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January 2024 Roundup

Welcome to the January 2024 roundup!

And here we are at the start of another new year, full of creative possibilities… and I’ve got nothing.

Spending 2023 editing and publishing the final book in my Blackbirch series saw burnout hit me hard, and it’s taking longer than usual to get back into creative mode. 9 years of social media posting has also become more than a chore, especially with the implosion of Twitter and the algorithms of Instagram and Facebook making it harder for posts to be seen—even by those who have been following you for 9 years.

I know social media isn’t—and shouldn’t be—the be-all and end-all, but it’s frustrating to spend time every week making graphics in the hopes of getting yourself, blogs, and books “out there” and then no one sees them or the majority of interaction you get is from spambots. I know it’s not just my writer accounts having this problem and everyone but a rare few are in the same boat, but it and years of posting the same old content have both contributed to my lack of creativity.

With that in mind, I took a break from making graphics and went back to what I originally loved about Insta and have been posting just photos. Because of this, I don’t have my usual Writing Tip, Review/Book Teaser, and Quote Of The Month for this Roundup, but I will get back into these posts next month, as not posting them also means I’m not promoting this blog or my books. As for the rest of January, this is what I got up to…

What I’ve Been…Writing

Very little! Without an active manuscript to work on, I found it hard to motivate myself to write anything. For the first time in the 7 years that I’ve been blogging, I also missed adding a new blog on a scheduled blogging week (last Friday). I just didn’t have anything I felt was worthy enough to post for you guys, so I didn’t.

Hopefully, the recent digital and physical clean-ups I did, and school going back for my household this week, should pull me out of the funk. I’m confident the return to my usual routine will see my blogging revert to the usual 3 posts a month.

I also wanted to add a big thank you to those who’ve asked what I’m working on next. I was pleasantly surprised anyone was interested in knowing, let alone more than one person, and I appreciate your private messages and questions on my social media posts. While I’m not certain what form it’ll take yet, I will get back into writing novels this year and will be aiming for a stand-alone story this time.

Watching

Anyone But You

While it doesn’t quite hit the heady heights of a classic romantic comedy, Anyone But You is the closest we’ve had in a while. When Bea meets Ben on a rare night out, they hit it off instantly, but a miscommunication ends their romance before it starts, turning them into enemies. When they’re both guests at a destination wedding also attended by their exes, they team up and act like they’re in love, while of course, really falling in love. No doubt you’ve heard about the chemistry of Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, and it’s certainly there on the screen, which helps to elevate the movie. While some of the story beats could have been stronger to make a bigger impact, everything you want is there in this predictable-yet-heart-warming love story, making it worth a watch for fans of romantic comedies.

Mean Girls (2024)

While nothing will top the original classic because no one will ever come close to the chemistry of the original Mean Girls actors, this musical remake makes a valiant effort. The story is the same, just with added social media, and of course, some pretty catchy songs. When Cady Herron moves from being home-schooled in Africa to having to navigate high school, she quickly learns from her new friends Janice and Damian, whom to avoid. It’s Regina George and The Plastics, a group of girls who run the school. When Cady has the chance to take them down by pretending to befriend them, she becomes Plastic herself and learns some harsh truths.

Fool Me Once

Watching Harlen Coben adaptions, an American author whose books are always made into UK/European mini-series, is one of my Netflix guilty pleasures. His latest, Fool Me Once, centers around Maya and the death of her husband, Joe. Shot one night while out for a walk, the mystery of who killed Joe plays one part, while the mystery of how he’s on a hidden nanny cam visiting their daughter after his funeral is another. Told she’s seeing things by the detective in charge of the case (who has his own shocking secrets), and Joe’s family, Maya works to get to the bottom of the mystery, leading to a final episode full of genuinely shocking moments and reveals.

The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart

This series, based on the book by Holly Ringland, has been on my watchlist for a while, and I’m sorry I took so long to get to it. It’s beautifully filmed, has twists and secrets that are layered perfectly, and is superbly acted (extra kudos to Sigourney Weaver for doing her best Australian accent as she plays Alice’s bitter, meddling grandmother). When 9-year-old Alice Hart starts a fire that kills her abusive father and pregnant mother, it sets her on a path that breaks open old wounds, family secrets, and leads to a life where if she doesn’t learn from her past, she’ll fall into a future of repeated history. Highly recommended for those who love betrayals, secrets, empowerment, and emotional stakes.

Reading

The Shallows by Holly Craig

When Emma gets a note from a new neighbor, Ariella, begging for help to escape the dangerous and volatile nature of her husband and his business dealings, Emma risks her chance at a new life to help. When Ariella is murdered, and Emma and her young kids are the only witnesses, they’re taken prisoner on a remote island, where the dangerous shallows surrounding them may be their only means of escape.

It could have been easy for rich Emma to come across as whiny or privileged, but Author Holly Craig keeps her on the right side of sympathetic and is a master at uncovering secrets and reveals at just the right time. Jam-packed with enough questions to keep you guessing, betrayals galore, and an exciting finale, The Shallows is an entertaining read.

The Eleventh Floor By Kylie Orr

When Gracie takes a rare night off from motherhood to get some sleep in a fancy hotel, she lets loose and ends up in the hotel bar. Hours later, she awakens in a stranger’s hotel room, and witnesses something from the window she’s not sure is real. When it turns out that it is, Gracie has to decide if she’ll reveal her secrets and blow up her marriage to help solve the mystery.

Boy, did this book go in directions I didn’t think it would. But that’s a good thing. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and the voice of Gracie, expertly crafted by author Kylie Orr, kept me turning every page. She was such an interesting and relatable character, and the situations she kept finding herself in were so interesting that I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen. Definitely one for those who enjoy domestic thrillers where everyday lives are broken down by lies and their consequences.

The Day The Earth Turned Book 3: Winter by Chantelle Atkins

This is the third book in this dystopian series which has seen a mysterious illness take out most of the world’s adult population. With kids and teens left to run things, they’ve overcome in-fighting and increasing attacks from nature and animals to be trapped by one of the only adults left. David, passing himself off as a Pastor, is intent on rebuilding the world and uses violence to do it. After kidnapping Chess, his group is infiltrated by Reuben and Gus, former enemies now working together, to get her back while the mother of all winter storms hits town.

This series just goes from strength to strength. The characters are the real backbone and the friendships they make, the families they form, and what they’re willing to do for each other is the heart of the series and this book. The closing chapters are a roller-coaster of events leading to yet another nail-biting cliffhanger that sets up the fourth book (out in March) perfectly.

Christopher Pike Books

Inspired by the Netflix series, The Midnight Club, I’m re-reading the books of my favorite author, Christopher Pike, and enjoying the nostalgia and reading for fun and not to review. In 2022/2023, I read Pike’s YA books. For 2024, I’m reading his Adult books.

This month I read Sati.

If you’ve got any good book recommendations, let me know in the comments, or be my friend on Goodreads and share your books/recommendations! You can also find and follow my reviews and book recommendations on Amazon and BookBub.

