Robin Jeffrey's Blog, page 12

The Check-In

Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.

Here’s the breakdown:

Dirty Drinks (a.k.a. the Mafia Anthology Sub): Yes, the mafia romance novella finally has a title! At least a working one, though I must admit to growing quite fond of it. Once again, not a lot of forward momentum on this piece this week, as I put a lot of time and effort into the The Night Lead Magnet. But I have plenty of time to work on this novella AND I feel good about the fact that I worked out some plot points and scene beats for myself. Going forward should be smooth(ish) sailing. The Night Lead Magnet: In what might be my quickest turn around on a project ever, The Night Lead Magnet has been written! It needs some slight massaging, some editing, some shaping before it’s ready to be sent to the publisher, but it is, essentially, finished. I really like what has grown out of my unused portions of Hungry is the Night and I hope y’all will too. I think it’s a good introduction to my writing style, the series in general, and has some fun *spicy* bits for all to enjoy!Other Projects: As I gear up for a slew of book tour stops over the next month and change, my capacity for other projects is slight to say the least. Next up in the rota will probably be Lonely is the Night and perhaps some more progress on my untitled PNR!

It’s been really nice taking a break from my novel length work to focus on these shorter projects. I don’t think I realized how close I was to burning myself out until I took a step back. It’s a good reminder that as much as I love hard work, taking breaks is just as important.

LESSON OF THE WEEK: LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR HEART SAYS YOU NEED. GIVE YOURSELF SPACE.

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Halloween Countdown Giveaway!

October 1st-13thGoodies Given Away Every Day Totaling $210

Halloween Giveaway

Every day is Halloween in this paranormal romance giveaway. Thirteen authors have teamed up to bring you the hottest and spookiest October. How does over $210 worth of prizes sound? 

The ghouls and goblins are throwing a huge Monster Mash and they want you to join them. With each new day, they’ll open another door or window in this haunted house to reveal who’s partying and what prize you can win.

Head to Ellen Mint’s website giveaway, click on the haunted mansion, and it will reveal the newest prize you can win.

The giveaway is sponsored by these wonderful authors:

Ellen Mint • AE Lister • Robin Jeffrey • Tanith Davenport • January Bain • Megan Slayer • H. M. Gooden • Letty Frame • Rosanna Leo • Seelie Kay • Tabetha Waite • M.C. Roth • Angela Addams • V.J. Allison

Author Advice

Natalie Goldberg and Three Things

Basically, if you want to become a good writer, you need to do three things. Read a lot, listen well and deeply, and write a lot. And don’t think too much. Just enter the heart of words and sounds and colored sensations and keep your pen moving across the page.

Writing down the bones
by Natalie Goldberg

I think one of the questions writers’ get most often is simply “How?” How do you write a book? A short story? How do you write every day? How do you get ‘good’, whatever that means?

In her beautiful book, Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg lays out three (well, four) things that a good writer needs to do: read, listen, write, and don’t think too much.

I love it.

I love this list because it’s made up of deceptively simple things that are so hard, but that everyone could do. It’s achievable for all of us. Everyone can be a writer — it’s that easy and it’s that hard. Read, listen, and write (and don’t think too hard about any of those activities).

LESSON LEARNED: TRUST YOUR INNER VOICE. DON’T OVERTHINK YOUR OWN WORK.

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The Check-In

Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.

Here’s the breakdown:

Bloody is the Night: THE FIRST DRAFT IS FINISHED!! I did one big push on the second book in The Night series over the past week and managed to get it done. Not only did I get it completed, I did a full initial round of edits and got it sent off to my freelance editor! I am so incredibly proud of myself. It feels great to have this off my plate and even better to know that I’m (fingers crossed!) going to be able to submit the draft to my publisher on time!Mafia Anthology Sub: Because I spent so much time working on Bloody is the Night this week, I didn’t make much forward momentum on this novella. But I’m back to work on it now and I still feel like it’s shaping up nicely. There’s one key backstory element for my main character that I need to work out before I can go much farther, but I’m confident I’ll come up with something. The Night Lead Magnet: Now that the first draft of Bloody is the Night has moved on to the editing/rewriting stage, I decided it was time I created a lead magnet for The Night series. In case you don’t know, a lead magnet is basically something you give away to customers/consumers for free in exchange for their information and potential business down the line. For fiction authors (like me) a lead magnet is most often a short story of some kind, a sample of their work that readers can get for free to see if they enjoy the author’s style, the context/content of a series, etc. After talking over some details with my publisher, I am aiming for a short story about 9.5k long that will give readers a little taste of the world of The Night. Luckily, I already have a lot of “unused” material from that series that I’m managing to put together into an exciting short story!

