Makitia Thompson's Blog, page 5

Because I Felt Everything: a poem from my collection

 

God Owes Me Answers

I was told He listens.
That every tear I fed the floor
was collected by holy hands,
that pain served a purpose
even when it split me open like lightning.

But I’ve bled into prayers
that went nowhere.
Screamed into ceilings
that stayed still.
And if there’s a plan,
why does it feel like punishment
just to keep breathing?

God owes me answers.
Not riddles in scripture
or well-meaning verses
read by people who never heard
a mother’s sob crawl out of her bones.
Not silence.
Not sermons.
Not “trust in His timing”
when time has only ever taken.

What do I do with this faith
when it feels like a bruise?
What do I do with this silence
that echoes louder than comfort?
I was taught to fold my hands
like that would keep me safe.
But my hands were shaking
when I needed Him most.
And no one came.

So I stopped asking for peace.
Started demanding it.
Stopped whispering prayers
and started shouting truths:
You weren’t there.
And I’m still here.

Is that the miracle?
Is that the test?
Or just the cruelty of believing
in a presence that never showed?

Still,
some part of me
wants to believe
there’s something holy
about my survival—
even if God never said a word.

- For more poems like this read, Because I Felt Everything, my poetry collection which is now available on Amazon as an eBook and in two print formats. Book link: https://a.co/d/gIWyo8G

#Mindsindesign #Makitiathompson #Becauseifelteverything

🖊️M.I.D Newsletter | Issue #2

 

July 2025 | Minds In Design by Makitia Thompson

🌟 Editor’s Note: Building a Brand That Reflects You

Welcome to the second issue of the M.I.D Newsletter! If you made it through June feeling a little drained, a little inspired, and a little confused about what to write next—you’re in great company. This month, I want to talk about something many of us put on the backburner: creating a brand that aligns with your voice.

When I first started writing professionally, the idea of building a "brand" felt overwhelming, maybe even a little gross. I just wanted to write my books. But the truth is, if you want your stories to reach people, your audience has to know who you are. That doesn't mean curating a perfect image or being loud online 24/7. It means staying consistent with what your writing stands for and how you present yourself across platforms.

For me, that brand is all about emotional rawness, layered characters, and storytelling that refuses to stay inside the lines. I use my blog, newsletters, and character spotlights to reinforce that. My advice? Don’t try to mirror someone else’s aesthetic or pace. Build something that matches you.

Start with these three simple brand steps:

Pick 3 words that reflect your voice as a writer.

Stick to a tone that matches your books (are you gritty, funny, soft, bold?).

Engage where it feels natural—don’t force every platform.

Remember: Your brand isn’t just what you post. It’s the feeling readers walk away with after they experience your work.

🖊️ Writer's Corner: "Write It Like It’s a Secret You’ve Been Dying to Tell"

We talk a lot about plot, pacing, and publishing, but not enough about urgency. The best stories are the ones you have to get out of you, even if you don’t know how. So here’s a challenge for July:

Write one scene as if you’re finally letting go of a secret you swore you’d never say out loud.

This is where the magic happens. It doesn’t have to be polished. It doesn’t even have to stay in the book. But I promise you—you’ll find your real voice there.

💬 Q&A with Makitia: Writing Through the Hard Stuff

Q: How do you get past writer's block?
A: I walk away. I sit with the story, away from screens and notebooks, and I just think. Most of my breakthroughs happen when I’m doing dishes or sitting outside. I let the characters talk to me instead of trying to force the words out.

Q: How do you know when a book is done?
A: When I stop trying to fix it and start reading it like it belongs to someone else. If I get lost in the story again without editing every second, it’s ready.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
A: Honestly, the in-between. That part where the plot makes no sense yet, but you start hearing voices and feeling scenes—it’s chaotic, but it’s magic.

👤 Character of the Month: Emily Cannister

From "The Cannister Trials" & mentioned in "Criminal Plague"

Emily Cannister is not a tragic figure. She is, at her core, a study in manipulation, power, and pretense. She plays the part of the grieving mother, the misunderstood woman, the quiet observer. But underneath her soft voice and long silences lives a mind that sees opportunity in suffering.

Originally introduced as a passive character, Emily’s true identity unfolds slowly. She becomes a symbol of how trauma can be weaponized—how lies can be layered so deeply they become believable even to the one who told them.

She is not a villain in the traditional sense. She's not erratic. She's not loud. She's not obvious. Emily Cannister is the kind of evil that looks like a victim.

And that’s what makes her so dangerous.

🌐 From the Blog: Romance Isn’t Dead, Just Recycled ❤️🧢

“I’m not against romance—I’m just tired of reading the same one hundred times.”

That was the opening line to one of my most talked-about blog posts this past month. In the post, I explain why romance novels often feel too safe, too predictable, and how the genre gets used as a stepping stone for writers who don’t want to challenge themselves. It’s a hot take, sure—but it’s an honest one.

But I didn’t stop there.

In a companion post, I spotlighted romance books that do take risks. Books with complexity, heartbreak, creativity, and a little messiness. Because when done well, romance is still one of the most powerful genres we have.

Read both posts here:

Romance Isn’t Dead, Just Recycled

Refreshing Romance Novels Worth Reading

💖 Indie Author Spotlight: Ava Langford

Ava Langford is the author of "All the Quiet Pieces," a stunning debut about grief, queerness, and rebuilding a life in the aftermath of loss. Told through shifting POVs, journal entries, and poetry fragments, this book is a quiet scream.

It deserves more eyes. The story speaks to you. 

⚠️ Three Things NOT to Do While Writing Your Book

Don’t hype yourself into thinking your first book will be "the one."
Write like nobody's watching. Because at first—no one really is. Let that free you.

Stay off Google.
Seriously. Searching "how many books should I publish a year" or "what genre sells the most" is a guaranteed spiral.

Don’t rush your book to keep up with someone else.
We all move differently. Don’t break your story trying to match someone else’s timeline.

🔥 July Book Sale: July 10–17

You can grab these four titles for just $0.99 USD / £0.99 GBP for a limited time. Perfect if you’ve been meaning to start one of my series or revisit a twisted favorite.

