create? Max, do you still get to write screenplays? If so, what are your works in progress and goals? What are your tips for balancing it all with life and family?

Max: No writing for me for the past year, unfortunately. I have a few ideas floating around that I still want to explore. I could definitely see myself in a couple of years getting back into it and feeling out screenwriting a bit more. As far as work/life balance, it’s pretty easy when you have a couple of preschoolers running around. They have the tendency to pull you from work to focus on them haha.

Teona: I would never identify myself as a writer. I am better at stream of consciousness writing as a means to organise my thoughts and I love playing with words in doing so but I have never really tried to write a story. Maybe someday 🙂

I don’t know that we are at all qualified to be giving tips about balance. HAHA. Some days are incredibly balanced and harmonious– this is usually following a rare full night’s sleep (our kids have always been terrible sleepers). For a more accurate picture of our “balance” it is kinda just roll with whatever seems to be working that day, hour, or moment, and reassess in the evening to try and make the next day better. Having young kids and an even younger business is no joke but we are having an absolute blast with it all, learning lots along the way and for us it truly comes down to good communication.

Thank you so much, Max and Teona, for visiting today! This has been a blast. You can follow Writing Battle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to participate in this amazing writing community, but don’t forget to sign up for a battle!

Any parting words of advice to our readers who dream about writing, web design, and finding ways to pursue their creative passions?

Max: Thank you for the thoughtful questions. This has been a lot of fun! My only real advice would be to constantly re-evaluate and not to be afraid to pivot. I think it’s unrealistic to believe that you know what you have before creating your first prototype or draft. Get feedback and see how people use what you create. If it’s writing– then get honest critique and take it to heart. Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong and pivot towards what’s working for your consumers.

Teona: Max has taught me to reach further than what I believe or perceive to be the edge of possibility. WB is proof of that for me.

Next Sunday Spotlight Goes Behind the Scenes with Writing Battle!

March 19, 2023Blog, Blog Interview, Contests, Creator's Life, Daily Writing, Inspiration, Interview, Q&A, Spotlight Feature, Writing Battle, Writing Challenges, Writing ContestsBlog Interview, Next Sunday Spotlight, Writer's Life, Writing, Writing Battle, Writing Challenges, Writing Contestsbydllewellyn

My next Sunday Spotlight (March 26) will give us a unique perspective into two amazing supporters of the writing community when we visit with Max and Teona of Writing Battle! We will discuss this phenomenal peer-powered writing competition, how it came about, and the amazing community of writers from around the globe taking part. You’ll get to hear the perspectives from both Max and Teona and be inspired by their teamwork and how they made a dream come true.

Sunday Spotlight with Award Winning Filmmaker Graham Streeter

March 12, 2023Blog, Blog Interview, Cinema, Creator's Life, Filmmaking, Interview, Q&A, Spotlight Feature, Supporting CreatorsCinemaphotographer, Director, Filmmaker, Filmmaking, Interview, Q&A, Spotlight, Sunday Spotlight, Supporting Creators, Writerbydllewellyn

Welcome to my Sunday Spotlight Graham. What a delight to have this opportunity to catch up with you and have you share your works with us. I’ve not had many guests where I could say “I knew you when.” And that makes our chat special for me because when you took those steps after high school to set off on your creative journey, which led to your amazing career we will chat about today, you helped me take a few bold steps of my own. I’ve always been grateful for that.

So let’s start by introducing you as the principal behind Imperative Pictures, a film company with an exciting and eclectic body of work our readers can check out on IMDb. Your 2018 film I May Regret was selected for the San Diego International Film Festival and won the Grand Prix at the Vienna Independent Film Festival, and Blind Malice did fabulous on the awards front as well. Grace Zabriskie earned a best actress award, which I was thrilled to see. She’s always been a favorite of mine. All the actors gave us potent scenes in that film. It was also a special treat to join your crew to watch it at the Sacramento International Film Festival on the historic Delta King riverboat. And you’ve gone on to win many more international film awards. Congratulations!

D. How long do you work on your story ideas, the writing, before a piece becomes a full-fledged project? Or do they start life as a film concept, then comes the writing?

G. I always start with a subject matter. Usually through the act of general wide-cast exploration I eventually stumble blindly upon a subject matter that I had little or no knowledge of. That’s when I get interested. That’s when I become intrigued. It usually means I’m not alone and the subject matter is worth furthering to educate people like myself.

Then I ask myself is it a big enough subject matter?

If so, the writing process always starts off super fragmented, at best. I try not to focus on a storyline, but instead, I’m usually fixated on an ending; an outcome; a take-a-way. Having a specific ending in my head from the start is essential. It’s the core driver for everything else that will take place for this project for the rest of my work. Even after the film is done this core still drives marketing and promotional possibilities.

Once I know what I wish to say about the subject matter, then I can start creating an actual narrative that takes us on a journey that ultimately lands on that final point or message. I guess you can say it’s reverse engineering.

D. As a writer, I have been interested in the differences between writing a novel or a screenplay, especially since I noticed that many writing challenge platforms offer screenwriting contests along with short story writing. Which means to me, many fledgling writers want to write that next epic screenplay. I think the main thing is creating scenes that build on each other through a story arc. But what other key features are there in writing screenplays?

G. I don’t have a clue about writing a novel but I do know a bit about screenplays. The work is not random. A good story may appear organic and without format, especially done well, but once you strip away all the glitter it is a body of work that usually fits the model of a solid 3-act structure specific to screenplay writing.

The challenge of a screenplay is that, unlike a novel, a screenplay never overtly articulates the inner thoughts of a character. A screenplay can only provide observation. Moving pictures. So glances, body language, choice of words, or lack thereof, emotions you can see, manipulative actions you can witness. Clues like a faint smile. A welling up of the eyes. A nervous clearing of the throat. Those are the visuals an audience relies on to gain insight into their minds.

A screenplay is only a roadmap for the director to get you from A to B. In many ways, unless detail tells you something to actually further the story, it is never included. The roadmap can be widely interpreted and visualised. No two people read a screenplay the same way, and thus a director who embarks on a writer’s work has the opportunity to tell the story from his or her unique directorial perspective. A unique directorial lens.

The same story can appear unrecognisable from director to director. But each story ultimately says the same thing in the end. The roadmap takes the director to the end.

D. Fascinating. Exactly the insights I was hoping you could give our audience and a wonderful glimpse into the creative freedom of a filmmaker.

D. As the writer, director and cinemaphotographer on your films, which would you say is your true calling, or is it a combination? Do those roles change with each film where you might do more of one than the other?

G. I love every stage of filmmaking. If you truly love every creative process, why not do it all. Right? I think of filmmaking as approaching a painter rightfully approaching an oil painting. The painter would never sketch out a drawing, paint half of it, and then hand the brushes and paint over to another painter and say, “Hey, wanna do the rest?” No. A painter usually picks a subject matter, outlines the concept, lays down the base coat, paints in the images, indulges in all the detail work and finishings. Signs it. Frames it. Heck, the artist might even have a strong opinion about how and where to hang it.

That’s how I feel about filmmaking. I enjoy and love doing every aspect of the work.

D. That’s a fantastic analogy. And that passion shows in your finished product.

D. How do you assemble your team? Do you have a crew who is part of Imperative Pictures, or do you recruit for each project? Do you have a system you follow each time, or is it more organic? Feel free to expand on your creative process, how a film comes about from start to finish.