I was really intimidated by the concept of a lead magnet, and for a long while, I was avoiding the project entirely because I wasn’t even sure where to start. I’m so glad I decided to dive in, and thrilled that my “unused” bits and pieces are getting a second life and a chance to get in front of readers! I can’t wait for y’all to see what I have in store for you!

LESSON OF THE WEEK: THROW AWAY NOTHING. YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR WRITING IS GOING TO COME IN HANDY!

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Behind the Scenes Sunday

Taking Time

Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about the importance of taking time off — and why I personally find that so hard to do.

No one can work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We all need time to rest, recuperate, and do the things that feed our souls. But what if the thing we do for work is the thing that feeds our souls?

Then we need to find something else that does as well.

I love to write. I wouldn’t do this author thing if I didn’t. But writing has also become my job — how I keep a roof over my head and food in my belly. As much as writing makes me feel alive, helps me keep in touch with my emotions, regulates my mental health, it is also very much work. And no one should work all day every day. Even if they love what they do.

With this in mind, I’ve cultivated other interests and hobbies outside of my writing. I play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. I watch movies and television. I read comic books. I go for walks. I listen to music. And I firmly believe that doing these things, taking time away from the keyboard — it all makes me a better writer.

As always, if you’re interested in supporting me and my work, I’ve got great news: my debut novel, Hungry is the Night is now available on all major platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive collection of deleted scenes from the book!

Don’t wait! Order today!!

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Author Advice

Jessica Brody and Wants vs Needs

…the second important thing to note is that not all characters actually get what they want…Because in the end, the want is only half the story. Heroes aren’t complete until they also have a need. Heroes are often wrong about what will inevitably lead to their own happiness.

Save the Cat! Writes a novel
by Jessica Brody

Want versus need is something I think many of us (myself certainly included) struggle with a lot in real life. Do we need that latest and greatest whatever? Or do we just want it? Do we want to be healthier and move more? Or do we need to be more active to be happy?

Its not surprising to me that I often have trouble delineating between my characters’ wants and needs any more than I have trouble sussing out my own wants and needs. I frequently get to the half way point of a book (sometimes even 75% of the way through) and realize that something is wrong — the story isn’t working. Why isn’t it working? Because the character has gotten what they wanted, but not what they needed. And I need to figure out what that need is.

I really like Brody’s advice here because it gives me a direction to start from. If my character fully believes that X will lead to their happiness, that X will make everything better, that X is what they really really need — they’re probably wrong. That’s my cue as the author to think a little harder, dig a little deeper and go in the opposite direction. Rather than flail about lost, Brody’s advice points me towards the north star and guides me home almost every time.

LESSON LEARNED: YOUR CHARACTERS CAN BE WRONG. WANTS ARE NOT NEEDS.

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The Check-In

Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.

Here’s the breakdown:

Bloody is the Night: So close to the end…so close I can almost taste the editing… This bad boy has less than 10k left to go and it is making me work for EVERY. WORD. It’s like pulling teeth lately, honestly, mostly because I think I’m discovering I struggle with endings (even more than mushy middles!). There’s something anti-climatic about it when I figure out how a book is going to end, and I almost avoid the writing of it because I don’t want the ride to be over. But I’ve got people waiting on this! It needs to be finished! LET’S GO BRAIN, KICK IT IN GEAR.Mafia Anthology Sub: Conversely, this snack-sized story is ticking right along, 25% done already! The honeymoon period may be nearing an end, though, as I start having to wrangle a cohesive plot into submission. I almost always start a project with a few key scenes in mind, and that was definitely the case with this piece. Now that I’ve written those scenes out, I’m left looking around going “…right…what now??”Everything else…: I’d really like to bounce back to that Untitled Paranormal Romance I started…but sadly, the demands of my schedule won’t allow it. Don’t worry my darling WIP — you have not been forgotten!

I’m having a lot of fun writing the Mafia Anthology Submission, which I find super surprising, given that I’ve had no urge to write in this particular subgenre before. I thought I was going to find the whole exercise less inspiring, more like ticking off boxes and writing to order. But it’s actually been super fun and challenging, stretching my writing muscles in unexpected directions. I really like how the story is shaping up!

LESSON OF THE WEEK: IT’S OKAY NOT TO EXCEL AT EVERYTHING. IF YOU DISCOVER A SKILL THAT NEEDS SOME WORK, THAT’S A GOOD THING!

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Behind the Scenes Sunday

Social Media Tools

Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about tools I use to manage my social media content and online presence in general.