If you’d like to add the Blackbirch books to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf and/or check out the reviews, click the following links:

Blackbirch: The BeginningBlackbirch: The Dark HalfBlackbirch: The RitualBlackbirch: The Collector Taking Photos Of

My writing desk/space. Despite being lost in regards to what to work on, I did spend a lot of time in my writing space this month, giving it a refresh (after the demise of my beloved big whiteboard) and a digital and physical clean-up in the hope it would boost my creativity.

On The Blog

In case you missed any of my posts, or want to re-read them, here are the latest blogs.

Yearly Roundup 2023Writing Resolutions: New Year, Same Year

I hope you’ve enjoyed my January Roundup. Let me know what you got up to in the comments!

— K.M. Allan

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Threads, and sign up for my Newsletter to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

Writing Resolutions: New Year, Same Year

This blog post was originally titled New Year, New Priorities, but as I sat down to write it, I realized I’d written a similar post last year with New Year, New Writing Habits.

Going over the same topics differently would not help me with my 2024 goals, or anyone else reading it with theirs.

So, instead of blogging about the same topic or trying, and failing, a lot of new resolutions in the pursuit of my writing goals, for 2024, I’m going to stick with what has worked for me in the past and add a sprinkling of something new.

Writing Resolutions: New Year, Same YearNew Year

For me, 2024 doesn’t just mark the start of a new year, it also marks the start of a year where I’m not working on my Blackbirch series.

For the first time in 22 years, I’m ready to work on a new story world and set of characters… I just don’t know what that will be yet.

That’s one of the “new” parts of the New Year for me, with the others being…

Clearing Space And Moving On

While a new year is the perfect time to move on from old projects, bad habits, and anything that’s been holding you back, I found it was especially relatable going into 2024.

Achieving the goal of editing and releasing the last book in my series sparked that ready-for-new-things fire.

After working on the same project for so long, filing away 22 years’ worth of files and notes to make room for something creatively new became the ultimate way to clear my headspace, too.

While this mammoth task is currently ongoing, it’s well worth doing if you’re at the same point, or if you’d like to use the new start of a new year to clean up your physical, digital, and mental files.

For the digital, go through your computer and back everything up to a digital space or external hard drive. Then, delete any files from your computer that you won’t be opening again/using regularly.

As I’m still promoting my book series, I need to keep the ebook and print book files on hand, and the notes and graphics to make marketing items. Everything else (multiple drafts, notes, old promo files/images, teaser videos) and anything else sentimental hoarder-me has kept, can be moved on.

For the physical, if your writer-type is to use notebooks, scraps of paper to note down random ideas, or stash a pile of printed manuscripts around your desk, it’s time to move on from that too. File it away in a special box, or throw it away if you’re that brave.

For the mental, doing the above will clear your headspace, helping you to complete your “moving on” resolution.

Taking Regular Breaks

For me, this new resolution is also inspired by last year’s events. For the first time in a while, I took two big breaks in 2023.

One was a long-planned and needed holiday with my evil twin. The other was a longer-than-usual break at Christmas time, and I learned two things when taking these breaks.

The first was that I needed it. Being able to sleep in, not having to make/schedule/monitor posts on social media, and having the day open to do as little or as much as I liked was very needed after months (and years) of the writing/editing/blogging/reading/reviewing/posting/engaging cycle.

The second thing I learned after I’d rested and recharged was that I needed those things back.

As tiresome as the cycle had become, it’s also what fills my day, and I like the comfort and the purpose of the writing/editing/blogging/reading/reviewing/posting/engaging cycle. I concluded on my breaks that you don’t have to live the cycle 7 days a week, which is what I’d been doing.

This year, I will take regular breaks and I encourage you to do the same if you can. Don’t check your writing accounts on weekends and consider taking a week off every quarter. I may or may not do these things all the time, but I’m giving myself permission to do them if I want. It’s something I think is the perfect addition to any resolution list, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the authoring life, please add it to yours too.

Same Year

Now that we’ve made some New New Year resolutions, my Same New Year resolutions will very much be an if it’s not broken, don’t fix it deal.

Using Writing Routines

I might not have a manuscript to write or edit, but the writing routines that saw me pen four books are good habits that I want to stick to. Also, knowing what I’m doing keeps me sane, and organization and to-do lists are my jam.

I know that doesn’t work for everyone, and routines can be overwhelming, boring, and hard to stick to for some. If you want to give a routine a go, however, keep in mind that the best routine is one that suits you and your lifestyle, so make your routine as basic or elaborate as you like.

After years of trying different writing routines, this works for me:

Waking Up EarlyCalendarsTo-Do ListsSchedulingTime Blocking

Waking Up Early: I may not have an MS to pen when I get up early to join my fellow #6amAusWriters on Threads, but the consistency of keeping that habit will help when I do. Plus, getting up early is the only time I have the home office to myself. I like to use that space and quiet to work out what I’m doing for the day/week, and to write blog posts and book reviews, which are my writing fix right now.

Calendars: I currently use both digital and physical calendars to stay on track. For the physical, I have a whiteboard that displays an entire month at once, a planner that lists the days of the week, and a write-and-wipe to-do list. As for the digital calendar, I use a year-at-a-glance Word doc. This is for planning things out over the year, such as which weeks are my writing/blog publishing weeks, which are my authoring weeks, and when I’m taking time off. These items allow me to plan and execute my writing/authoring/reading work.

To-Do Lists: I like to use a write-and-wipe board to note down my to-do list for the day. A piece of paper, notebook, or diary also works just fine for penning the day’s tasks down and then crossing them off when complete.

Scheduling: The scheduling part of my routine involves using the Meta Business Suite app to schedule my social media posts. This works for Insta and Facebook, and I manually add the same posts to Threads. If I have the content ready, I’ll schedule posts a week in advance. If not, I’ll schedule them every other day. Scheduling allows me to plan for the week, and to post content at a time zone where (I hope) most people who want to see my posts get to. It also allows me to post consistently, which seems to be the only thing you can control on social media these days.

Time Blocking: This was something I started doing last year, and it was a game-changer for making small, daily progress, and for helping me reach my reading goals for the year. If you’re interested in doing the same, this post has the full breakdown: Time Blocking Your Writing Routine.

Making The Most Of Consistency

The final resolution I’m carrying over from other years is making the most of consistency.

I’ve learned that if you consistently stick to something—and that’s consistency, not perfectly—you eventually make progress. Just like consistently eating healthy foods will eventually improve your health, consistency in writing will eventually produce a book.

To establish such a habit, you could try what I did. This was to mark on my yearly calendar every day that I wrote. When I had a consistent string of days, say Monday to Friday, it motivated me to keep writing, which eventually established the habit.

Another way consistency has helped with my writing is by setting a word count of 500 words for every writing session. When I’m working on a first draft, sticking to that achievable goal allows me to get enough writing done to be satisfied I’m making consistent progress. It also motivates me to write more if I’m in the zone, or return excitedly to the next session, knowing I only have to churn out 500 words.