G. It’s a hybrid. We have garnered team members who consistently work with us if they are available. We have others we recruited for one project, and then they go on to bigger and better projects as their careers advance.

Many years ago we created the Imperative Pictures Internship Program in conjunction with Emerson College Film School, Boston/Los Angeles. As a result, when we are gearing up for a production we take on any number of young and inspiring interns who spend the semester learning how we approach filmmaking. Then, timing permitting, they roll into production for an actual feature film production experience. They truly get their hands dirty in the business.

They also walk away with IMDb credits for a feature film. It’s a great program and we love launching bright new students into the film world.

D. What a brilliant program. A win for everyone.

D. I have to say you have a knack for creating a story that has me on the edge of my seat from the start. I loved the opening scene in Blind Malice just as an example. Is suspense a favorite genre and method for telling the character’s story?

G. Yes, I love suspense. I also love psychological thrillers. I guess you can say I like when the mind has to work hard to understand another person’s mind. It’s the human connection I focus on to tell my story. If we can connect with the main character by creating a character who is both flawed and inspirational; undeniably human; the possibilities of where that character can lead us is endless.

D. Beautiful. I can definitely relate to this as a writer, and it’s something I strive for.

D. Your films bring an awareness to challenges many of us face in life, whether physical, cultural, or social. Was that an underlying purpose for making them, or a happy accident that became your trademark?

G. Happy accident. But not without some master planning. Making a film consumes many years of a filmmaker’s life, and after the film is done it runs over and over in perpetuity. So, I always want to be sure I’m making something that has meaning, purpose, and will be relevant and serve to better our society as the story is told. It needs to be worth my time.

The earliest of storytelling was to teach lessons for the community. Feature films have even more of an opportunity to inform its viewer and potentially a wider audience. A film garners a captive audience. What an opportunity it is to make a body of work that can provide insight, perspective, and clarity to a topic that could ultimately change another person’s life somewhere in the world. That’s the power of film.

We take film seriously. It can literally shape a person’s view of the world for a lifetime.

D. Tell us about Imperative Pictures’ latest film, Unfix.

G. Unfix. It’s my newest film. We’re currently doing sound design on it. It’s a story about a 35-year old man named Ari who, at age 11, following a brief encounter with another boy, was forced into the torturous practice of Conversion Therapy. But now Ari is 35 years old and happily heterosexual, and “fixed”. But when the pandemic hits, Ari’s world is turned upside down once again, awakening dormant questions about his fundamental authentic self; casting doubt he was ever really gay.

I stumbled upon the topic during my rabbit hole research phase. I knew a little about conversion therapy but the more I dove into the topic the more convinced I was that this was a topic that needed to break the walls of specific sexual orientation to make it universally relevant. We hope the story achieves that.

D. It’s hard to imagine parents putting their child through such trauma instead of nurturing the child’s discovery of where they fit in the world. Yet, it happens to a lot of us, sometimes in more subtle ways. I’m glad you’re telling the story.

D. I’m going to hark back to high school because for me, the most fascinating aspect of this interview is knowing you back then and having you share how you got here today. There were so many ways you expressed your creativity in those early years; music, art, drama, starting up social groups and small businesses to spread creativity to others, and finally traveling to Japan. When you were exploring all those ideas, did you have any inkling you would end up behind a movie camera?

G. Settling into film took some time. Maybe subconsciously I already knew when I bought my first video camera in Japan in 1980. It was a dinky little compact micro-cassette SONY camera and I took it everywhere and I made so many little movies. And then I started making “Santa Sightings” short films for my niece and nephew every year. Then short films. Then finally bigger and bigger films as my confidence grew.

But professionally, I was working in News. Then LIVE TV work. By being in the field, I was learning that I don’t like the chaos and uncertainty that accompanied that kind of production. I eventually discovered I am more of a planner. I like being organised. My dissatisfaction with LIVE TV and NEWS ultimately steered me toward film. Film is calculated. It is planned. It employs strategy. All the parts of the brain I like to exercise, while still being fully creative. The feature film medium found me.

D. I bet your niece and nephew adored those movies. My imagination is taking off thinking about how you told them.

D. How big a part did living in Japan play in forming your film career? Did you travel there with the idea there might be opportunities for your future, or did you simply set out on an exciting adventure?

G. Japan moulded a great deal of my work ethics. Japan also served as the foundation of my first 20 working years in production. Oddly, Japan also made me feel like an outsider, and I was okay with that. That feeling helped me make decisions for myself, not for others.

I owe so much of my creative autonomy to travelling outside my comfort zone, learning how to survive and flourish in another culture, chipping away at another language, using a part of my brain that would otherwise have gone unused, to who I am today. Especially in the 80s, Japan was as far one could get from the “Western” culture.

I grew immensely from those 10 years abroad and 10 more working for a Japanese TV network back in the states. It gave me a unique sense of confidence as I moved forward in life.

D. A great learning experience to pass on. Thank you for that, Graham. We were fortunate to travel there in an era when Japan was opening up to western culture. Even in my three-month visit, I ran the gamut from dealing with the challenges of being an outsider in a traditional Japanese family to being thrown into the middle of the family’s western growing pains.

D. What would you say is your biggest influence or turning point that got you where you are today?

G. There has never been one big influence or turning point that got me where I am today. It’s always been about achieving productive goals every day. Small bite-sized goals over weeks and years that lead to bigger daunting life-changing goals. Slow and steady progress requires staying on track, and not veering off my course. I did not know how I would get there, just that I wanted to get there. I am still “getting there”.

My father once gave me perhaps the greatest advice ever. I was 16. I was fixated on what I would do when I grew up and how I would get there. He asked me to take out a piece of paper. Fold it into four quadrants. He instructed me: in the first quadrant write DAY. The next one, write MONTH. Next, write YEAR. The last one, write ULTIMATE. He explained, to get to your ultimate destination you just need to set clear specific but small and easy goals that will lead you there.

Daily achievements will result in monthly success. Months quickly turn to years and as long as your ultimate goal is in view, you will move in that direction.

“But remember,” he said, “Set goals you KNOW you can achieve so you don’t set yourself up for failure. Give yourself tasks you know you can check off daily, so you feel like a winner everyday. Use it every day. Keep it folded up nicely in your back pocket. Constantly remind yourself of the ULTIMATE goal.”

I use this method to this day.

D. I love this! Thank you.

D. Who would you say most inspired you, or your works?

G. I love all art. I study art but not necessarily film artists. I am a consumer of movies but never try to emulate work I’ve seen. I try to let it come from within, depending on the story I’m telling and what I’m feeling.

One of my greatest inspirations has always been my father. He was an artist. I learned from watching him work.

D. When you talk to people about getting started in the film industry, what are your top pieces of advice?

G. My advice to anyone who wants to be in film? Get a business degree! Film and art and all the juicy creative things in life we will study our whole life long, but taking the time to get a solid business degree, so you can survive in the real world as you pursue your art is essential.

In the end, if you want to make a living in the arts, you need to remember art is a business.

D. Are there works in progress? Where can we follow you to see what’s coming next?

G. For now I’m still consumed with UNFIX. After sound design, we will go to festivals, touring for a year. Then I will slowly start the cycle again; indulging in research and asking myself what topic is out in the world that I don’t know anything about and is very important to learn more of. That will be the beginning of a new chapter in my life… a chapter that will, again, consume many years, and ultimately last a lifetime.

Like all my films. Actually making the film takes about 4 years. In 4 years time I can go to college and get a degree. It should be at least that powerful for me.