A social media presence is a practical necessity for any author in this digital age, especially if you are a self-published or hybrid author. But many mid-list traditionally published authors rely heavily on social media as well to market their books, connect with readers, and generate buzz.

Personally, I am “regularly” active on four main social media apps:

Twitter (Or X, if we must call it that) FacebookInstagramTikTok

I create daily content for each of these platforms and, in the interest of being completely honest with y’all, IT IS A LOT OF WORK. NOT EVERYONE CAN OR SHOULD DO THIS.

I have the luxury of being an author full time. Not everyone does. But that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize your time to the fullest and still have a kick butt social media plan. How do you do it? Spreadsheets and schedulers.

I use a spreadsheet to preplan all my content, so from one day to the next, I know exactly what is being posted to what platform. This way, I can also work ahead, creating collateral for posts that have yet to come! Work ahead when you can — it’ll save you time and stress.

I also use a service called Buffer to schedule and post content across multiple social media apps at once. This has been a life saver for me, since by far the most time consuming part of juggling multiple profiles will always be switching between them, trying to post at different ‘optimal’ times in each, etc. etc. Buffer has a free version of their service available, but if you can afford it, I highly recommend paying for their Essentials Plan. It has been well worth it for me.

As always, if you’re interested in supporting me and my work, I’ve got great news: my debut novel, Hungry is the Night is now available on all major platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive collection of deleted scenes from the book!

Don’t wait! Order today!!

Subscribe to Robin’s Newsletter!

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Author Advice

Susie Bright and Experimental Writing

Consider experimental writing as your first escape from burnout. Don’t worry about what defines experimental — consider it anything that you don’t usually do. It’s your holiday from familiar pets and formulas; it’s your invitation to a risk.

How to write a dirty story
by Susie Bright

I have been writing a lot lately. By that I mean the sheer quantity of words I put on the page every day has increased exponentially, partially because I decided to make writing my full-time job (goodbye, library!) and partially because of certain looming deadlines (hello, stress!). Something I’ve been struggling with is how to keep my writing fresh, original, and, more than anything, fun for me to engage with. I firmly believe that if I don’t get some joy out of writing, you won’t get any joy out of reading what I’ve written. So sitting down with energy and excitement to the keyboard every day is really important to me.

I’ve adopted Bright’s advice above and engaged in several writing experiments — side projects is what I think of them as. They’re writing projects that are in some way far afield from what I usually work on. For example, I am currently working on a short (only 40k) mafia romance story for an anthology my publisher is putting together next year. Why is this experimental for me? Well…:

I have never written in the mafia romance genre.I have never written a story that length before.My publisher has some specific asks as far as…shall we say spice level? These asks are above and beyond the kind of spice I’ve written in the past.

All of these facets of the project are keeping me limber, stretching me in directions that are new and interesting, and helping me explore new challenges in my writing life, while still leaving me enough time and energy to focus on the other writing that needs to get done too.

LESSON LEARNED: WRITE OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. IT’S FUN!

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The Check-In

Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.

Here’s the breakdown:

Bloody is the Night: I’m nervous about this one, y’all. I was hoping to have this first draft finished by 9/2 and, as you can see, I’m still about 12k to 13k shy of where I want it to be, word count wise. Now, I still have a month before I need to get it submitted to my publisher, but it’s going to be a close one. COVID kicking my butt for two weeks really threw a monkey wrench in my plans for getting this one done on time. CURSE YOU, COVID!Mafia Anthology Sub: My (as yet) unnamed submission for the “mafia romance” anthology that my publisher is putting together for Halloween 2024. I have plenty of time to get this finished, which feels SO GOOD. My goal is to have it polished and ready to go by the beginning of March 2024 at the latest. Word count goal for this piece is between 30k and 50k, so I’m aiming right in the middle at 40k. Having this to work on is proving to be a nice mental break from the word of The Night. Everything else…: Everything else is on the backburner at the moment. Between promoting my currently released work and trying to get the next Night book in, my writing time has been…well…smushed full of stuff.

I’m frustrated that I’m not making quicker progress on Bloody is the Night. I was so close to having it done exactly according to schedule, exactly according to plan and then life had to throw me for a loop. Gah! But I suppose that’s important to remember for next time, isn’t it? You’ve got to make a plan with enough room to allow for the unplannable.

LESSON OF THE WEEK: AUTHORS MAKE PLANS TO MEET DEADLINES AND GOD LAUGHS. DUST YOURSELF OFF, LAUGH IT OFF, AND GET BACK TO WORK!

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