Dying in the Spotlight ✨ Link

Criminal Plague ⚖️ Link

Caged Pride 🌈 Link

The Hidden Director’s Cut 🎥 Link

76% OFF on Amazon.com • 67% OFF on Amazon.co.uk

🔍 Upcoming Projects

Until Time Remembers (Book 1 in the Time series) — Final edits in progress, set to release later this year.

From the King — More fictional interviews are on the way, including a new celebrity exposé.

Choosing to Remember: Book 4 — Still in early drafting, but expect it to take on heavier themes than the first three.

I’ll also be adding more character spotlight pages on the blog soon—next up: Jerome Clarkson.

👉 Connect With Me

Instagram: @mindsndesign

Twitter/X: @MindsinDesign_

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@mindsindesign?si... 

TikTok: @art_minnieme

Patreon: patreon.com/Makitia

🙏 Final Words

If you’re feeling behind right now, you’re not. You’re exactly where you need to be. Writing is not a race, and success isn’t always loud. Whether you’ve written three chapters or three books this year—you’re doing the damn thing.

Until next time,
Makitia ✨
Minds In Design

#Mindsindesign #Makitiathompson #Midnewsletter

👀Inside the Cannister Trials: A Chilling Look at Emily’s Interview

 

Description:

She was a beloved teacher. A trusted guardian. A monster hiding in plain sight.
In 2014, serial child killer Emily Cannister sat down with controversial journalist Cole King for one of the most disturbing interviews in modern history. The Cannister Trials is the fictionalized true crime-style exploration of that very moment—and today, I’m giving you an exclusive look inside.

This excerpt captures the start of Emily’s haunting confession and the psychological game she plays with the man questioning her. If you’ve ever wondered how darkness hides in daylight, these pages will take you there

What to Expect

This story is gritty, emotional, and brutally honest. It’s not about glorifying violence—it’s about dissecting it.
Emily isn’t a mystery you’re meant to solve. She’s a reality you’re meant to sit with.
And her story?
It doesn’t apologize.

In this exclusive free read, you’ll get the first few pages of The Cannister Trials—the beginning of an unsettling exchange that questions everything about truth, evil, and how far delusion can go before it becomes deadly.

Ready to Read?

👇 Keep scrolling to dive into some chaotic pages of The Cannister Trials
🩸 Trigger warning: Mentions of child loss, murder, and manipulation

The Cannister Trials: section two

Cole

Your choice to still see those children after parents made it clear that they were uncomfortable with you is a large reason why you were disliked. Hated is actually the better word. Why did you disregard the feelings of those parents?

Emily

Their feelings weren’t disregarded, I chose to continue loving my children. They only disliked me because of my relationship with Jeffrey, they had been allowing April to lie. None of their feelings had anything to do with the job I had been doing. So I knew I was justified in not letting those bonds just fade away. It wasn’t about the parents, me or anything else. It was about the children.

Cole

Do you have the ability to tell right from wrong?

Emily

What I did to my children was so very wrong and I knew that immediately after it happened. I have the mental capacity to tell right from wrong and  always have been able to. But like everyone, I’ve had brief moments where I made mistakes. misjudged situations and acted on my feelings rather than logic. Yes, I have the ability to tell right from wrong. That was never an issue.

Cole

There has been far more than just misjudgements and mistakes on your behalf. You didn’t make a small mistake once and then pulled yourself together. You kept doing it and nothing you did was small or a mistake. 

Emily

The question was do I know right from wrong, not how big did I mess up.

Cole

I know that, but you have tried to diminish the severity of your crimes, constantly referring to everything as a mistake. As you feel the need to lie about what you’ve done, I feel a great need to put the truth of it out. Moving forward, your marriage to Jefferey happened in late 1986. Obviously that didn’t make anything better or easier for anyone. Other than yourself of course. You already convinced yourself that you were Hayden’s mother, now you were actually her stepmother. What kind of relationship did you have with Hayden?

Emily

At one point we loved each other, after April just kept lying to her Hayden stopped liking me. She was being manipulated and there was nothing I could do about it. April made me seem like some other woman who destroyed a happy home. Hayden was too young to see the lie in that and followed after her mother. She became so rude and disobedient. She was no longer the amazing little girl I felt honored to teach, she was a brat really. No amount of love changed Hayden’s mind about me, I was this terrible person to her. We couldn’t have a good relationship because she was no longer a good child

Cole

You were her teacher, you were meant to be a fun educator at the most. Instead you were her father’s mistress, then his wife after he left her mother and eventually tried to force yourself into the role of being Hayden’s mother. She was 12 in 1988. For the years she was alive to witness the relationship, she was old enough to understand quite a lot. So it makes sense for her to have disliked you. 

Emily

Fine, you know maybe she was right to feel differently about me. I can understand that she was young and confused. But she didn’t just act differently, Hayden was bad and mistreated me so often. 

Cole

Again, her actions were justified.

Emily

No, when a child is loved they are supposed to behave and reciprocate that love. I treated Hayden amazingly and she in turn disrespected whenever she got the chance. Hayden refused to eat food that I cooked, wouldn’t listen to my rules, acted up in class and so much more. She was wrong.

Cole

It is crazy to hear you acknowledge a child being wrong for simply misbehaving, while dancing around your own terrible actions. The fact is you were the other woman, or underage girl I should say. Hayden trusted you and you helped destroy her family. 

Want to Keep Going?

Emily’s story doesn’t stop here—and trust me, it only gets darker.

🔗 Click here to read the full book on Amazon
📚 Available in Kindle and paperback
🇺🇸 🇬🇧 Available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Final words

If this preview gave you chills—or made you pause to catch your breath—I'd love to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment below and let me know what struck you most. And if you haven’t yet, make sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss more free reads, behind-the-scenes content, and author notes from the minds behind the madness.

Thanks for reading,
Makitia Thompson
✒️ Writer of dark truths, fictional crimes, and unforgettable characters

#Mindsindesign #Makitiathompson #Thecannistertrials

⌨️Do Writers Really Need to Read?

 

Let’s be honest with each other—this whole “real writers read every day” thing? It can feel like a requirement shoved into your face before you’ve even figured out if you like your writing desk.