D. This is the most surprising insight, the amount of time and commitment to each film. Your analogy really puts that in perspective.

D. Where do you see yourself as a creator in the next ten years? Same question for Imperative Pictures?

G. I hope to never retire. I hope I can keep making movies deep into my 90s while I sit poolside in some resort! Haha. The topics that will be important in 10 years time are inconceivable at this time. I am an optimist. I trust the future will be amazing, and I’m sure the world will be, in many ways unchanged and in so many other ways, literally unrecognisable.

Ten years is just around the corner. I hope to have a few more films on the platter. I just want to keep doing what I love. I’m in a sweet spot right now, and I hope to continue this.

D. I have no doubts you’ll be making movies in your 90s. I hope the same goes for writing my stories. I’ve got enough planned to get me there! Poolside. Hmmm. I like it…

D. Thank you so much for visiting, Graham! Any parting words of advice to our readers on following their creative passions?

G. Filmmaking is a very long road to travel to make a film. If you aren’t operating from a place of pure passion you will eventually fizzle out. Find a partner in life that you can travel on that creative journey with. My partner is Alex. He is my producer, my advisor, my manager, my best friend, and the love of my life.

I will close with this. Thank YOU for doing this spotlight, for me and all the interesting stories of the inspiring people you share with your readers.

Like filmmaking, you are providing your own unique platform that can potentially give insight and inspiration to others, shaping a person’s view of the world for a lifetime – all through your Sunday Spotlight.

– Graham

This Sunday – Spotlight on a Filmmaker

March 7, 2023Blog Interview, Creator's Life, Filmmaking, Q&A, Supporting CreatorsBlog, Blog Interview, Creators, Guest Spotlight, Interview, Interviews, Sunday Spotlight, Supporting Creatorsbydllewellyn

Meet the man behind Imperative Pictures and get a glimpse into a day in the life of filmmaking.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

March 3, 2023Blog Interview, Community, Creator's Life, Filmmaking, Q&A, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Creators, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life, Writing Battle, Writing Challenges, Writing ContestsCreator Spotlight, Creators, Film Director, Filmmaking, Interviews, Q&A, Sunday Spotlight, Supporting Creators, Supporting Writers, Writer's Lifebydllewellyn

The weather for sure. Yikes, I’ve never lived in so much snow. But my guests are anything but lambs in March! Sunday, March 12, will be award winning filmmaker, Graham Streeter. We will chat about his growing body of work and all aspects of bringing a film to life.

And two special guests from Nova Scotia will be joining me on March 26, the creators of Writing Battle. Yep, Max and Teona will be here to talk about the amazing writing contest platform and its growing community.

But you can still visit my February guests and all my amazing guests in my Gallery. Check out my conversations with South African Sci Fi Romance author, Sevannah Storm, and author of the newly relaunched YA Fantasy series, A Pendale Tale, Jorma Kansanen.

“Wild As The Wind” Review

February 27, 2023Blog Interview, Fantasy Fiction, Interview, Q&A, Read, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Writers, Writer's LifeAmReading, Author Interview, Author Spotlight, Blog, Blog Interview, Fantasy Writing, Interview, Kindle Books, Read, Reading, Reading Fiction, Supporting Writersbydllewellyn

Congratulation Jorma on your successful relaunch! Meet the author – visit our Q&A.

Award-winning author & educator Kathleen Ralls rates A PENDALE TALE Part 1 ASHFIELD, MA – The recent relaunch of A PENDALE TALE by author Jorma …
“Wild As The Wind” Review

Sunday Spotlight! With YA Fantasy Author Jorma Kansanen

February 19, 2023Blog Interview, Fantasy Fiction, Interview, Q&A, Spotlight Feature, Writer's LifeFantasy Writing, Indie Authors, Interview, Supporting Writers, Writer's Lifebydllewellyn

Read all about the particulars of the A PENDALE TALE book series relaunch ASHFIELD, MA – In advance of the relaunch of his Young Adult Fantasy series…
Sunday Spotlight! With YA Fantasy Author Jorma Kansanen

Sunday Spotlight! With YA Fantasy Author Jorma Kansanen

February 19, 2023Authors, Blog Interview, Community, Fantasy Sci Fi Writers Alliance, Fantasy Stories, Interview, Q&A, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Writers, Writer's LifeAuthor Interview, Fantasy Writing, FSFWritersAlliance, Indie Authors, Q&A, Sunday Spotlight, Supporting Writers, Writer's Lifebydllewellyn

Thanks so much for visiting, Jorma! When you announced your plans to republish your series in February, I thought it would be a really fun idea to have you stop by to talk about it before the big event. What prompted you to give your YA Series A PENDALE TALE a fresh look?

First of all, thanks for having me! There were a couple of factors. The first book in the series “Wild As The Wind” (Part 1) got a rock solid reaction from readers and reviewers when it came out in Fall 2020. It went into the Top 5 on the YA Fantasy charts on Amazon a few times. But after diving deeper into the creative writing world – I’ve done primarily sports (primarily, soccer) PR work since my college days in the 90s – I wanted to switch the narrative from a passive voice to an active one. And that required a new editing process and copy editor (credit goes to Small Seeds Editing). I needed to find a new cover designer as well. I loved the original cover of Part 1 but I had to use a different designer for “Deep As The Sea” (Part 3), which came out this past September. Getting the covers of the first three installments to match in design and feel was another big reason behind the relaunch.

Great information. Thank you. I’m planning the same for my three part series, wanting to have the three books have a cohesive feel. So far, I’ve done my own covers, editing and publishing, all while learning how I might tap into professional services for my next round, and which ones to make a priority on a tight budget. But I do know the importance of investing in my writing. It is so encouraging to see that it can be done and get some insight on the process.

I am hooked on all the fabulous reviews and the intriguing topic; fantasy in the Berkshires involving soccer. Wow! I love writing fantasy in real world settings. Is that what we can expect? Tell us about the series.

Having this series based in the “real” world was a priority for me. A lot of fantasy writing happens somewhere off on a far-away world, and I wanted the “magic” in this series to be nearer to us. An attainable quality that with the right mindset can be accessed in the here and now. And as you see with legends like Stephen King, having the book’s setting take place in the area where you live (and love) adds a special quality to the writing. With its rolling hills and dells, western Massachusetts has a lot to offer the creative mind. As far as soccer is concerned, I’ve worked in the sport for over two decades. From my very first outline, I wanted the main character to have soccer as a major part of her life. The women’s soccer players I’ve worked with and covered have been huge inspirations for Viola Ferriman, one-half of the the main protagonists alongside her fraternal twin Sebastian. The role Quidditch played in the Harry Potter series – and how it showed an ingrained loner like Harry the merits of being a team player – was a big influence.

You have talked about your focus on this epic series and your passion for telling this story, and I can relate to that dedication. But are there other works in progress or ideas percolating after this? Any spin-off stories?