Aiming for consistency is a small yet powerful tool, as is pairing it with a writing routine you’ll stick to, clearing your physical, digital, and mental writing spaces, and following through on regular breaks.

These are great writing resolutions to establish that should deliver a New Year, Same Year balance that achieves your 2024 goals—whatever they may be.

— K.M. Allan

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, and Threads. You can also sign up for my Newsletter to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

Yearly Roundup 2023

Welcome to the 2023 blog roundup!

As is the tradition since the start of my blog in 2017, I’m rounding up the year that was, as well as my December!

Once again, 2023 was a blink-and-it’s-over year. I swear it still feels like we’re back in February or March, yet it’s the pointy end of December. Like 2022, I published a book this year—the fourth book in my YA contemporary fantasy series, Blackbirch.

The Collector finished the series I started writing way back in 2001, and the book series I’ve been talking about ever since I started my serious author journey in 2015 (aka opened all my writer social media accounts and started querying). It was a crazy 5 years of writing, editing, querying, being rejected, signing and rejecting a small press contract, and then publishing book 1, The Beginning, myself in 2020.

It took 3 years to get all four books out, and not only am I super proud of the effort, but I also feel a little lost about what to work on now. Because of this, I’ve been using the last few months of 2023 for some much-needed downtime and to work out what I want to do next.

Many of those decisions will be completed and executed in 2024, which is Future-Kate’s problem. Present-Kate is just enjoying the milestones she’s reached—and a lot of Xmas movies and chocolate.

I also spent time this year with my evil twin, and we went on our first cruise together, which was a Disney cruise to Hobart, and it definitely sparked a desire/wish to travel more.

As for the 12th and final month of 2023, this is what else I got up to…

What I’ve Been…Writing

Blogs – All I’ve been working on lately are blogs, such as this one, and the slower pace has been nice. As part of my What’s Next? pondering, I will look into something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, which is open my blog up to guest posts. I’m still working out how and when I’ll do this and will be sure to keep you all posted.

Watching

Wonka – It’s been a while since I’ve been to a movie that was just a delight to watch, and Wonka was it. Telling the origin story of how Willy became Wonka as he arrives in the city to sell his chocolate and open a store. Along the way, he meets and helps others, and is sabotaged by the big chocolate makers in town who don’t want to see him succeed. Is it all predictable? Yes, but it’s the kind of story you want to go the way it does. For those who aren’t aware, it is a musical and features some fun new songs and a new version of the classic Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Christmas Movies! – As usual, my December was full of Christmas movies. The classics my household watches every year, like Christmas With The Kranks, Die Hard, Four Christmases, and Christmas Vacation, will be played.

This year, we also watched newbies, Family Switch (Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms swap places with their kids over Christmas, and hijinks ensue), Exmas (Ali and Graham have broken up, but still end up at the same family gathering, and hijinks ensue), and Your Christmas Or Mine 2, a sequel to one of my faves from last year, which sees Hayley and Hubert’s families get together for Xmas—and as you can guess—hijinks ensue. I also watched one of the worst Christmas movies I’ve seen, ironically titled, Best. Christmas. Ever! where the hijinks and the movie were neither whimsical nor entertaining.

Reading

If you’ve been around since last December, you’ll know I started re-reading the books of Christopher Pike. This December, I read his last YA book, so it took me 1 year to get through 54 books. It was an interesting exercise, and I enjoyed it, even if some of the books I’d regarded as favorites weren’t as good as I’d remembered. Others turned out to be better, and there was even one or two I couldn’t recall the plot for, so it was like reading a whole new book. For 2024, I’ll read through his 6 adult books to finish my goal.

Getting through all those Pike books, and my other goal of reading 1 writing craft book a month, saw me reach a Goodreads Reading Challenge of 84 books for the year. This is the most amount of books I’ve read since I started using Goodreads to keep track of things. For 2024, I’m going to read more of my To Be Read Pile, and see if I can clear through some physical books from my shelf, and the digital ones on my Kindle.

December Reads/Reviews

Writing the Natural Way By Gabriele Rico

An interesting writing craft book that’s all about tapping into different methods to get your words flowing. It encourages the use of flowcharts and touches on imaging, using repetition, and a writer’s notebook to create clusters and vignettes through writing exercises. If you’re a fan of writing exercises, this book is most definitely for you. It wasn’t for me for that reason, but I can see how it would be helpful for writers who like to work that way, and I think this type of book and what it encourages would be great for poets.

We Who Are Forged In Fire By Kate Murray

A fantastic sequel that closes out this imaginative series. After finally gaining her superpowers, being accepted to train as a Hallow Warrior like all of her family members before her, and reuniting with her girlfriend, Priscilla thinks she is where she needs to be. But the other trainees don’t talk to her, she’s not allowed to use her power to its best potential, and at night, she’s been dreaming of Dominic, the boy who used and betrayed her. When the opportunity to become a rebel spy comes her way, Priscilla blows up her life and relationships to take it, but will it be all for nothing? Author Kate Murray continues and completes her wonderful world of monster hunters, adding new characters to the mix, bringing favorites back from the first book, and there’s of course all the wonderful animal familiars that help their human counterparts. She does an amazing job of growing Pricilla into the warrior she needs to be, and of resolving not just Priscilla’s problems from this book, but ones started in the first too. This creates a very satisfying read, one that’s highly recommended for fans of YA fantasy who want to read a book full of great characters, interesting concepts, future sci-fi elements, and emotional stakes.

Pike Books

This month I read Black Knight and Strange Girl.

2023 – Top Picks

Looking back on what I read and watched for 2023, what stuck with me most were the following…

Movies/TV Shows

Poker FaceThe Last Of UsFirefly Lane (Final Season)BarbieThe Other Two (Seasons 1-3)I’ll Be Gone In The DarkCruel Summer (Seasons 1 and 2)

Books

Shut Up And Write The Book – By Jenna Moreci2,000 to 10,000: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love – By Rachel AaronBird By Bird: Instructions For Writing And Life – By Anne LamottWhen Ghosts Call Us Home – by Katya de BecerraTaking Photos Of

Christmas! In my house, we’ve put up the tree, dressed up the cats, and I’ve started baking. So far, I’ve made Christmas Crack, and before the season is through, I’ll make Christmas Chow!

Top 9 Instagram Photos

And here are my TOP 9 Instagram photos for 2023! Thank you to everyone who sees my posts and leaves a like or a comment.

On The Blog

In case you missed any of my posts, or want to re-read them, here are the latest blogs.

November 2023 RoundupWriter Holiday Gifts To Give Yourself

Your Favorite Blog Posts For 2023

Thanks to the magic of WordPress stats, I also have a list of the top five viewed blog posts for 2023…

How To Create Page-Turning Chapter Endings5 Ways To Avoid Info-Dumping5 Ways To Reduce A Big Word Count5 Tips For Making Your Characters DistinctFive Ways To Give Your Characters Emotional Depth

My Favorite Blog Posts For 2023

And a list of five blogs I had fun writing this year…

Time Blocking Your Writing RoutineThe Little Details ChecklistAction Scene Do’s And Don’tsHow To Write Yourself An Edit Letter, And Why Every Writer ShouldThe Secrets To Writing A Series (Part 1) – And Here’s Part 2!Onto 2024

With the end of 2023 being the mental break I needed, I’m looking forward to packing things away (both mentally and physically) and starting 2024 with a clean slate. I’m hoping this will lead to new dreams, goals, and inspiration.