If you’re a writer who doesn’t read as much as the advice columns say you should, welcome. You’re not alone, and no, it doesn’t mean you’re any less of a writer.

This post isn’t here to bash books (let's not be dramatic), but to offer a more realistic and nuanced perspective. I’m here to talk about something not enough writers are willing to say:

👉🏽 Reading isn't always the reason behind good writing. Sometimes, it’s just... writing.

📖Reading Used to Be My Thing—Until Writing Took Over

Once upon a time, I would’ve told you I was a reader. A real one. You know, the kind that rereads books just for the comfort of it. The kind that browses shelves with excitement and buys three more novels when she already has six unread at home. That was me.

But now that I’m a writer? Reading for “inspiration” doesn’t hit the same. Not because I dislike reading, but because my imagination doesn’t need it to function. My mind is constantly spinning, forming characters, creating dialogue, unravelling twists, and sketching endings before beginnings.

Reading for pleasure still has a place in my life—it clears my head and lets me escape like anyone else. But when it comes to creating characters and building stories, I don’t look to books. I look inward.

And here’s why: I don’t want to write someone else’s character by accident. I don’t want to absorb another author’s voice when I’m trying to find my own. I’d rather come up with my stories from scratch and then use a book if I need a reference for structure or pacing.

📌 Bottom line: I’d rather write my own world than borrow from one.

📈Reading My Own Work Teaches Me the Most

Want to know the most valuable reading I do? It’s when I reread my own work. Not as the author, but as a complete stranger. Someone coming across the story for the first time, unsure of what to expect.

That’s when I learn.

When I can separate myself emotionally from the pages, I catch things. I find weak spots. I uncover hidden strengths. I fix tone, add depth, and make the story more than something I simply survived writing.

That’s how I grow.

Don’t get me wrong—I love a well-written thriller, especially one that relies on suspense and subtle dread. Stephen King, for instance, showed me how to create tension through description, how fear doesn’t have to yell to be heard. His work has made me better. But not more creative. That part is all me.

😌The Pressure to Read Every Day? Let It Go.

In the early days of my writing journey, I let comparison get the best of me. Every blog, post, and video told me I needed to read daily if I wanted to be a good writer. And I bought it. I thought skipping a day meant falling behind. Like I’d miss some secret code all the “real writers” were using.

I felt like I had to mirror someone else’s creative path to find my own success. And it was crushing.

I wasted time trying to write like other people. I exhausted myself reading for obligation, not joy. And it slowed me down creatively.

Things only started to move forward once I realized this universal truth:

📚 There is no one way to be a writer. You just have to write.
Make mistakes. Rewrite the same sentence twenty times. Figure it out as you go. Your journey is the blueprint, not someone else's.

📣Reading Can Be Powerful—But It’s Not the Only Power

Let’s not pretend that reading is useless. That would be ridiculous. Reading does matter. It can teach you vocabulary, tone, rhythm, structure. It can help you understand how dialogue flows or how description affects tension. A good book can absolutely sharpen your skills.

But creativity? That spark that wakes you up at 3 AM with a plot twist?
That comes from somewhere else.

That comes from the part of you that needs to create. The part that doesn't settle for what's already been written. The part that looks at a blank page and says: "Let me tell you a story that hasn't been told."

And for me, that part doesn’t come alive when I read—it comes alive when I write.

🧪Trial, Error, and Everything In Between

My greatest lessons have come from doing it wrong.
From rereading old drafts and cringing. From feeling failure and facing it anyway.

I’m a visual learner. I need to see the mistakes on paper. I need to experience the growing pains to grow. Writing teaches me more than any book ever has. And while that might not be true for every writer, it’s the heartbeat of my process.

✍🏽 Writing is my teacher.
📉 Mistakes are my curriculum.
📈 Improvement is the result.

💬“If You Don’t Read, You Can’t Write”—Let’s Unpack That

Ever heard that phrase? I haven’t. But if I had heard it early in my writing journey, it would’ve messed with me bad.

It would’ve reinforced the lie that I wasn’t cut out for this unless I could read like it was a job. That I couldn’t build a writing career unless I studied stories like textbooks.

I think statements like that can damage emerging writers who are still building confidence. It would be more encouraging to say:

📖 “If you don’t read, write more.”
📖 “If you read often, don’t be afraid to fail on the page.”

Because both are valid paths. And both deserve to be respected.

🗣️Advice for Writers Who Don’t Enjoy Reading

Put the book down. Seriously. Put it down and don’t pick it back up unless you want to.

Reading isn’t a punishment. It isn’t a checklist item. It’s a privilege—something that should excite you. Don’t give your time to a story that doesn’t speak to you. If reading feels like a chore, it won’t serve your creativity anyway.

Only read what inspires, challenges, or captivates you.
Otherwise, write.

✍️Creating vs. Consuming

I’m most creative when I’m building. When I’m knee-deep in dialogue or figuring out a character’s fatal flaw. That’s when my mind is most alive.

But sometimes, I do need a break. And a good story—movie, show, or book—can help me reset. You should try both. Mix it up. Experiment. See what energizes you.

🌀 Creativity is a cycle. And you’ll only know what works for you by testing it.

📚Books That Did Shape Me

Stephen King’s Insomnia is one of the first books that showed me how slow can still be gripping. The way he built suspense without rushing me, without overwhelming me, taught me how to take my time.

And 11/22/63? I read it in elementary school and I’ve never forgotten it. His attention to emotion, the stakes, the real-world connection—it made me fall in love with storytelling. I knew from that book on that I wanted to write something that makes people feel deeply and sit with a story long after it ends.

🤔Defining Success as a Writer

I don’t have a single definition of success. Not yet.
Some days it’s finishing a chapter I didn’t think I could.
Other days it’s hearing that someone connected to a character I created.

Yes, I want to make a living off this. Of course. But more than anything, I want to get so lost in my own world that I forget I made it. I want to create stories that outlast me. Books that matter. Characters that feel like real people to the readers—and sometimes even to me.

I want to entertain.
I want to explore.
I want to grow.

That’s what success looks like for me right now.

🔗Final Thoughts: Write Your Way

If you’re reading this and you’ve felt out of place because you don’t devour books the way other writers do—take a breath. You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re building your own creative process.