As with any fantasy book, there’s an underlying universe serving as the base the plot can be built upon. With that said, I definitely have a prequel series in the mix (centered on Viola and Sebastian’s grandparents) and possibly a sequel as well. The prequel may have an “Indiana Jones / The Mummy” (the Brendan Fraser & Rachel Weisz version) feel to it. The twins’ England-based grandfather is a professor at the University of Cambridge while their grandmother is the daughter of an influential family from Hong Kong. Lots of fun stuff to work with there! Speaking of fun, the first two “The Mummy” movies with Fraser & Weisz are so gloriously cheesy and over-the-top I’ve watched them numerous times. Their chemistry is off-the-hook. I’m still ruminating on the base plot for the sequel series. I already know how the APT series will conclude, so I don’t want to give too much away in regards to the ultimate fate of the Ferriman twins! (laughs)

Wow! Thank you, Jorma, for sharing your super exciting ideas for more stories, right here on my blog! They sound right up my alley. I’ve loved the Mummy movies forever, for the same reasons and because they seemed to be right out of the pages of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody stories I used to love to read. The two of them were adorable, and it was easy to imagine them as actors doing an original Mummy movie set in the 1920s.

How did it feel to reach Number 1 on Amazon? Anything you can share on how you got there?

It felt like a dream come true! Even if it’s for the briefest of moments, reaching #1 is a validation that your work has merit and appeals to your target audience. Even with all my PR experience, promoting a creative work is a different gig altogether. Yes: there are base similarities between business/sport PR and book PR but whereas I’m promoting someone else’s vision with the former, the latter requires putting yourself into the limelight. I’m a Finn at heart, and being self-effacing is literally inscribed into our DNA! Similar to yin-yang, a firm belief in yourself and your work is essential in the creative realm. Since Part 1 came out in Fall 2020, I’ve become much, much better in the latter part and it’s helped to build the manifest energy behind the promotion of this series.

How did you decide on your genre? Maybe here you can tell us about your journalist background. How did that morph into fantasy fiction?

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been a fantasy and science fiction fan. Both in books and movies. JRR Tolkien had a bedrock-like influence on me. “The Hobbit” was the first big book I read and, right from the start, I fell in love with Middle Earth. The otherworldly visual work of Ralph Bakshi and the animated movie “Heavy Metal” really hooked me in as well. On the sci-fi side, I was lucky enough to be a kid when “Star Wars” came out. It was a world-wide phenomenon and I was just as caught up in the fervor. As a teenager, I got into music and wanted to be a rock star. When I went to school at UMass in my mid 20s, the writing bug bit me again and I started to work for the college newspaper The Collegian. I wrote for a few different departments, but as a former hockey player, covering sports became my priority. For my junior year, I went on exchange to the University of Manchester in England and creative writing started to leak back into my life. The time I spent in England is a major reason why I began this series. One night in Oxford, me and a friend of mine stumbled upon the same booth in a pub where Tolkien and CS Lewis used to have lunch everyday. It was a WOW moment. Looking back, that was a sign post of where this road has led me to! (laughs) My advisor at the University of Manchester also saw a larger role than sports writing in my future as well. It took a few more years for me to fully realize that – the downturn in fortunes in journalism in the late 90s helped – but when I did, the first outline for APT came soon afterwards.

This is just one of the reasons I enjoy so much getting to know my writing community friends through these chats. I’m always finding links that influence all of us. Heavy Metal was a wild ride. I saw it in a theater in the 80s and was entranced. One reason I love a vignette format. And that pub in Oxford has been on my bucket list since watching the sixteen hours of extras on my LOTR movie collection. I can hardly imagine what that must have been like.

Speaking of writing communities. We met through the Fantasy Sci Fi Writers Alliance. What are your thoughts or advice on belonging to a community? Are there other online groups you’re involved in? Are there local writing communities or events you like to participate in?

I’m so glad I joined the FSFWA Alliance! And it happened at the right time too. When I restarted the creative process for this series in 2019 with a Kickstarter campaign, I was advised by some former associates of mine to join a writer’s group. That was when Discord first came to my attention. But I was so far in my own forest that it took me a while to get involved in the wider world of writing and… I’m glad I did! It’s been a fun yet very, very informative experience with FSFWA. Never mind the great advice, talking to people who are going through the same things you’re going through is always helpful. No matter what stage in life and/or career you find yourself in. Living in a well-educated region with top-notch colleges and universities (it’s actually called the Five College area, with a respected state university like UMass alongside premier private colleges in Amherst College, Mt. Holyoke, Smith College and Hampshire College), there’s a strong undercurrent of scholarly and creative writing here. The vibrant international community brings in a lot of different flavor and substance to our collective dialogue. It’s hard to not be inspired!

How did you find your support services, editors, beta readers, arc readers, cover artists, etc.? Can you share some highlights or tips you’ve collected on this process and how to find satisfactory collaborations?

The first cover for Part 1 was part of my “vision board” for the series. When it came time to decide on a cover, my better half loved that digital illustration and suggested I reach out to the artist and… oui-la! After a manic search to track him down, we finally connected and he was more than happy to provide his hi-res illustration for the cover, as it was an older work of his. He only required proper accreditation, which was a big help to my budget! (laughs) But as time went along – and his lifestyle changed with a new family and job – I had to find a new cover designer. Thus, that switch was another primary motivation to relaunch the series. At first, the support I received as far as ARC and beta readers are concerned were from my journalist background. There were advantages and disadvantages to that; especially considering I was writing a fantasy & sci-fi series. By the time Part 3 came out last fall, that switched to the fantasy & sci-fi reader realm which is a big reason why “Deep As The Sea” had success as an Amazon bestseller. You simply have to reach out and ask! And hopefully – of course – find the right people to work with. Belief and diligence play a big part.

Great advice and a really interesting journey. Thanks for sharing that.

How do you balance all your creative pursuits with life and work?

Not easily, that’s for sure! To get Part 1 up and running, I had to step away from my sports/business PR work for a year or so. Even though my initial Kickstarter campaign failed, I was lucky enough to touch base with a couple of patrons who wanted to see my first book be completed. With their help, I found the time and space to put in the hard work and build the foundation for the series. And since that time, I’ve been able to write in between my busy seasons. Being a free-lancer in charge of my own work schedule has been key to that. I have so much respect for those writers who have to fit their creative work in-between families, full-time jobs (with much stricter schedules) and the like. It’s been an arduous task for me! Never mind for them. They really need to pat themselves on the back. I mean… WOW. They’re the true rock stars.

We all thank you for that pat, Jorma. 🙂 I can’t wait to retire and write full time. It’s hard to even imagine that, but it’s not far away.

Thank you again for chatting with us today! Any parting words of advice for those who are seeking their creative passions in writing or otherwise?

I know it sounds cheesy but… just do it! This too-modern world we live in can put so many obstacles and distractions in our way when it pertains to becoming the “real” you, and not what the world wants you to be. And that is a key message behind the storyline of my series: finding out who you really are, as opposed to what the world thinks you are. The attainment of the real you and not the manufactured you. Doing what you’re born to do. I’m a firm believer in we all have a predetermined expertise, and when we discover that, both you and the world around you will benefit. My experience in Eastern philosophy and medicine has really helped me to realize that fact. Thanks for having me! This has been a blast.

All the best to you and that relaunch, Jorma, which is coming tomorrow in fact! February 20, 2023.

You can follow Jorma to stay posted on his works at Jorma Kansanen. Jorma is also on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

This Sunday on my Spotlight – Romance Writing With Sevannah Storm!

February 16, 2023Blog Interview, Interview, Sci Fi Romance, Writer's LifeBlog Interview, Interview, Kindle Books, Romance, Supporting Writersbydllewellyn

Join the conversation
This Sunday on my Spotlight – Romance Writing With Sevannah Storm!