As always, eternal thanks for taking the time to read this blog and the others written this year. I hope they’ve been helpful, useful, and informative. All of your feedback, comments, conversations, and post sharing is also very, very appreciated.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

I’ll see you again in January!

— Kate

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Writer Holiday Gifts To Give Yourself

Sometimes, the best gift to receive is one that you give yourself. After all, who knows what you like better than you?

And as a writer, you also know what’s going to help you get those words written. So, fresh off our other holiday gift guides for writers, comes…

Writer Holiday Gifts To Give Yourself!Self-Care

And the first gift is a little (or a lot) of self-care!

When writing, it’s so easy to get caught up in your fictional world that the real world can be a lot. That’s when you need to gift a little self-care your way and do all the things that help you unwind.

Take a break from your keyboard and do something fun. There’s no room here for the guilt of not working on your writing all the time. Put those thoughts aside and give into the holiday season. Let go and do all the self-care you can handle.

I like to do a little at-home beauty pampering while binge-watching something feel-good, and when it’s this time of year, that’s usually all the Christmas movies I can handle. Whatever makes you feel relaxed and taken care of is the self-care you should aim for.

A Cafe Day

We’re currently living in a time when a meal out is a treat, so if you can afford it, give yourself a cafe day.

Go to your favorite place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner, and enjoy a meal you didn’t have to cook yourself. You can even take your laptop or notebook along and get a little writing in while people-watching.

If you’ve got a writing group or a fellow word-smith that you can catch up with too, the more the merrier. A day out, concentrating on your own writing, or talking about all things writing with a friend is a magnificent gift to give to yourself.

One Writerly Gift

Since it is the holidays, don’t forget to splurge on one writerly thing that you’ve always wanted.

Treat yourself to a new notebook, laptop, keyboard, desk plant, or even a new desk.

Spruce up your workspace, or create one if you don’t already have it. Get a new whiteboard, a new set of pens, or anything that will help you get those words down, or inspire you when you sit down to weave your word magic.

A Pat On The Back

Writing is mostly a solitary act and there are so many ups and downs. From the frustration of piecing together plot lines, making ideas go the distance, writing when crafting words feels like wading through mud, feeling like you’re never getting to where you want to be, and the self-doubt all weighs heavily.

With all of that going on, we tend to forget about the good things we achieve. No matter how hard things feel, or the rejection or disappointments you went through this year, you aren’t the same writer you were at the start of the year, last year, last week, or when you started. You’re better now. You’ve learned as you’ve failed and as you’ve triumphed, even if it hasn’t felt like it.

We rarely stop to give ourselves a pat on the back, or we wait for others to give it to us. We don’t need to do that. Give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved this year, whether it exceeded your expectations, or fell shy.

Pair that self-acknowledgment with your self-care, a cafe day, and a cool writing-related item, and give yourself a holiday gift worth all of that hard work. You gave your all for your writing, and that deserves to be celebrated!

Happy holidays!

— K.M. Allan

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Threads, and sign up for my Newsletter to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

November 2023 Roundup

Welcome to the November 2023 roundup!

What a month I had! I spent the first half getting everything ready for when my twin sister came to town for two weeks. As soon as she got here, we went on a 4-day Disney Cruise with two friends to Hobart, which is in Tasmania, Australia. We’d never been there before, and I’d certainly like to go back and explore it for longer. The cruise (also a first for me) was fun, and I got to tick a bucket list item off, which was seeing a movie on a boat. We watched The Marvels while on the cruise, as well as three great Broadway-style shows: Frozen, The Golden Mickeys, and Dreams: An Enchanted Classic as the entertainment each night. Below you’ll find some pictures of the cruise and my holiday if you’re interested. As for the rest of the eleventh month of 2023, this is what else I got up to…

What I’ve Been…Writing

Not much! For the first time in years, I wasn’t working on a Blackbirch book, and that’s because the final book is out now! Blackbirch: The Collector was released on the 27th, and although I was feeling a little overwhelmed about the end of the series before I went on holiday, as soon as it was released, I felt nothing but happiness. I’ve been dreaming/thinking/plotting/writing this series for 22 years, and I couldn’t be prouder of what it ended up being. I hope anyone who reads it feels the same.

To celebrate the release, I will be holding a giveaway where you can win signed paperbacks and book swag like bookmarks and a pin! Be sure you’re following at least one of my social media accounts (links at the bottom of this blog) so you can enter when I announce the details tomorrow!

Watching

The Marvels

Picking up after the events of the Ms. Marvel TV series, which saw Kamala Khan switch places with her hero, Captain Marvel, aka, Carol Danvers. The body-swapping shenanigans go up a notch when Monica Rambeau is roped into them too. The sequences add to the fun of the movie, which sees Carol, Monica, and Kamala join forces to defeat an enemy who is seeking revenge for an incident that destroyed her home planet. Nick Fury and Goose the Flerken also make appearances, as do other characters that I won’t spoil here. It also wouldn’t be a Marvel movie without a twisty ending, and a mid-credit scene!

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

This is the only Hunger Games book I hadn’t read before seeing the movie adaption, so I went into it not knowing what it was about other than an origin story for Snow (The Hunger Games villainous president) and that it’s set years before Katniss. I liked not knowing the story, and I liked this movie as a whole. My sister, who is a big Hunger Games fan, preferred the other movies, but I think this one has its place in the franchise. When 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is assigned to be one of the first mentors in the 10th annual Hunger Games, he does what he can to keep his charge, Lucy Gray Baird from District 12, alive, while also fighting growing feelings for her. The movie is broken up into 3 parts, showing Snow go from underdog to hero, his fall, and the start of the path to becoming Panem’s future president. With plenty of Hunger Games easter eggs along the way, Tom Blyth is great as the young Snow, and Rachel Zegler is perfectly cast as the songbird, Lucy Gray.

Reading

The Woman In Me by Britney Spears

Britney, the real Britney, not the media-created version, is finally free to tell her own story instead of others telling it for her, and it’s an eye-opening, disturbing, honest read, with the occasional moments of joy.

Starting with her dysfunctional childhood and moving through her career, touching on big moments those who grew up in the late 90s/early 2000s will remember, the book moves through her biggest relationships, failures, becoming a mother, being stalked by paparazzi, having a mental breakdown fueled by betrayal and grief, and then finally onto the 13-year-long conservatorship, and her escape from it.

It’s not a light read, and you can feel her anger for the way she was treated by those closest to her and by the media. There’s also an underlying naivety. Britney trusted too much and gave in too much to those around her, not advocating for herself until pushed to limits that would have broken others. Britney has stated that she’s moved on after writing this memoir and how therapeutic it was for her, and I really hope that’s true because she certainly deserves that right. Recommended for fans of Britney, and those who like quick-read memoirs.