Maybe you learn best through observation. Or maybe you’re like me, and you learn through experience. Through trial, error, failure, and revision.

Reading can be powerful, yes. But so can writing relentlessly, making mistakes, and learning from yourself.

You don’t need to read to be a writer.
You just need to write. And keep writing.
The rest? You’ll figure it out along the way.

✨ Let this post be your permission to stop doubting and start discovering.
Let it be the reminder that your voice is valid, your path is real, and your stories are worth telling.

🗣️ Join the conversation!
Do you believe reading is essential to becoming a great writer—or do you learn more by doing? Drop a comment below and let me know how you feel about the “real writers read” debate. 👇🏽 Let’s talk!

#MindsInDesign #WritingAdvice #WritersLife #CreativityUnlocked #Makitiathompson

❤️‍🔥Romance Isn’t the Problem—Uninspired Romance Is

 

Refreshing Love Stories That Actually Take Risks (And Why They Matter)

Let’s start with a deep breath.
Because if you made it through my last post, “Do We Really Need Another Romance Novel?”, without throwing a tomato—or your Kindle—I appreciate you.

That post was my not-so-gentle nudge at the publishing world and a little wake-up call for writers: just because something sells doesn’t mean it’s original. Or meaningful. Or necessary.

But here’s the thing…

Not all romance novels are predictable fluff wrapped in recycled tropes and pastel covers.
Some of them really do shake you. Break you. Heal you.
Some romance stories dare to do something different. They take the genre and twist it into something bolder, richer, and more emotionally layered than we’re used to.

So today, I want to celebrate those books.
The love stories that actually have something to say.

What Makes a Romance Refreshing? 🌱

Before I list any titles, let’s talk about what I mean by a “refreshing” romance.

I’m not talking about shock value for the sake of being edgy.
I’m not talking about trauma-porn or 27 spicy scenes before the characters even remember to have a plot.
I’m talking about romance stories that don’t follow the formula just to follow it.

✨ Books that explore relationships without relying on cliches.
✨ Books where love is messy, inconvenient, imperfect—but worth it.
✨ Books where the characters grow as people first, partners second.
✨ Books that break your heart and put it back together without manipulating you.
✨ Books that challenge ideas about love, power, loss, timing, and identity.

You know those stories that make you pause and think, Wow, love is more complicated—and more beautiful—than I thought?
That’s the kind of romance I’m talking about.

Here Are a Few Risk-Taking Romance Novels Worth Your Time

(And your tears. Definitely your tears.)

1. Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers 🌙

This isn’t your typical romance. In fact, romance isn’t even the heart of the story—it’s the soul.
Grace Porter wakes up in Vegas married to a woman she doesn’t remember. What follows isn’t a comedic hangover fix-up but an emotional unravelling of identity, burnout, queerness, and self-worth.
The romance is soft and slow, but what makes it powerful is how it supports the journey of falling in love with yourself first.

Risk Level: High
Why it’s refreshing: Queer love, mental health, chosen family, and the terrifying, beautiful process of redefining your life.

2. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller 🌊

This book is a gut-punch. It’s raw, dark, and built around a decades-long love triangle that explores desire, trauma, and the cost of choosing the life that feels “right” over the one that feels real.

The prose is cinematic, the emotional stakes are sky-high, and nothing about the main character’s journey is neat. This isn’t about the “right” love. It’s about the true one.

Risk Level: Off the charts
Why it’s refreshing: Tackles infidelity, childhood trauma, and complex moral decisions without apology. It’s not about falling in love—it’s about confronting it.

3. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams 🖤🔥

Two Black writers—one a bestselling erotica author, the other a reclusive literary darling—reunite after years apart. Their reunion peels back the truth about their shared past, trauma, pain, and unfinished love.

The characters are flawed in all the right ways, the dialogue is razor sharp, and the chemistry? Nuclear.
But it’s the honest look at chronic pain, motherhood, and what it means to heal while in love that makes this a standout.

Risk Level: Deep emotional exposure
Why it’s refreshing: Combines romantic longing with real-world complications—disability, race, addiction, grief—and never flinches.

4. You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi 🌺

This is not a traditional love story. It’s about grief. About art. About breaking the rules. It starts with a woman trying to get her life back after the death of her partner—and leads to a love that should be “off-limits.”

Emezi writes like they’re sculpting emotion into sentences. The relationships are unorthodox, the plot choices bold, and the themes of healing and permission hit hard.

Risk Level: Morally grey and emotionally messy
Why it’s refreshing: Explores queer identity, boundaries, and forbidden love in ways most authors wouldn’t dare.

5. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan 💔🕊️

This second-chance romance is mature, nuanced, and painful in the most necessary ways. It centers on a divorced couple still tethered by grief, co-parenting, history, and unspoken love.

It’s rare to see romance that addresses depression, therapy, adult grief, and reconnection with this level of depth. Nothing feels rushed or romanticised.

Risk Level: Deeply emotional realism
Why it’s refreshing: Grown-up love. Grief without shame. Healing without ignoring the damage. This is what vulnerability looks like.

Why These Stories Matter (And What Writers Can Learn) ✍🏽❤️

As writers, it’s so easy to chase trends.
To mimic what’s worked. To copy the structure, the tone, the aesthetic, the happy ending.

But the best books—even in romance—aren’t the ones that simply gave us butterflies.
They’re the ones that made us sit with something.
The ones that reminded us love isn’t clean or soft or obvious.

It’s risky.
It’s inconvenient.
It’s sometimes the very thing that wrecks you before it saves you.

And when writers tap into that?
That uncomfortable truth that love is both a balm and a battle?
That’s when romance becomes art.

Final Word: Write the Kind of Love You Believe In ❤️‍🩹

If you're a romance writer, this post isn’t asking you to stop writing about love. It’s asking you to evolve it.

Don’t just give us another “meet-cute” and call it a day.
Dig into the parts of love that feel heavy. That feel unfair. That feel confusing and uncomfortable.
Or write about joy—but make it earned joy. Hard-won. Not handed out.

Let your characters be complicated.
Let the love be inconvenient.
Let the ending be real—not just happy.

Because love stories still matter.
But only if they make us feel something new.