Sunday Spotlight on 2/19! – YA Fantasy Author Jorma Kansanen

February 13, 2023Authors, Blog Interview, Fantasy Sci Fi Writers Alliance, Interview, Q&A, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Writers, Writer's LifeAuthor Spotlight, Blog, Blog Interview, Books, Fantasy Story, Fantasy Writing, FSFWritersAlliance, Guest Spotlight, Indie Authors, Interview, Interviews, Kindle Books, Supporting Writers, Writer's Lifebydllewellyn

We’ll be chatting about the exciting relaunch of his series, A Pendale Tale. Available on Amazon!

Sunday Spotlight with Sci Fi Romance Writer Sevannah Storm!

February 12, 2023Artist, Authors, Blog, Blog Interview, Interview, Q&A, Romance, Sci Fi, Sci Fi Romance, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Writers, Writer's LifeAuthor, Author Interview, Creator Spotlight, Q&A, Romance, Sci Fi Fiction, Sci Fi Romance, Supporting Writers, Writer's Lifebydllewellyn

This is so awesome; to finally have a chat with you, Sevannah, after meeting up on NaNoWriMo in 2021. I want to first say how much I appreciated your encouragement during my first ever November novel writing challenges. And I was so impressed with your speedy progress. Since then, I’ve seen how you can churn out the novels. Let’s go in reverse and start with where you are today. Tell us about your body of work available on Amazon and how it feels to have so many exciting stories published.

Can you share your process and yearly writing goals?

I’m a spreadsheet gal. Everything’s captured, from future books, current release schedules, to who does/doesn’t get an ARC. As to speed at which I write? I like to type as fast as I think. Writing in notebooks just made me a typist and doubled the work. So straight into the right document template it goes and I work on no other WIP. I even create a preliminary cover.

My goal is to get all of my written work out there. For 2023, I have two novels for The Gifting Series (scifi romance) on the cusp of release. I have three standalones (2 x scifi, 1 x fantasy romance) I will be releasing this year. AND! I need to write two more novellas for my Plump Playwright series.

Now that we know how you get things done, let’s chat about what interested you in becoming a writer and how you got started.

The usual. I had a dream. It wouldn’t leave me alone and added scenes/chapters every night. This was Dec 2017. I feared a month of no sleep. So I wrote the dream to rid my mind of it. And Soul Forged was born. It was a piece of shite, but awesome hubs read it and suggested I pursue writing. I wrote another four books within 5 months after that.

D. I love it. And here you are six years later with so many fabulous listings on Amazon. You can also keep posted on Sevannah’s projects on her website and newsletter.

The best part of planning our chat in February is being able to indulge in romance! You write in what I have to admit is one of my favorite genres. Hot romance! And I love the choices you give us between going alien, or taking a journey with your average plus-sized erotica fiction writer. I’m currently enjoying the first in your Plump Playwright series, Plump Jane. Ah. Max… I need to share an excerpt here if I may:

First Chapter, Plump Jane

"Are you all right?" Max leaned over her, his face above hers, and for a moment, as the sun haloed his golden locks, she thought Gabriel himself had come down from heaven. "Bad news?"

***
His touch burned where he gripped her waist, and before she could warn him that chiropractic appointments were expensive, he hoisted her off the ground.

***
"I'm a recluse. This is it for me." She gestured to the park. "Here, and home."
"Well, if we work toward the function, maybe you'll feel more prepared."

He wrapped his fingers around her upper arm, as if to steady her. "Nine at the Rose Mall, Jane." He tapped her nose with his fingertip. "Don't keep me waiting."
She watched him jog off, his long strides covering the distance to the parking lot. Fudgeknuckles, what the hell had just happened? It sounded like a date, but she knew better. He hoped to inspire in her the love of exercise when chocolates, writing, and her male characters owned all the acreage of her heart. Not even for the Adonis that he was would she grant exercise a square foot of prime real estate.

D. I already know I will be bingeing the series! You can find Plump Jane on Amazon here.

Tell us how you decided on your genre.

I have been reading romance since I was twelve, stealing my gran’s Mills & Boons from her bookshelf. I branched out to historical, I even wrote a novel in my teens. But once I discovered scifi romance, that was it for me. I also write fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, whatever inspires the muse.

D. In the mood for sassy female leads and hot aliens? Click here.

Who and/or what were your biggest influences?

Johanna Lindsey (introduced me to scifi romance), Laurann Dohner, Christine Feehan (The Dark Series (vampires), Anna Carven (scifi romance) then the usual, music, games, and movies.

Any works/series in progress? Where can we find you and stay posted on the latest?

The Shikari will become a series (scifi fantasy romance meets the Firefly.) I do have something planned for December, a new paranormal-Christmas series. It’s hush-hush until I’ve written the first book. Because it’s not my primary genre, I’ll only be releasing a book every December for the next ten years. I’m Sevannah Storm across all social media platforms, but my newsletter (bi-monthly) has the juicy news, ARCS, freebies, cover reveals, and sales.

D. Ooh. Thanks for giving us a heads up here! It’s exciting!

What is the writing community like in South Africa? Are there ways you are able to share your work locally? How about online communities? I know you do well with Facebook. Any advice about where to focus attention to find support?

Writing communities in South Africa aren’t helpful with regards to guidance or marketing. I opted for international because South Africa is a small market, and with eleven official languages, quite hard to break into. I don’t speak/write Afrikaans well enough.

Finding one’s champions is across platforms. It’s like real life, who you click with naturally. I try to pay it forward and meet so many amazing authors that way. Try critiquing/beta reading for writers. Make friends that way. Not only are you helping, but you’re learning to be a better beta reader/critiquer and this in turn will improve your writing craft.

D. Thank you for sharing that. Good advice.

I googled my first editor. Kathy Bosman was a patient and incredible editor who worked on Soul Forged (75 pages at the time.) She taught me so much.

Beta/ARC readers are through my newsletter sign-up forms.

Savvyauthor’s critique match-up helps with critique partners.

I also have close author friends who help me out in times of great self-doubt.

Cover artists? Nope. I do all my covers. I studied art for seven years, web design, photoshopping, so it made sense to do them myself and save a ton of money. The covers I have done so far are on my website.

D. Fantastic! Thank you. Check out Sevannah’s website for her cover designs.

How do you balance all your pursuits with life and work? I would love to know your secret to writing so profusely. Any other secrets you can impart on time management?

When my day-job ends, my author-job starts. I have two full-grown kids (21/18), so my evenings are mine. Hubs is so supportive. Before signing up on social media, I wrote hours a night. Now, I’m trying to juggle everything, as well as learn how to create promotional videos. As to writer’s block, sprints work. They help me to push through. Words written is better than a blank page. When I do get to write, I aim for 2500 words at a time.

D. I love hearing how writers set up their schedules. It does seem to really work having a set time for writing, so other things aren’t neglected. I’m still working on that. But I do get lots of time for writing thanks to my hubby, too. They are the best!

What are your future plans?

I just climbed on the TikTok wagon and am learning how best to market my books. Ideally, I’d like to quit my day job. As to this year, Camp Nano is coming in April and July. Not sure if I’m participating. And depending on how far I am on 2023’s goals, I might be doing NaNoWriMo. I thoroughly enjoyed Nano 2022. I spent 2022 editing so getting to write was amazing.

I hope this February brings you much success in sharing your dreamy, steamy stories, and the best all year. Thanks so much for stopping by. Do you have any parting advice for our readers who want to pursue their creative passions?

Don’t quit. Expect to fail. It’s in failing that you grow. Remember, 10000 hours are needed to master anything.