The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing by Meg Leder, Jack Heffron, Writer’s Digest Books

Another interesting collection from The Writer’s Digest series. This book covers the basics of writing and features interviews with well-known authors, like Margaret Atwood and Tom Clancy. Highlights for me were the articles, The Plot Thickens, The Fifty-Page Dash, How To Start, A Four-Step Plan for Revision, Twenty-One Tweaks to a Better Tale, Producing a Knockout Novel Synopsis, and Marketing Your Novel: The Ten Commandments. Recommended for writers of all levels, but especially those in the beginning stages.

Christopher Pike Books

Inspired by the Netflix series, The Midnight Club, I decided to spend 2023 re-reading the books of my favorite author, Christopher Pike. It was his books that put me on the path to writing for Young Adults, and it’s interesting reading them now as a writer rather than just a reader. For these books, I’m enjoying the nostalgia and reading for fun and not to review.

This month I read Red Queen, and Thirst 5: The Sacred Veil.

If you’ve got any good book recommendations, let me know in the comments, or be my friend on Goodreads and share your books/recommendations! You can also find and follow my reviews and book recommendations on Amazon and BookBub.

If you’d like to add the Blackbirch books to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf and/or check out the reviews, click the following links:

Blackbirch: The BeginningBlackbirch: The Dark HalfBlackbirch: The RitualBlackbirch: The Collector Taking Photos Of

My Disney Cruise on the Wonder, Hobart, The Friends Experience, and a one-night-only show from Christina Aguilera during her first visit to Australia in 15 years.

On The Blog

In case you missed any of my posts, or want to re-read them, here are the latest blogs.

October 2023 RoundupThe Basic Book Launch Marketing ChecklistBlackbirch: The Collector Cover RevealBlackbirch: The Collector Is Out Now!

Other blogs and sites!

This month I was invited to write a character interview for The Glorious Outsiders blog, Laurie Bell posted a fabulous book review for Blackbirch: The Collector on her blog, and the Australian Book Lovers site featured my book as one of their Fantastic Features Of The Week! Thank you to my fellow amazing authors for the opportunity to feature on their blogs/sites, and for their amazing support! You can check out the pieces at the following links:

Character Interview: Josh Taylor – from The Glorious Outsiders.Review: Blackbirch: The Collector – from Rambles, writing and amusing musings.Fantastic Features Of The Week! – from Australian Book Lovers.Writing Tip Of The Month

#WritingTipWednesday posts are added to my social media feeds every week and this was the only one I posted this month, so it wins a spot in my roundup by default! It’s taken from my blog post, How To Add Unpredictability To Your Story.

Blackbirch Snippet Of The Month

This month I posted the first snippet from Blackbirch: The Collector, which is the opening sentence of the book. Fun fact, it mirrors the first line of book 1 (The Beginning) and the closing sentence of The Collector’s epilogue. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do in a story, and it was a fun feat to pull off.

If you’d like to read the books or find out more about each novel, here are the links:

Blackbirch: The Beginning (Book 1)Blackbirch: The Dark Half (Book 2)Blackbirch: The Ritual (Book 3)Blackbirch: The Collector (Book 4)

If you’ve read any of my books—and haven’t done so already—please consider leaving a review or even just a star rating. It really helps indie authors get their books noticed, and also helps fellow readers find books they’ll like.

Quote Of The Month

I didn’t post a quote this month, so I’ll just reuse last month’s because it’s such a good one. I hope you’ve enjoyed my November Roundup. Let me know what you got up to in the comments, and don’t forget to keep an eye on my socials for The Collector giveaway!

— K.M. Allan

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Threads, and sign up for my Newsletter to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

Blackbirch: The Collector Is Out Now!

By now, all of the world’s time zones have ticked over to the 27th of November 2023, which means Blackbirch: The Collector is officially out in the world!

It is now available from the usual retailers of paperbacks and ebooks! Scroll to the bottom of this post for all the buy links, and/or keep reading to find out more about the book and how I celebrated.

Blackbirch: The Collector

This is the final book in The Blackbirch Series and starts directly after the events of book 3 (The Ritual), which have set off a chain reaction of elemental chaos. The town has to evacuate, leading to a road trip to Josh’s old home in the city, where he and his friends discover some life-changing truths. There are revealed secrets, battles (both internal and external), deepened relationships, and closure—and it wouldn’t be a Blackbirch book with at least one twist thrown in!

Book Charts

After the Australian release yesterday, Blackbirch: The Collector, hit #5 on the Hot New Release Contemporary Fantasy For Young Adults at Amazon.com.au!

Thank you to everyone, I’m so grateful for your ongoing support! I’ve also seen it appear inside the top 20, 50, and 100 new releases on the Dark Fantasy YA and Witches and Wizards YA, both on the Australian site, and the ebook has been appearing on the US site on the same lists too. The Collector and The Beginning (Book 1) also jumped into the top 50 on a few US and AU Best Seller lists too!

The Art Of Celebrating

Adding the fourth book to my home bookshelf was a moment years in the making! Unfortunately, Dymocks, who previously stocked my books, no longer do, so there won’t be any trips to the bookstore to drop off signed copies or the chance to see the whole series on a shelf, but I’m extremely grateful for the few years my books were stocked at their store. It was a lifelong dream I ticked off my writer bucket list.

My twin sister was in town for the lead-up to to the release, and we celebrated with buffalo wings, a fave meal of ours and food referenced in the book itself. My sister is one of only two people who read the original draft of this book way back in 2017, and immediately told me to change the ending. I hope when she gets around to reading the final published version, she’ll like what I did with it.

Buy Blackbirch: The Collector

As promised, here are the buy links.

With book 4 now completing the series, it’s the perfect time to read books 1-3 if you haven’t yet: The Beginning, The Dark Half, and The Ritual.

Thank you to everyone who has or will buy a copy. I truly hope you enjoy it!

Paperback AmazonAmazon.com.auAmazon.co.ukBarnes&NobleBooktopia
Ebook
AmazonAmazon.com.auAmazon.co.ukBarnes&NobleKoboEbook (other sellers)Add To Goodreads

Click the image below or here to add The Collector to your “Want To Read” shelf.

And there you have it! Thank you so much to everyone who patiently waited for this book—make sure you check out the dedication.

The idea for this series came to me in 2001, and I’ve been working on it, both in my head and on the page for 22 years. While the published versions written, edited, and polished in the last 3 years only have character names and some events in common with the various drafts I started, completed, trashed, edited, and abandoned over the years, I’m so proud of where the story ended up going, and the journey it took me on, both as a writer and a person.

These characters have been with me through all of life’s major events, ups and downs, and more than once I’ve used their journeys to work through my own grief, loneliness, joy, and, connections. I’ve snuck in inside jokes and references to my pets, kids, favorite books, and songs, and if I never write another book again (which is unlikely), I’m proud that I have these four books out in the world.