🖤

💋Do We Really Need Another Romance Novel? (Don’t Hate Me Yet)

 

Let me just start by saying:
This post isn’t a hit piece.
I’m not here to drag anyone’s favorite trope through the mud.
I’m not anti-love, anti-kiss-in-the-rain, or anti-slow-burn-longing-for-300-pages.

I’m just… tired.

Romance novels have taken over the bookshelves, the charts, the recommendations, the Kindle top 100s—and somehow, also the writing community itself. Every day, someone online says, “I want to start writing. So I’m going to write a romance.” No shade. But also... okay, maybe a little squint.

Because here's the thing—romance has become the default.
Not because it's the only genre that matters. Not even because it’s always the best.
But because it’s the safest.

It’s like going to a restaurant with fifty options and ordering the chicken tenders every time. Reliable? Sure. Satisfying? Maybe. But aren’t you curious about anything else?

Romance Isn’t Dead—It’s Just... On Repeat 🔁

Let’s be clear. I have nothing against romance novels. In fact, I’ve read some that were absolutely breathtaking. Stories that pulled me in, held me hostage, and left me whispering, “Damn. That was love.”

The problem isn’t that romance exists. It’s that every romance looks exactly the same lately.

Enemies to lovers.
Friends to lovers.
Forced proximity.
Second chances.
Grumpy sunshine.
"One of them has trauma but the other one bakes cookies and now everything’s fine."

You get the idea.

The same tropes, recycled a hundred different ways. Same story, different names. You already know how it ends. They kiss, they cry, someone runs away in the third act but comes back in the rain. And then boom—happily ever after. 🌦️💋

It’s not that these stories are bad. It’s just that they’re expected. Safe. Predictable. And they dominate everything. If you’re a new writer and you don’t write romance, it can feel like your work doesn’t even exist.

Is Romance Too Easy? (Cue the Screaming) 😬

Here’s where it gets dicey, and yes, I’m bracing myself for the backlash already.

Do I think romance is easy?
Not entirely. But kind of. And let me explain before the pitchforks come out.

Writing well in any genre is hard. Writing beautifully in romance is an art. I know that. But what I see all too often is that romance is treated like the fast track to “author status.” Especially when you’re new to writing.

It's pitched as the genre you can hop into with little effort and a guaranteed audience. Throw two hot people into a room, sprinkle in some trauma, add witty banter, make them kiss, and slap a pastel cover on it. Ta-da! You're an author now.

Except… are you?

Because while you were busy following the blueprint, you forgot to bring yourself to the story. You wrote what sold. You didn’t write what mattered.

And that’s my real issue. Not romance itself—but the lazy creativity it’s allowed. The way it’s often used as a shortcut instead of a canvas.

Romance Is the Only Genre That Doesn’t Have to Try as Hard (There, I Said It) 😶‍🌫️

Romance doesn’t have to fight for space. It owns the shelf.

Other genres? They have to earn their spotlight. Horror, literary fiction, historical drama, genre-bending sci-fi—these books get one shot to say something we’ve never heard before or they’re gone.

But romance? You can write the same exact plot as ten other books and still get praise for being “cute” or “addictive.” You can phone it in, and the story will still make waves because… romance sells.

Meanwhile, there are authors writing entire universes, creating languages, building characters with layered generational trauma and nuanced backstories—and they get lost in the shuffle.

All because they didn’t make their protagonist fall in love with the barista who just gets them. ☕

To Be Clear: There Are Incredible Romance Novels 🫶📖

Yes, some romance authors are doing mind-blowing work.

They’re writing stories with heart, complexity, and emotional truth. They’re redefining love in modern terms. They’re challenging tropes and pushing boundaries. They’re crafting romance that makes you feel and think and cry and heal.

I’m not blind to that. I admire that.

I just wish those books were the ones at the front of every display.

Instead, it’s always the same tired love triangle, the same predictable plotline, the same flat characters with quirky jobs and no actual depth.

And I’m bored.

What About the Books That Aren’t Love Stories? 💡📚

Here’s the part that stings the most: there are books out there that will absolutely change your life. Books that aren’t about love. Books that don’t end with a kiss. Books that don’t follow any formula at all—but instead tell the truth in a way you’ve never seen before.

Books about identity.
About loss.
About redemption.
About survival.
About moral decay.
About shame, silence, grief, guilt, rage.

Books that make you uncomfortable. Books that take risks. Books that say something new.

But you’ll never hear about them, because they’re sitting behind 40 romance novels that look just like the one you read last week.

This Is Just My Opinion (But I’ll Stand By It) 🙋🏽‍♀️

I’m not here to gate-keep the writing community or dismiss the work of any writer. Your book matters, your voice matters, and if romance is your passion—write it. Own it. Fall in love on the page.

But also—ask yourself why.

Why are you writing that story? Is it because you love it, or because it’s what everyone else is doing? Is it your creative truth, or is it just... convenient?

Because if you’re choosing your niche out of fear or trends, that’s not writing. That’s just echoing. And we need less of that.

We need more writers who tell stories that keep them up at night.
We need writers who make us feel something different.
We need stories that haven’t been told 700 times in pink covers.

So if you’re a new writer, take a second to ask yourself:
What do you actually want to write?

Maybe it’s romance.
Maybe it’s not.
But either way—let it be yours.

Final Thoughts (Before I Get Cancelled By #BookTok) 💬📢

Romance isn’t the enemy. Lack of creativity is.

The world doesn’t need one more carbon copy romance novel. It needs you. Your weird, messy, genre-bending idea. Your heartbreak. Your curiosity. Your truth.

So write a book that scares you.
Write something you’re not sure anyone will understand.
Write the book that isn’t marketable.
Write the book you thought nobody else wanted.

And if you do write romance—please, for the love of originality—make it mean something. Make it different. Make it honest.

Because the world doesn’t need another enemies-to-lovers with a predictable third-act breakup.

It needs something real.
Something risky.
Something you.

🖤

💭Character Development Is Just Therapy You Don’t Have to Pay For

 

Let’s be real—writing characters isn’t just about giving someone a name and a backstory so you can finish a chapter. It’s a slow burn. A process that, if done honestly, starts peeling back layers you didn’t even know you had in you.