When Sevannah and I chatted about her art background, she was kind enough to share some of her sketches. As my readers know, I love to mix art with writing. It’s so fun to find like-minded writers. Yes, that is Sevannah’s zebra in my promo piece at the top.

This Sunday on my Spotlight – Romance Writing With Sevannah Storm!

February 6, 2023Authors, Blog Interview, Q&A, Romance, Sci Fi, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life#blogging, Author Spotlight, Blog Interview, Guest Spotlight, Interview, Romance, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life, Writingbydllewellyn

Join the conversation

More Great Conversations Happening in February – Two Exciting Guests to Visit My Sunday Creator Spotlight

February 3, 2023Authors, Blog Interview, Community, Q&A, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life#blogging, Blog, FSFWritersAlliance, Q&A, Spotlight Guests, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life, Writers, Writingbydllewellyn

Not only will we get to dive into some blistering hot sci fi fantasy romance this month with South African author, Sevannah Storm, but a member of my writing community, Canadian-born, Finnish American fantasy author Jorma Kansanen, is engaging in an exciting relaunch of his epic series, A Pendale Tale. Find out how these two get so much done in a day in the life of a writer.

My conversation with Sevannah will be up Sunday, February 12, just in time for Valentines Day.

Jorma will be chatting with me Sunday, February 19.

My Creator Spotlight – Inspiration for Me, and for You!

January 26, 2023Artist, Authors, Blog Interview, Community, Creator's Life, Inspiration, Interview, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Creators, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life#blogging, Artists, Creators, Indie Authors, Interviews, Q&A, Supporting Creators, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life, Writers, Writingbydllewellyn

You can’t help but be motivated after meeting creators like you and learning what motivated them through the ups and the downs of their journeys.

The year is flying! I can’t believe I’ve already had two amazing guests drop by. If you haven’t met Madel i ne or Isa yet, visit their posts for inspiration and two super enjoyable conversations.

I thought I would blog a bit about my Spotlight feature. The joy and inspiration I get from engaging in this process has turned out to be the biggest surprise in my writing journey.

I have had the privilege of interviewing members of the writing community and other creators I meet along the way, mostly fantasy and sci fi writers like me who are new at it and working hard to get their stories out in the world. I also interview editors, book reviewers, artists, and photographers. Even an old high school friend is dropping by in March who is an award winning filmmaker.

My guests are from around the globe, including Australia, Canada, the U.K., Nigeria, Portugal, Texas, Seattle, Hollywood and my own town, Carson City. I’ve got more lined up from South Africa, New Zealand, Scotland, the U.K., Montreal, Vancouver, and Seattle. This is inspiring in an of itself.

Every one of my guests has been a delight and so generous with their time. And this is an opportunity to thank them all for participating. Drop by my gallery where all conversations are housed for continued inspiration.

This month, my two guests proved again how supportive the writing community is. Madeline and Isa spent a lot of time and effort on a robust Q&A. These two are phenomenal at supporting and inspiring others, and it really comes through.

My interviews center around a creator’s life; what inspires it, the highlights and lessons of the journey, and how to balance all the things, and every one of my guests has something different to offer, yet every bit has been relatable and translates to all of us who are endeavoring to grow and succeed through creative expression.

Sunday Spotlight! With Fantasy Writer Isa Ottoni

January 22, 2023Blog Interview, Community, Daily Writing, Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Sci Fi Writers Alliance, Fantasy Stories, Fiction, Interview, Q&A, Read, Spotlight Feature, Supporting Writers, Writer's LifeAuthor Interview, Blog Interview, Fantasy Writing, FSFWritersAlliance, Indie Authors, Q&A, Reading, Sunday Spotlight, Supporting Writers, Writer's Life, Writers, Writingbydllewellyn

After all is said and done, 2022 turned out to be a great year because that’s when I got involved with the Fantasy Sci Fi Writers Alliance (“Alliance”) and met you and many other wonderful hard working creators offering invaluable support, and so many resources.

And you published a fantastic story with Funemployment Press. We’ll talk more about Braza and the Funemployment Quarterly in a bit. But to start us off, Can you summarize your highlights for 2022?

Isa – Thank you for having me, Darci, I love your blog and interviews. This is a great way to get to know new authors and projects. Last week’s interview with Madeline was great, it really inspired me to look at how history can shape our stories.

2022 was the year I came out of my shell, or so to speak. I had been writing for a few years by then, but hadn’t had the courage to show my work to the world. When I found this incredible community in April 2022, everything changed. Their support and unwavering kindness was exactly what I needed to break through the layers of self-doubt I had built around myself. I started sending my stories out and, incredibly, one of them was picked up. Braza was accepted and published in the Funemployment Quarterly Summer edition, my first publication ever and I could never have done it without the Alliance´s help and encouragement.

Also, in December, my story Dea Sulis Minerva got second place in the FSF Writers Alliance Short Story Contest, which was a most welcoming surprise.

I´d say that being able to show what I’ve written, and learning to deal with the “ups and downs” of being a writer was the biggest highlight for me. Successes are awesome, they fuel our confidence and all, but I learnt to cherish every step of the way, even rejections, because they mean I´ve been working towards something I love.

I can already say this month’s conversations with you and Madeline will go down as a highlight for me in 2023. I enjoyed Braza and Dea Sulis Minerva a lot! So, I’m super glad you have come out of your shell. I can’t wait for more. Congratulations again on Dea Sulis Minerva. It had its own elements of history in its setting and mythology. There is more about it below and our audience can click here to read it!

Like so many writers, reading is the passion that started the journey. Your book review reels are awesome, and I enjoy every one of them. What are your favorite reads for 2022?

Isa – There are three books that I discovered through the Alliance and that had a huge impact on me: Awakening, by Lucy A. McLaren and The Worthy, by Anna K. Moss — Dark Fantasy at its best; and Pariah´s Lament, by Richie Billing — a High Fantasy story with an incredibly compelling plot.

What I love most about stories is the possibility of discussing real life issues through the lenses of fantasy. Awakening, for example, has a cast of painfully human characters with real-life struggles that truly resonated with me. Same with The Worthy, when we follow morally-grey characters, rooting for them to change and impact their world in a positive way. I am always amazed by the universes writers are able to craft. Richie´s world is immense — a study in world building.

When I read great books, I feel inspired to do the same.

I also discovered that I love reading short stories, something I hadn’t paid much attention to in the past. E. B. Hunter´s short horror stories are among my favourite reads, and also your Priss Starwillow & the Wolf. I´ve become somewhat of a “fan girl” again, because now I can chat with authors whose stories I love, and that’s something I could never have done before. It is truly awesome.

Thank you for sharing what you love about these books, and short stories, Isa! And I totally agree how wonderful it is to avail ourselves of this community and the vast experience it encapsulates and then have the opportunity to give back. Anna and Eric (E. B. Hunter) chatted with me here last year and I really appreciate revisiting their work through your perspective. I look forward to more of our community visiting me in future. I’ll include the links to all books you mention in the titles.

Richie also offers a Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed Podcast and a huge amount of resources on world building and fantasy writing on his website. He even offers free books if you sign up for his newsletter.

Can you expand on that and tell us your all time favorites?

Isa – I´ve always read fantasy so any book which has magic and compelling characters — I´m in. His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman is one the first trilogies I fell in love with and that I still revisit whenever I have the chance. I also love Neil Gaiman. Anything that man writes, I´ll read, but I particularly enjoyed Neverwhere and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Susanna Clarke´s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel makes the top of my favourite reads too, along with Patrick Rothfuss´ still-to-be-completed trilogy, Kingkiller Chronicle.