I hope this final story brings you the answers you wanted from the series and concludes it in the satisfying way I intended it to.

I am eternally grateful for all of your support, social media sharing, and book reviews. It really does mean the world to me and makes the hard parts of this writing life worth it.

I started this journey thinking these books would be my big break. I’ve ended it realizing that doesn’t happen for everyone, but that it no longer matters. What I got out of writing this series was a purpose in life and an author life that is just getting started.

Happy reading!

— K.M. Allan

You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, and Goodreads.

You can also subscribe here to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

Blackbirch: The Collector Cover Reveal

Welcome to the cover reveal for Blackbirch: The Collector! Without further ado…

Isn’t it stunning? It’s my favorite cover by far, and when you read the book, you’ll understand why it’s full of such colorful magick, and why the black birch tree in the center has flowers.

This final book in the Blackbirch Series will be released on November 27th, 2023! You can find the pre-order links below.

Blackbirch: The Collector

The monster Josh Taylor feared is free—and it’s all his fault.

Not only have Josh’s actions put his family and friends in danger, they’ve thrown Blackbirch into elemental chaos, forcing the town to evacuate.

Fleeing with his friends to his former home in the city, they follow clues left by his mom and aunt to uncover long-held secrets, and truths that lead to danger and loss.

This makes Josh question if he can avoid the doomed history of the Gifters before him, and if his magick is enough to defeat a creature willing to violate the laws of nature to claw its way back to life.

It’s Collector versus Collector in this epic conclusion to the Blackbirch series, and there’s only room in this world for one.

Paperback Pre-order Links:

  Ebook Pre-order Links:

Add to Goodreads:

The Blackbirch Series

Book one, The Beginning, is out now!

Paperback & Ebooks – Amazon/com/au/uk

Book two, The Dark Half, is out now!

Paperback & Ebooks – Amazon/com/au/uk

Book three, The Ritual, is out now!

Paperback & Ebooks – Amazon/com/au/uk

The Basic Book Launch Marketing Checklist

As a modern writer, marketing your book is both a must and something that’ll strike fear into your author-heart.

Even the most outgoing person can find marketing their book daunting, so you can only imagine how us introverted folks feel. It’s all a part of book launches now, and like most elements of the writing life, it can be overwhelming.

If you’re unsure where to start, don’t worry. There are some simple basics you can do, regardless of budget and experience, and that’s where this checklist will help!

The Basic Book Launch Marketing Checklist

For this checklist, we’ll cover the following, with more info about what each item involves listed below.

Universal LinksCover RevealBlurb Reveal Images/VideoOut Now GraphicsPicture/Profile/Banner UpdatesBio UpdatesBook PhotosGraphics With Book SnippetsGraphics With Book ReviewsGiveaway/Competition ImagesSale GraphicsUniversal Links

If you’ve never heard of them before, universal links allow you to list all of your book links via one link.

Those interested in buying your book can then click on said link, and get the ebook and paperback options available so they can go with the retailer of their choice.

It’s super easy to set up, you can update it anytime, and it’ll give you something to add to your social media posts, websites, and the other marketing checklist items listed here.

While a Google search will give you a few universal link options, for my releases, I’ve used Books 2 Read and have never had an issue.

Cover Reveal

In order to build excitement for your book, a cover reveal is a marketing must.

Traditionally, a teaser is posted first, which usually features just part of the cover, before the whole cover is revealed at a later date. How far after the teaser you release the full cover is up to you, but try not to go too far out so that you don’t lose any anticipation.

Both the teaser and cover reveal posts can be made using use free graphic programs, like Canva or Bookbrush. They all feature ripped paper/torn covering graphics that you can easily add on top of your book cover to create the teaser you need.

For a cover reveal with punch, make graphics for all of your social media platforms, and your blog/website/newsletter if you have one.

If you’ve got a street team or groups/friends in the writing community who are happy to share your reveal, either ask them to do so after you’ve posted yours, or give them a private heads up and ask if they’d mind posting your reveal on their own post/account at a pre-agreed time.

Blurb Reveal Images/Video

After your cover reveal, give the readers more info about your book with a blurb reveal!

You can put together images of the text from your blurb, or a video to use in social media posts and reels.

This is easy to do in Canva and similar programs. For an idea about how to, I have a blog post for making an animated book teaser video here. It will give you the basics to make snippets, reviews, and blurb reveal images/videos.

Out Now Graphics

While you’re making your reveal graphics, put some work into “Out Now” graphics too, so you have them ready to go on social media, newsletters, blogs, and websites once your book has been launched.

Picture/Profile/Banner Updates

The launch of a new book is the perfect time to give your social media accounts and author-related content a little refresh. You can do this by updating your author profile picture and other author-related graphics.

Update the following across all platforms.

Twitter/X profile pic + cover/header/pinned postFacebook profile pic + cover/header/pinned postAmazon Author pic profileInstagram profile pic + cover/header/pinned postGoodreads profile picPinterest profile picThreads profile pic

And any other social media platforms you’re a part of that allows you to add profile pictures and/or a pinned post or banner.

Keeping your profile picture and banners consistent across platforms confirms for any reader that they’ve found/are following the right person, and updating them at the launch of a book is the perfect way to draw attention to your social media profiles and your upcoming/new release.

Bio Updates

You may not want to tinker with your bio for every book launch, unless your bio lists all of your books. At least once a year, however, check and update it on your social media, blog, website, and any other place it’s listed.

Book Photos

For any promo opportunities, it’s a good idea to have some decent photos of your book. With phones like mini cameras, it’s easy to snap a few good shots. Just find a nice background, I.e. a bookshelf, a garden, or even just a flat surface in a suitable color, and then use the pictures in your graphics or just to post online as part of your marketing efforts.

Graphics With Book Snippets

One thing to do during a final read-through before publication is pull out any snippets that you think will make interesting graphics and add them to a note file.

When it gets closer to launch, take those snippets and turn them into graphics to post on social media.

Graphics With Book Reviews

When reviews start appearing, take portions and put them on graphics to share too. If you can’t/don’t want to check your own reviews, have someone you trust send you the best bits so that you can use them without having to read the whole review yourself.

Giveaway/Competition Images

If you’re running any type of giveaway or competition with your book launch, now is the time to create some graphics for that as well.

Sale Graphics

Same with a special sale. If you’re having a discounted launch price for your latest release, or if you’re discounting other works in celebration of your new release, put together some graphics so you can let people know.

And there you have a checklist of basic book launch marketing things to do to prepare for your book release! Remember to go with what will work for your skills, and enjoy this part of the book launch process. You’ve worked hard, and it’s time to show off what you’ve created!

— K.M. Allan

You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, and Goodreads. You can also subscribe here to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

October 2023 Roundup

Welcome to the October 2023 roundup!