At first, I used to think character development was something you had to figure out. I was looking at it like a checklist:

What's their favorite color?

What’s their childhood trauma?

What motivates them?

What's their greatest fear?

That’s all well and good. Those questions help. But they’re just surface-level. The truth is, character development—the real kind, the kind that lingers in readers' minds long after the book is done—isn’t about crafting someone believable. It’s about creating someone uncomfortably human.

And that starts with you. 🫵

You’re Not Just Writing Characters—You’re Writing Yourself (Whether You Mean To or Not) 🪞

Every character I’ve ever written has had a piece of me in them. Sometimes it’s loud and obvious. Sometimes it’s buried so deep I don’t realize it until months after the book is published and I’m re-reading a scene thinking, “Wow, I’ve lived that.”

Whether it’s the shame you’ve buried, the pain you’ve ignored, or the dreams you told yourself weren’t worth chasing—your characters will find it. They’ll whisper it back to you through their arcs, their breakdowns, and their endings. That’s why writing certain scenes can feel exhausting. You’re not just moving the plot forward. You’re confronting something real.

Sometimes it’s a fear.
Sometimes it’s grief.
Sometimes it’s guilt or anger or hope you didn’t know you still had.

And that’s what makes your story powerful.

When You Dig Deep, Readers Feel It 🫀📖

You can give a character a rough childhood, a broken marriage, or a career that’s falling apart—but if you don’t feel it while you’re writing, your reader probably won’t either.

Have you ever written a character and had to stop because the words felt too raw?

That’s the good stuff. That’s where the heart of your book is.

I remember writing a scene where one of my characters was finally telling the truth out loud—truth they’d buried for decades. And as I wrote it, my fingers slowed. I got stuck. Because what they were saying? I wasn’t ready to admit it myself.

But I wrote it anyway. And when I went back to read it, I didn’t edit a word. That’s when I realized: my character had healed something in me I didn’t know was broken.

The Best Characters Aren’t "Good" or "Bad"—They’re Honest

When you’re developing a character, don’t focus so hard on making them likable. That’s not your job. Make them understandable.

Let them be selfish. Let them mess up. Let them say the wrong thing, hurt someone they love, or choose the easy way out. Then—if it fits—let them grow. Let them fight their way back to themselves. Or let them fall apart. Not everyone makes it.

Whatever you choose, let it be honest.

That’s where character development becomes therapeutic. Not just for you—but for your readers too. People don’t connect to perfection. They connect to flaws, to regret, to quiet victories that don’t look like much on the outside but mean everything on the inside.

They connect to moments that say, “You’re not the only one.”

Write Like Nobody’s Reading—Then Edit Like the Whole World Is Watching 👁️🖋️

In the first draft, forget structure. Forget arcs. Forget all the “rules.”

Write the mess.

Let your characters say things you’re scared to admit. Let them cry when they’re supposed to be strong. Let them fall in love when they promised themselves they wouldn’t. Let them scream. Let them be silent. Let them go numb.

Just let them be real.

Then, when you’ve gotten it all out, go back with a pen like a scalpel. Shape their truth into something others can follow. Let the emotion stay, but give it clarity. That’s when you go from pouring your heart out to crafting something that might help someone else find theirs.

This Isn’t a How-To—It’s a Reminder ❤️

You don’t have to know everything about your character on day one. You don’t have to write their arc before you understand your own. All you have to do is care. Care enough to go beneath the surface. Care enough to tell the truth. Care enough to let them bleed on the page.

And care enough to hold that space for them until their story is told.

Sometimes you’ll heal through your characters.
Sometimes you’ll hurt.
Sometimes you’ll laugh, and sometimes you’ll feel exposed in a way you weren’t ready for.

But that’s the point.

So, To the New Writer Who’s Struggling With Their Character Arc… 🫂📓

Stop thinking about plot twists and Pinterest boards.
Put down the templates for a moment.
And just…listen.

What is your character really trying to say?

What’s the truth they’re scared of?

What would happen if you let them say it?

Character development isn’t just storytelling.
It’s emotional storytelling.
And it’ll change you if you let it.

That’s the kind of book people don’t forget. That’s the kind of character people carry with them long after they close the cover.

So go ahead.

Write them like it’s therapy.
Cry at your desk if you have to.
Delete it all and write it again.
Laugh when they finally find peace.
And keep going.

Because every truth you give your character has the power to speak to someone else. And maybe, just maybe, that someone else is you. 💛

⚖️Character spotlight: Michelle Hartmann

 

Book: Criminal Plague

Role: Unreliable narrator. Former criminal defense attorney. Publicly disgraced legal icon. Privately unrepentant architect of injustice.

Backstory:Michelle Hartmann was not born powerful—she was forged in the heat of rejection, social exclusion, and the relentless pursuit of control. Her early years were defined by discipline, debate, and a compulsive need to win arguments in dinner-table silence. With no mentors but countless rivals, Michelle clawed her way through the upper echelons of law, thriving in courtrooms where emotion was weakness and manipulation was art. By the time she was 28, she had already established herself as the city’s most dangerous ally for the guilty.

Behind the scenes, she made deals in shadows. Prosecutors vanished, jurors were paid off, and cases were derailed before they even began. She was brilliant, yes—but that brilliance was toxic. She wasn’t above cheating; she was beneath the idea that she needed to play fair in the first place.

🧠Personality Traits:

Eloquent to a fault

Calculated and self-possessed

Emotionally absent, even when talking about atrocities

Sarcastic under pressure

Disdainful of morality, while weaponizing it in court

Obsessed with perception, but not redemption

🎭Key Conflicts and Arcs:

Michelle’s public downfall begins with her 2019 interview with Cole King, who strips away the armor of her curated reputation and exposes the rot beneath. Yet, even when faced with truth, Michelle never breaks. Instead, she uses the opportunity to spin her downfall into a platform—a stage for her “uncensored” version of events.

She does not seek forgiveness, nor does she offer apology. The conflict isn’t whether Michelle will change—it’s whether the audience will see her as a symptom or the disease itself. Her arc is not transformation—it’s decay in slow motion.

She confesses only to control the narrative. Her greatest fear is not guilt or hell—it’s irrelevance.