Since I started writing, and more specifically, learning about crafting stories, I´ve been thinking about what makes a story a good one. What is it that makes us root for the characters we follow, what drags us to these new universes and keeps us immersed in their stories to the point we cannot put a book down until it is over?

I came to the conclusion that the answer is the emotion stories bring to the surface, and that it can only be achieved with characters rooted in their humanity. The world and setting might be interesting, the plot engaging, battles and war nerve-wracking, but without humanity there is nothing. Phillip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke and Patrick Rothfuss are experts in humanity, and I think that is why their stories are great. They make me cry as often as they make me laugh, with characters that are real in every sense of the world: they are real because they cause a real effect in the reader, and they live in our minds and hearts forever.

Wow! I love to get recommendations. Now I’ve got more to add to my TBR. I have to admit, my preferred reads typically fall more into the supernatural romance genre, but I have been slowly building a great epic fantasy story list. You can follow Isa on Instagram for her current reviews and posts.

Isa – I also love a good paranormal romance and great romantic subplots. Give me characters slowly falling in love with each other, and you´ll have me swooning over them. One of my favourite fantasy/romance novels is a duology called The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renee Ahdieh, a retelling of Arabian Nights. Book crushes are simply the best.

Awesome. You made my day, adding a good romance series!

How many books do you average reading a year? Do you like to set goals for the year and if so, what is your goal for 2023?

Isa – I´m a mood reader, as they say, and though I read pretty fast, I don’t have much spare time to do it, while balancing work, writing and, well, living. I genuinely only read what I want to read, and never force myself to finish something I´m not enjoying. I´d say… ten books a year? That’s not a lot, but it doesn´t include rereads, so an average of fifteen in total.

I also read a lot of short stories — a lot a lot. At least one piece a day, sometimes more, which might be flash fiction, drabbles, or longer pieces. I subscribe to flash fiction magazines and get daily emails with the latest releases. Short stories are like little pocket universes where we get to dive in and surface on the other side with a different perspective, a different mind set.

Take Neil Gaiman´s Nicolas Was… for example.

It’s fascinating to realise how a hundred words in a drabble can change your view of an entire celebration. That same awe feeling happened after reading another Neil Gaiman short story Snow, Glass, Apples, a retelling of Snow White. I promise you won’t regret reading it — or you might, because you will never be able to look at the fairy tale the same again.

Another thing that I love doing is beta reading for fellow writers. Stories that are not released yet, in their developmental stage. Sometimes, the briefest ideas can be a lot of fun to work with. One of the most delightful things I find is to discover a new voice who hasn’t even discovered themselves. They share their work with apprehension, not sure if people will like it. Then I get to tell them how amazing their story is, and how much I enjoyed it — it is the best feeling in the whole world.

My goal for 2023 is to read more indie books and find those secret gems — new authors, new voices, new characters to fall in love with.

This reading strategy really makes sense. I for one have experienced and appreciated enormously your generosity in reading my stories. And getting your perspective on your enjoyment and the benefits you get from it is a real treat. I’m sure this will encourage others to engage in the same exercise. Thanks for spreading the love, Isa! And for adding more to my TBR list!

Isa – I have to say, Darci, that our beta reading session yesterday was incredible. I am still thinking about the selkie and her lighthouse man. You craft such a beautiful romance — it’s really hard not to fall for your characters. I look forward to reading more.

Wow! Thank you for that, Isa. Writing powerful romance is my dream. And there is no way I could achieve it without the generous feedback you and the members of the Alliance provide.

When and how did you start writing?

Isa – I’ve been writing most of my life, journals, articles, thesis, dissertations and scientific papers for work. But I had never actually written stories, and definitely not fantasy stories. I consumed them, but also believed I could write something as good as the stories I read. I thought about it, often, crafting tales in my mind before falling asleep, which helped me cope with anxiety and insomnia, something that I´ve been struggling with most of my adult life. I don´t know exactly what changed, but in 2017 something clicked inside my brain and I decided to put pen to paper and write about those characters I had only dreamt about. Things escalated from there.

I certainly hope the insomnia and anxiety have let up on you, and thank you for sharing that. I don’t know if it’s insomnia for all of us, but I have come to understand more about my fellow writers through our community, and the most surprising thing to learn is that many of us are night owls and really could do with a magic pill that allows us to go on without sleep. There is simply too much writing to be done!

Who and/or what were your biggest influences?

Isa – My dad used to tell me bedtime stories every single night: I would not fall asleep without them. But instead of fairy tales or tales meant (and appropriate) for children, I’d listen to ancient mythology, Greek and Roman heroes and gods. Funny enough, I learnt as an adult that instead of being rescued and learning his lesson, Icarus (spoiler alert) actually died after flying too close to the sun. See, my dad would change the endings so I´d not be too scared — or scarred for life.

Mum and Dad were always supportive of my passions, and would take me to the bookshops every month to find a new story, a new book. I grew up in a household filled with books, so it´s not surprising my love of literature. They were, and remain to this day, my biggest influences.

As for literature influences, I´d say the friends I made in the Alliance. After reading E. B. Hunter’s horror stories, I started studying the genre and tried a couple of horror pieces myself. Lucy and Anna are my role models, strong women whose works I desperately love. I want to be like them when I grow up.

And the Masters, of course, Neil Gaiman and his uncanny sense of humour, Phillip Pullman and his incredible world-building, Susanna Clarke and her beautiful prose. Giants, who I hope to walk along with one day.

I’m grinning from ear to ear on this one, Isa. Amazing parents indeed! And it reminds me of my childhood and my Dad. He has a fabulous reading voice, and loved to read me to sleep, mostly the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.

Isa – I do think that is how a reader/writer is born. First we fall in love with the stories, then we seek them by ourselves. If there is love, nothing can get in the way.

What drew you to the Alliance? What do you think are the biggest benefits of belonging to a community of writers? What other communities have you found beneficial to your growth as a creator?

Isa – It was one of those happy accidents, I guess. I had finished writing a novel and had no idea what to do next. While trying to figure out what sub genre my novel was, I found Richie Billing’s page and blog. I subscribed to his newsletter, we started corresponding, and he invited me to join his discord channel. There was where I met the incredible people who would soon become the Alliance.

I believe the biggest benefit of belonging to a community is precisely that: belonging. Meeting people who are having the same struggles as you, who understand your pain, your heart, is something that can change your life forever. It changed mine. I used to feel quite lonely, even when surrounded by people. Friends and family might humour you, listen to your half crafted stories, but they don’t necessarily get what you are trying to do. Being able to have long conversations with someone who is going through the same as you is fantastic. I remember thinking “That’s it, these are my people, here is where I belong.”

A community offers the support we all need to put ourselves out in the world. They offer feedback on your work, help you solve those unsolvable problems that come with every new idea, offer advice on things you are facing or will eventually face.

Richie´s community and the FSF Alliance are the most supportive groups of people I’ve ever seen. Everything I achieved this past year was because of them.

I also find YouTube a great source of learning. Not a community, per se, as interactions there are more difficult and one-sided, but there are great booktubers offering amazing advice over there. I often watch video essays on word building or character development, full classes by the master Brandon Sanderson, book reviews so I’m up to date with new releases, and so on.

As I have never had formal training in fiction writing, I had to find the knowledge I needed somewhere else. YouTube proved to be quite useful, along with reading books on writing, of course. I will eventually enrol in a formal course, that is one of the goals I have for the future, but until then, I will absorb knowledge however I can.