It’s been a big month of getting everything ready before I go on a holiday that’s been a year in the making. Mid-next month, my twin sister is coming to town for two weeks, and during part of her time here, we’re going on a Disney cruise with two friends. This holiday gave me a deadline for getting my October and November blogs ready, reading the books I have on my TBR list for both months, and getting Blackbirch 4 prepared for release. This made October go both fast and slow as I swung between having a lot to do and being overwhelmed, and not having things to do as I waited for outside parties to do what they needed on their end (in the case of getting Blackbirch 4 ready). The good news is that everything is on track now as I hit the end of this month. As for the rest of the tenth month of 2023, this is what else I got up to…

What I’ve Been…Writing

Blackbirch 4 – This is more of an editing/polishing entry as that’s what I’ve been doing this month. Blackbirch 4 ARCs went off to readers, and one let me know about the errors still in the book (like missing quote marks, apostrophes, and an unclear sentence or two) so I could fix them, and another told me how much she loved it, pretty much making my month. I then spent the last few days of October finalizing the formats for the ebook and paperback, approving the cover, making/ordering some book swag for my betas, ARC readers, and a release competition I’ll be announcing later. Formatting files and putting everything through IngramSpark and assigning ISBNs also reminded me how much I hate that part of indie publishing, but it gets the book into the world, so it’s a necessary frustration.

Watching

Sex Education (S4 – Final Season)

One of those shows that knows how to bow out on a high. After the school shut down at the end of last season, 4 opens with the kids going in different directions. Some, like Otis and Eric, have to find their place again at a new school, and for the first time in their lives, they might not be in the same circle of friends. Otis also has to contend with another student running a sex education club. Maeve has taken off for America, where she struggles in a writing program and is then called back to the UK after a death in the family. This allows her to finally be in the same place as Otis so they can start their very long overdue relationship. While not every relationship survives the season or goes the way viewers may want, there is closure for every character, which makes it a satisfying ending all around.

Only Murders In The Building (S3)

Our favorite podcast detectives are back! When yet another murder takes place at what is the unluckiest building ever, the Arcadia, Mable, Oliver, and Charles set out to solve it. The victim is the star of Oliver’s play (the always excellent Paul Rudd) and the suspects are of the usual kind. Both Oliver and Charles are in relationships with women who have ties to the play and victim, and even Mable starts to date another suspect. The red herrings are as plentiful as the big-name guest stars, though, the show does keep you guessing. It may not be at the brilliant heights of the first season, but Murders continues to be a binge-worthy show.

Totally Killer

Getting ready for Halloween, Jamie is lectured by her mom to stay safe. As a teen, a serial killer bumped off her friends, and when that serial killer strikes again, and then chases down Jamie, a chance encounter with a time machine/school science experiment transports her back to the time of the original murders. With the knowledge to stop them, she sets out to unmask the killer. This fun take on time travel is in the vein of Happy Death Day and spends just as much time making fun and poking holes in time travel and slasher movies as it does being a combination of the two. With an excellent performance by Kiernan Shipka as Jamie and some fun surprises to the events she changes, it’ll keep you entertained.

Goosebumps (S1)

This is a nice update to the classic stories and original TV series. Going for a darker tone, the main characters are teens and the episodes all connect via an overall ghost story that started back in 1993 with the accidental killing of a teen. He’s back, causing chaos for the now grown-up friends involved in his death and their teenage children. There are some creepy moments, and it features Justin Long, so it’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of spooky TV and/or the original Goosebumps books.

Reading

The Day The Earth Turned Book 2: Autumn By Chantelle Atkins

Picking up where book one left off, Autumn sees the unusual heat of summer broken when the rain finally arrives. The initial relief brings danger when floods, lightning, and animals and nature continue to gain the upper hand on the humans. The humans have their own problems and are still divided into two groups—most of the kids with Gus and his bullying ways, and the survivalists, led by Reuben, his Grandfather, and Chess. Both groups also come face-to-face with the only other adult around, a man who has decided he’s on a mission from God to rebuild the world. He’s doing so by sorting his kid followers into groups and looking for a wife. Author Chantelle Atkins does a fantastic job at making him the creepy, pastor-like cult leader he needs to be to pull off his storyline. She’s also a master at taking mean characters like Gus and giving them a human side that makes you root for them. The kids now all have to work together against a common enemy, and I can’t wait to see where it will lead as this gripping series continues.

Save The Cat! Writes A Young Adult Novel By Jessica Brody

Another brilliant Save The Cat! Book, and another must-read from best-selling author, Jessica Brody. This time the beat sheets revolve around popular YA novels, and there are so many examples and fantastic tips that you’ll be an expert at plotting by the end of your read. Other highlights include a chapter on crafting and perfecting your logline and short synopsis (back blurb), and how to plot a series. Highly recommended for writers of all levels.

When Ghosts Call Us Home by Katya de Becerra

When Sophia is 12, her 17-year-old sister, Layla, convinces her to film a horror movie in a creepy house their family is restoring. Not one to believe in ghosts, Sophia dismisses the otherworldly things she sees as nothing more than special effects created by her sister.

5 years later, the movie is a cult hit, complete with a fanatical following, and Layla has been missing for 2 years. In a bid to find her sister, Sophia returns to the house to film a documentary and soon realizes the ghost of her childhood may not have been made of nightmares and special effects, but a very real creature that is very glad she’s back amongst its walls.

Written in a first-person style that just pulls you right in, Katya de Becerra’s latest novel is creepy and mesmerizing. It will stay with you for days as your brain connects all of her expertly planted details and hints. Although I wasn’t a fan of the ambiguous epilogue, mainly because I personally hate those types of endings, the rest of the book held me from the first chapter to the last, and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone who loves tight, smart plots, layers of foreshadowing, and supernatural stories and mysteries that are so intriguing you can’t put the book down.

Christopher Pike Books

Inspired by the Netflix series, The Midnight Club, I decided to spend 2023 re-reading the books of my favorite author, Christopher Pike. It was his books that put me on the path to writing for Young Adults, and it’s interesting reading them now as a writer rather than just a reader. For these books, I’m enjoying the nostalgia and reading for fun and not to review.

This month I read The Secret Of Ka, and Thirst 4: The Shadow Of Death.

If you’ve got any good book recommendations, let me know in the comments, or be my friend on Goodreads and share your books/recommendations with me! You can also find and follow my reviews and book recommendations on Amazon and BookBub.

If you’d like to add the Blackbirch books to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf and/or check out the reviews, click the following links:

Blackbirch: The BeginningBlackbirch: The Dark HalfBlackbirch: The Ritual Taking Photos Of

A Book Launch! This month, I caught up with my fellow #6amAusWriters, Belinda Grant and KD Kells to attend Katya de Becerra’s book launch for When Ghosts Call Us Home. After reading her book via NetGalley and loving it, I was super happy to get a signed paperback copy to add to my bookshelf. She was even nice enough to invite us to the launch after-party where we played games and shared delicious nibblies.

On The Blog

In case you missed any of my posts, or want to re-read them, here are the latest blogs.

September 2023 RoundupThe Secrets To Writing A Series (Part 1)The Secrets To Writing A Series (Part 2)
Writing Tip Of The Month

#WritingTipWednesday posts are added to my social media feeds every week and here is the most popular tip for this month. It’s taken from my blog post, 3 Simple Ways To Make Readers Care About Your Characters.