🖋️Memorable Quotes:

“Justice isn’t blind. It’s well-paid.”

“I didn’t fail the system. I perfected it.”

“If you’re waiting for regret, try someone else’s story.”

"Cole King didn’t break me. He gave me a microphone."

Why Readers Should Care:Michelle Hartmann is the kind of villain who never calls herself one. She’s not evil in the way movies teach you to expect. She’s polished, poised, and always one legal precedent ahead of her enemy. Readers aren’t meant to root for Michelle—but they will be fascinated by her. She is the lawyer you hope never defends your enemy—and fear might one day represent your friend.

In Criminal Plague, Michelle takes the reins of her own scandal and weaponizes storytelling itself. Through her frigid honesty and relentless justifications, readers are invited to witness not just a woman unravelling, but a culture that applauded her rise—until it didn’t.

Her spotlight isn’t one she wants dimmed. It’s one she’ll burn in, so long as everyone keeps watching.

🧠Inside the mind of the author

 

🖤 Inside the Mind of a Killer—and the Author Who Created Him

Makitia Thompson opens up about writing evil, surviving the process, and what still haunts her from The Killer Across the Street

“Sometimes it felt very real… and it disgusted me that I was writing such things.”

When Makitia Thompson created Gregg Thorton, she wasn’t aiming to romanticise horror—she was dissecting it. Drawing inspiration from real-world cases like Ted Bundy, Thompson imagined a killer who didn’t just hide in plain sight—he thrived there. A father. A husband. A monster. One who stole identities, adopted new lives, and believed his killings were justified.

“I wanted Gregg Thorton to so obviously be in the wrong,” she says, “but for Gregg not to see that himself.”

To write Gregg’s disturbing confessions and killings, Thompson had to become someone else—someone cold. “I personally felt sick while writing about the murders,” she admits. “I took empathy and sympathy out of the equation. I forced myself to think as someone who enjoyed taking lives.”

Even with all her experience, one chapter still haunts her: Chapter Three. “It was hard to take emotion out while writing about his third marriage. His violence was at its peak. Sometimes it felt too real, like I could hear him. It’s a gut-wrenching chapter that realistically displays abuse and narcissism.”

But Thompson didn’t stop at the killer. She gave him a counterpoint: Cole King, an investigator with no interest in fame or favour. “Cole was abandoned by his mother at four years old. He doesn’t care about being respected. He doesn’t care if people like him. All he wants is the truth—even if it costs him everything.”

What makes The Killer Across the Street so powerful isn’t just the horror—it’s the humanity that surrounds it, questions it, and refuses to look away.

🎤 The Monster’s Voice—and the Silence He Left Behind

How Serial Family Man, The Killer Across the Street, and a Raw New Documentary Unravel Gregg Thorton’s Reign of Terror

“He claimed he wanted to tell the truth… but he planned on lying.”

Before The Killer Across the Street, there was Serial Family Man—a tense, unnerving first interview with serial killer Gregg Thorton, told through the eyes of young journalist Vanessa Bennett. He said he wanted to come clean. He said he was ready to confess.

He lied.

Gregg spoke in riddles, half-truths, and twisted metaphors, weaponizing language like he once weaponized charm and trust. And as author Makitia Thompson reveals, Vanessa was never going to get the full story—because Gregg Thorton never tells a woman the truth.

“I created him that way,” Thompson says. “He has a deep issue with women. So when Vanessa sat across from him, she was doomed from the start.”

That’s where The Killer Across the Street comes in: as a direct response and unravelling of Gregg’s cryptic lies. This time it’s Cole King, the no-nonsense investigator, who pulls apart the riddles and forces Gregg to answer—truly answer—for the pain he caused. Families finally get some version of closure. And the mask Thorton wore for decades begins to crack.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Thompson is now working on a documentary-style companion book, one that passes the mic to those who survived: his last wife. Two of his children. Neighbours who stayed quiet. Family members who looked away. This third instalment isn’t just about Gregg—it’s about trauma, silence, and the consequences of letting evil blend in.

“I want people to understand that evil lives in plain sight,” Thompson says.
“You never truly know a person.”

And the irony she weaves into Thorton’s story is sharp and heartbreaking. “He hated women,” she reveals. “And out of his sixteen children, thirteen were girls.”

The Easter egg stings. The legacy lingers.

What’s next? Thompson teases more serial killers, more psychological thrillers—and deeper emotional weight. “I don’t have a story that haunts me yet,” she says, “but I’m working on a few that just might.”

✍️ Chaos, Character, and the Creative Mind

Makitia Thompson on writing at midnight, procrastination as fuel, and what her darkest characters taught her about herself

“When my characters’ minds have been dissected to the point where there’s nothing but a skull left—I know the story has concluded itself.”

For Makitia Thompson, a typical writing day is anything but typical.

“I wake up, have a tea, shower, check my socials,” she says. “And then at some point I crack open a book file to start writing… but I don’t actually write anything.”

Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., she might get out 200 words—on a good day. But when the sun dips below the horizon? That’s when the magic starts. “The evening comes around and I can’t stop myself. Nighttime is even better.”

And some stories possess her. “The Killer Across the Street wasn’t a struggle. I actually had to force myself to take breaks,” she admits. “Characters like Gregg Thorton are so rich and complex, they grab hold of me. I just can’t stop sometimes.”

Despite writing deeply unsettling material, Thompson says it’s the work that grounds her emotionally… even when it doesn’t feel like it. “I dive deep into manipulative, narcissistic, emotionally immature characters,” she says. “And by doing that, I’ve learned more about my own mind. I unconsciously give my characters some of my own issues—and then try to explain those issues through them.”

But perhaps the most surprising revelation? Procrastination is her not-so-secret weapon.

“I’ll go days without writing. Every hour I tell myself I have to write, and I don’t. But then, out of nowhere, I’ll write 20,000 words in a day. I’ve learned that unknowingly giving myself a break has helped me grow.”

She doesn’t force endings either.

“I never know when a story is done—the story knows. When there’s enough there to paint the picture, when I’ve pulled everything from my characters' minds until there’s nothing but bone… that’s when I know I can stop.”