Thank you for sharing all these resources and insights about community! I want to add here as I’ve done in a previous post that the Alliance recently launched its own website, and there are so many good things to explore, like the book club, and short story contests. Isa contributed to its first blog in addition to her winning short story. Check it out.

Now about Braza. Wow! I absolutely adored it. The stories in the Summer Quarterly by Funemployment Press were all fabulous, and I was truly impressed. I hope you have more stories like that planned. How did Braza come about?

Isa – Thank you, I really appreciate that. Braza was a surprise for me, from the beginning to the end. I had never thought I could write a comedy before a couple of jokes spurred in that piece. Who knew I had a sense of humour?

I was thinking about the fantasy genre and its common tropes, how heroes are always trying to slay monsters, and how the monsters would probably oppose being slain. Wouldn’t it be sort of funny if they stated so? A dragon who needed a break and refused to be killed by a silver knight felt like a good place to start. I had a plan, but my characters had a different one, and the ending surprised me just as much as it might have surprised you.

I´m very fond of that story, and ended up calling my dragon Braza, as a tribute to my home country, Brazil (which I dearly miss), and because brasa (spelled with an s) is Portuguese for embers or fire. I really love that story, and I´m really happy you enjoyed it too.

Dea Sulis Minerva is another short story that uses humour to discuss something important, and it got second place in the Alliance contest. The prompt for the contest was God vs. Mankind, and I knew all those bedtime stories from my childhood would come in hand. I had also watched a documentary about the Roman Bath in Bath, England, called Aquae Sulis, and inspiration hit me.

Back then, Romans would worship Dea Sulis Minerva as one goddess instead of two, a combination of the ancient gaelic goddess Sulis and the Roman goddess Minerva. More interestingly, citizens used to ask the goddess for revenge, writing petitions in little sheets of lead called Curse Tablets, and throwing them in the holy spring the goddess dwelt.

The story was there, I only had to carve it out.

Where can we find more of your stories? What are your works in progress and plans for them?

Isa – Dea Sulis Minerva has been published on the Alliance website, so I´d say that is a great place to start. I also keep a blog where I post short stories and news about upcoming publications, so I’d love for you to visit me there. You can also find me on Instagram and TikTok at @isa.ottoni.writes

I´ve been working on a novel, but it’s miles away from being ready for anyone but my writing group. They are the ones who suffer through my edits and help me become a better writer. It´s a passion project, a story I really love, but I still need to improve my writing skills to be able to make it justice. Novels are the hardest thing to write, and I applaud the ones who can make it to the end. I also love writing short stories, so I´ll be doing that and trying to publish as much as I can.

Can you tell us a little about Funemployment Press and how you ended up submitting a story? What is the magazine’s goal and do they have any submissions opening up this year?

Isa – I saw their summer submission call on our discord channel, and ruminated on the prompt for a couple of days. The theme was Sabbatical, and I tried a couple of pieces before ultimately dropping them off. I find that forcing a story to happen does not work for me, so I often try more than one project at a time, feeling them out, and choosing the one I most resonate with. Then, Braza was born, and I was really excited about it while also trying to be realistic. I had had so many rejections until then, that one more would not discourage me, but I deeply hoped it would work out. It did, and I got that most expected email saying “We’re very pleased to accept your work ‘Braza‘…”

I was over the moon.

The editors are incredibly friendly and kind, and it was a pleasure working with them. I got my hard author copy and a second one too because my husband, without knowing about the author copy, bought one to surprise me. Being able to place a physical copy of something I have written among the loved titles on my bookshelf is a feeling I cannot describe.

Funemployment Quarterly holds four open submissions a year, one for each season, and you can check their website for information on themes and deadlines. They ask for science-fiction and fantasy short stories, and according to them “We release quality things, some of which are virtual abstractions, some of which are objects you can actually hold. We hope you enjoy your stay, make yourself at home, and find your time here useful!”

I sure did.

The cover arts are always fantastic and the story selection wonderful. Within the Summer edition I particularly love Academic Emulators, by Franco Amati; When Death Met The May Queen, by Benjamin Thomas; and Azimuth, by Matt Cantor.

No matter what edition you pick, you are in for a lot of fun.

Click wherever Funemployment is mentioned to link to the Press and they are also listed on my website under Communities, Indie Presses. Submissions are open! The Theme is Autonomy.

How do you balance all your pursuits with life and work? Do you have any tips on time management and how to fit in what you love doing with what you must do on a day-to-day basis?

Isa – Organisation is the key, I believe. I have a board on the wall of my study where I place different colour post-its with the different things I have to do throughout the month. That way I can see where my free periods are and make the most out of them. I´m fortunate enough to have a job where the schedule is flexible and I can move things around to fit my responsibilities and my passions. There are days when writing is impossible, and that’s okay, because my board tells me that tomorrow or the next day I will have an entire afternoon just for that.

Different people will have different goals and different needs, but one thing that I believe unite us writers is the passion for our craft. With passion, anything is possible, even carving time out of a crazy schedule. We write because we love doing so, and I think that is enough. If you can write everyday, great, but if not, great too, because there is nothing that will stop you from finding the time to do it.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Isa – I spent most of my adult life setting goals for myself and my career, working like crazy to meet those ideals — and I have achieved what I had set out to achieve. I have reached a point in my life where I’m perfectly content with what I have so I don’t want to stress over my writing too. I write because it makes me happy, so I´ll be happy as long as I’m doing it.

That being said, I do want to publish a novel some day, but if that is going to happen in five, ten or twenty years, I don´t know. Whatever happens, happens, and I will keep writing, keep learning, and keep loving every step of the way.

Thank you so much for visiting with me. Do you have any parting advice for our readers who want to pursue their creative passions?

Isa – Creativity is a strange thing, it may hit you when least expected. I would say that an attentive mind is the key to igniting those creative juices in our minds.

So pay attention. Pay attention to the people around you, to the silly things you watch online, to the changing seasons. Pay attention to the beating of a heart and the flap of a bird’s wing, to the cold of the morning wind and the warmth of the summer sun on your skin.

Pay attention to the world around you, think about it, then make it yours.

For me, inspiration comes in those quiet moments of contemplation, where your mind is still and yet focused, so thoughts spark in your brain and your entire body reacts to it. Did something make you laugh? Write it down. Did it make you cry? Write it down. Did it make you bored? Look again because you´re not paying enough attention.

To pursue a passion is redundant,because if it’s a passion, you will have no choice other than pursuing it. It´s in its nature, this calling that won´t leave you alone until you do what your mind and heart are begging you to do. So do it. Be brave and do it. Even if you´re doing it entirely for yourself – or especially if you’re doing it entirely for yourself.

Then, you go back to thinking about it. What worked, and what didn’t work? What was it that you needed to make it work? Talk to people, ask questions. Leave the self-doubt behind. Follow the advice that works for you, and ignore the ones that don´t. Do you. Be unapologetically yourself. And love every step of the way.

Wonderful! I can’t wait to see more of where your passion leads you, Isa. All the best to you!

By D. L. Lewellyn

Indie Author sharing a writer's life

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My Creator Spotlight – Inspiration for Me, and for You!

You can’t help but be motivated after meeting creators like you and learning what motivated them through the ups and the downs of their journeys.

Sunday Spotlight! With Fantasy Writer Isa Ottoni

Meet Max and Teona!

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