Blackbirch Review Of The Month

This awesome 5-star review is for my debut, Blackbirch: The Beginning.

If you’d like to read the books released so far or find out more about each novel, here are the links:

Blackbirch: The Beginning (Book 1)Blackbirch: The Dark Half (Book 2)Blackbirch: The Ritual (Book 3)

If you’ve read any of my books—and haven’t done so already—please consider leaving a review or even just a star rating. It really helps indie authors get their books noticed, and also helps fellow readers find books they’ll like.

Quote Of The Month

I hope you’ve enjoyed my October Roundup. What did you get up to this month?

— K.M. Allan

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Threads, and sign up for my Newsletter to get my blog posts delivered directly to your inbox!

The Secrets To Writing A Series (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of my Secrets To Writing A Series!

If you missed part 1, it can be found here.

This is a continuation of what has worked for me and what hasn’t during the last 22 years of thinking, planning, and writing my debut series, Blackbirch. So, without further ado, these are my final secrets!

The Secrets To Writing A SeriesKnow Your Characters

Not just their physical descriptions and if they like ice cream but the deeper stuff.

Why do they hate clowns? Why do they react badly to good news? What would drive them to sacrifice themselves for others?

Those things might not make it to the printed pages, but the deeper you know the characters, the more it seeps into your writing. Spend as much time as you can thinking about them and what they would do or say in any situation, even if it never makes it to the final version. It will shape the character in your head and imprint that knowledge in what you write.

Bonus secrets: celebrate everything, even the wins that don’t pan out. 1. I was offered a small press publishing contract for book 1, which I exited when they asked me to sign a new contract just 6 weeks before release but had yet to do edits or a cover despite having my MS for months. 2. My first book is available in libraries! 3. Books 1-3 were available on the shelf of a Dymocks for two years, but after only a handful of copies sold in that time, I was asked if I wanted to “Try my luck elsewhere.“If You Can, Write Everything At Once

Could my entire series be better if I’d waited until all of it was written? Sure. There are different ways I’d write certain events, characters, and there’s more fun I could have with foreshadowing or twists if I had all four books at their final draft stage before releasing anything, but doesn’t every writer think that way about any book they’ve written, series or not?

We could always do something better, even as little as 6 months after a book has been out in the world, simply because we’re better writers with each writing session and completed draft. But the reason I’ve included this secret is due to bitter experiences. Ones that mostly apply to self-publishing rather than querying.

The first experience happened when I was getting book 3 ready for publishing. At that stage, I’d managed to release books 1 and 2 within 6 months of each other and planned to keep that 6-month gap for books 3 and 4. After all, I had rough drafts written and figured I could edit and publish the next book in that same time frame. What I didn’t account for was the rough draft of book 3 not working.

It took multiple beta reads, two near-total rewrites, and a whole year to get it right. It’s since gone on to be the best-reviewed book of the series, so it worked out in the end, but it was stressful trying to make it work with the two books that had already been published.

The next bitter experience happened when I was working on book 4. Way back in 2020, when I released book 1, I had a rough draft of book 4 written. It guided some of the events/mentions/foreshadowing that I added to books 1-3. A great idea, right? Except that when editing and going through beta feedback for the final draft of book 4, there were some things that could have been deleted for complexity and wordcount sake, but because Past-Me had “cleverly” referenced said things in the previously published books, Present-Me couldn’t drop them. They’d become dangling series threads that needed to be tied up.

So, if you can, try to finalize your drafts before dropping your series. It could save you a lot of editing heartache and pressure. Having your whole series written at launch also means you can release your books within a short timeframe and create an almost instant backlist for your readers to find/enjoy. Or, if you’re querying, it allows you to have more examples of your work if an agent or publisher shows interest.

Write Old Drafts Fresh

Another secret I learned too late is to always start fresh with an old draft.

When the first three books of my series were published, obviously I went to work on the fourth. At this stage, I’d started the initial draft in 2017 and had tinkered and edited my way through 8 drafts by the time it was 2022. This 8th draft, however, still echoed my original ideas and writing style, both of which were different now that I’d published the other 3 books.

So, I started re-writing and editing. Then, I got stuck. Stuck on these now-5-year-old words not being as good as I wanted/expected them to be and the book events and characters not being the same anymore.

I tried polishing them instead of just writing fresh because I had 60,000 words already written and felt it should have been a case of editing them into my current writing style and updating the characters so they matched who they were now after 3 books.

I spent a year doing this, and I know now that it would have been easier to write an outline of what events I wanted to keep and then start a new document, writing fresh.

Giving the draft to my alpha reader confirmed this when the scenes she loved the most were the new scenes I’d added. Writing them fresh allowed me to easily tap into my current writing voice and the characters, which meant the words flowed better and didn’t read like I was editing over old work.

If you take anything away from these secrets, let it be that if you’ve got an old draft that you’re updating, start a new document!

Write it from the start again with your current knowledge and experience of the story and your characters. It will be easier to craft, and it will be a better version of your book to read.

Bonus secret: support is awesome. I penned the majority of what went on to be the published versions of my books with support from the wonderful writing community, especially the #6amAusWriters, who were up early with me working on their own amazing words. Members have also been on hand for annual writing retreats, cafe catch-ups, writing events, and when I held my one and only book launch, just before the pandemic hit in early 2020.You’ll Care The Most

And now we’ve come to my last secret, which is more like an inner truth.

When writing a series (or any book), you’ll care the most.

The drafts that were frustrating to write, the drafts that made you eager to sit at your desk, day after day, weekend after weekend, year after year, will always hold a complicated love/hate place in your heart.

It will matter to you that a specific character arc happened, that an inside joke was added, or that your MC expressed/went through something similar to yourself. It’ll sting when beta readers and editors tell you to delete sentences or plot points because they don’t move the story along. They won’t get why they matter to you so much.

They’re usually the darlings that should be cut. And you’ll do that. Most of the time. But that doesn’t take away your memory of pouring your heart onto the page. Just writing those darlings helped you, even if they don’t make it to print.

It’s because you care so much that reaching the end of a series makes you feel lost. Suddenly, this thing you’ve been working on for so long has ended. You don’t need to think or write about these characters and places anymore. This may come as a relief. It may come as grief. It may make you question if you can write anything else.

Take that time. Work through those emotions. It might not seem like it to others, but your book is a big deal. No one else knows the fears, emotions, tears, and happiness that went into it but you. There was a point when you gave everything to those pages, and no one else would celebrate it or grieve its end like you.

It’s okay to feel lost, silly, and weird. That just means the book helped you express what you needed to, sharpened your skills, taught you all the lessons, and gave you firsts, like completing a book, series, rejections, and failed publishing contracts. It taught you just as much about writing as it did about yourself.

Hold on to that as you move forward. And even though it might not feel possible, you will start the next book. You’ll also know how to bring it to life because of the secrets writing a series taught you.

— K.M. Allan

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