🌌 Why I Write: A Storyteller’s Origin

From fairies and goblins to killers and broken minds—Makitia Thompson shares how writing saved her, and why she’ll never stop

“I didn’t choose this genre—it chose me. And it did me a service.”

Before the darkness of Gregg Thorton and the razor-sharp truths of Cole King, Makitia Thompson was a third grader spending her lunch breaks in the library, lost in the magical world of Geronimo Stilton.

“I was obsessed,” she says. “Those books made me fall in love with fantasy. Fairies, goblins, princesses, magic… I wrote every cliché you could think of. The books were terrible—but I loved writing them. I transported myself into different realms every time.”

But something shifted. As life got harder and real emotions began to press in—so did the stories.

“I was having issues of my own,” she shares. “Dark thoughts. And face-to-face expression was never my strong suit. But I had so much to say.”

So she wrote. And cried. And healed.

“Writing became a release. I poured myself into every page. Sometimes I’d cry while writing because it was so relieving to express myself without limits.”

“Honestly, I didn’t choose this genre—it chose me.”

Now, Thompson identifies herself as a psychological writer—an author who dives into the most shadowed corners of the human mind. “I want to write stories that stick to the part of your brain you didn’t even know existed. Stories that make you ask the deepest questions.”

Her influences? Not what you’d expect from a thriller author.

Losing Isaiah taught her that not every choice should be made for yourself.

Selena showed her how powerful a single person’s presence can be—and how destructive greed is.

My Girl revealed the devastating weight of grief, even for someone raised around death.

“I can’t watch My Girl without crying,” she says. “Vada’s love for Thomas J… it stayed with me.”

And her voice? Still evolving. Still being uncovered. Still growing into the space it’s meant to fill.

“I know there’s so much more I can do. I won’t ever be done creating and thinking.”

🧠 Stories That Stay With You

Makitia Thompson on readers, reflections, and the stories still waiting to be told

“There’s a connection in every word, a revelation to be had on every page.”

If Makitia Thompson could sit across from one of her readers, she wouldn’t talk about sales or reviews or even success. She’d talk about the importance of storytelling.

“This has never been work for me,” she says. “It’s never even been a hobby. It’s something I need. I went through some dark times, and writing became my way through them. That’s when I began to understand why stories matter so much.”

She believes books are more than entertainment. They’re lifelines. Confessions. Connections.

“I’d want to have a real conversation with that reader. I’d want to know how stories have shaped their life, because I know what they’ve done for mine.”

And the stories are far from over.

Her next book—Until Time Remembers—is a haunting, genre-bending mystery about a cursed town, lost time, and a woman pulled into something no one else can see. The book is set to release this August and promises a gripping, emotional experience with twists readers won’t see coming.

(No spoilers… but this may be her most ambitious world yet.)

Thompson admits that reader support has saved her work more than once. “Sometimes I get really anxious about how a book will be received,” she confesses. “I unintentionally discredit my own work. But when I see people reading—whether they paid for the book or not—it means the world. It reminds me that I’m doing something worth doing.”

And if her bestselling crime novel The Killer Across the Street were to become a series?

She already knows her dream cast.

Neal McDonough as Gregg Thorton: “He’s phenomenal at playing villains, and I’ve loved his work since Desperate Housewives and Walking Tall.”

Morgan Freeman as Cole King: “Cole is blunt, composed, and fearless—and no one can command quiet power like Morgan Freeman.”

🎭Spotlight: Joddelyn Anderson- Dying in the Spotlight

 

“They loved Violet. No one ever asked if Joddelyn was okay.”

1. Why Joddelyn?

I created Joddelyn Anderson because I needed to tell the story of the girl who was never rescued. She’s not based on one person—she’s a reflection of too many people. Of girls who had to grow up too fast, who were turned into caretakers, who lost their innocence before they had the chance to even realize what childhood was. Joddelyn is what happens when pain isn’t healed but instead disguised, sexualized, and sold to the public. She didn’t choose fame as much as she chose survival. Her stage name, Violet Sterling, was her armor. But the problem with armor is: it gets heavy. And eventually, it cracks.

2. The Core Wound

At six years old, Joddelyn lost her father in a tragic car accident. That grief didn’t just take him—it took her mother too. Her mother unravelled in front of her eyes, and by the time Joddelyn was nine, she was already raising her little sister Bethann while also trying to keep her mother alive. When that failed, and the girls found their mother’s body after she took her own life, Joddelyn lost the last shred of childhood she had. The wound that lives inside her is one of abandonment, of aching loneliness, of being the strong one because there was no other choice. She never got to be the person who fell apart—so she became someone else entirely.

3. Memorable Lines or Moments

“I knew how to smile for the camera long before I knew how to cry in front of someone else.”

“Bethann needed a big sister. The industry needed a star. No one needed me.”

“They said I was provocative. They didn’t ask why I needed to be seen.”

One of Joddelyn’s most devastating moments happens when she’s 23, sitting in the makeup chair between takes of a film that’s supposed to be her breakout. She tells the hairstylist a joke about growing up without parents—and the stylist laughs, not realizing it wasn’t a joke. That moment defines her: the performance is always easier than the truth.

4. Real-Life Inspiration

Joddelyn was inspired by every story I’ve ever heard of girls who survived in silence. She's a mix of famous women we’ve seen unravel in the spotlight and the unnamed ones who disappear without headlines. Her story borrows from the real pain many women experience when the world only sees them as desirable, not vulnerable. There’s a piece of her in every woman who’s been called strong when what she really was… was alone.

5. Why She Matters to the Story

Joddelyn is the thread that connects so many of my stories about exploitation, performance, and survival. She’s not just another woman who fell victim to Simon Pines—she’s someone who learned how to profit from her own pain, who used the very thing that wounded her to climb higher. Her downfall is as important as her rise, because it shows the toll of a life lived as a product. She’s not a cautionary tale. She’s a real one.

6. If Joddelyn Could Speak to the Reader

She’d probably say something like this:

“I wasn’t always this way. I wasn’t always Violet. I was someone’s daughter. Someone’s big sister. And I tried my best to be good. But good girls don’t make it far when no one’s looking for them. I’m not asking you to understand everything I did. I’m asking you to remember that I didn’t start this life trying to become someone else—I just didn’t think who I was would ever be enough.”