Danielle Ellison's Blog, page 4
July 21, 2014
#FearTheDarkness
There’s nothing like sharing a book that’s such a huge part of your life with the world! Today is the three month mark until the release of my book, FOLLOW ME THROUGH DARKNESS — and just three months + one week until the release of MARTYR by my fantastic friend, A.R. Kahler. Since we both have books that come out near other with the same publisher, editor, AND the same amounts of amazing (though in different ways) we thought we’d team up to bring you: #FearTheDarkness
What is that, exactly?
Alex: Basically, when two books love each other very much, they mash their covers together and their titles become intertwined. Thus, FOLLOW ME THROUGH DARKNESS and MARTYR’s slogan #FearTheHunted merged to become #FearTheDarkness.
Danielle: Because we are obviously geniuses.
AND if you want to be part of this adventure – which we can guarantee will be something that you won’t forget – then you can sign up!
We’re going to have a team of people helping us promote our books together over the next 102 days. You’re a street team, but we’re giving you a cooler name: Shadow Guards.
And your mission is clear: Tell everyone to Fear The Darkness.
Danielle: DARKNESS IS COMING! I just want to Jon Snow to appear and shout it from the rooftops.
Alex: I am perfectly okay with this so long as he pouts a bit and has his dire wolf. Shirt not necessary.
If you join our movement then you’ll get some fun surprises, some challenges to do in your real life community with *gasp* real people, get to read some excerpts, have contests just for you, and maybe, if you’re lucky, Alex will do a circus trick.
Alex: I shall start stretching now.
Danielle: Shirt not necessary? (Sorry. I had to.)
Join the Shadow Guard by Thursday! The Facebook group is only open until then—and only to the first twenty people who join the group! Then, we’ll close the group and start hazing. We mean, start passing out hugs and baby unicorns.
Even if you aren’t able to jump in on the Shadow Guard, there will be plenty of opportunities to share the love and help get our books out into the world. You can always check out fun updates and shenanigans on twitter with #fearthedarkness.
But seriously. Join us.
It’s going to be a lot of fun.
Danielle: I mean, have you met A.R. Kahler? If you haven’t then just TRUST ME on the “fun” part; I’d join just for him.
Click here to go to the facebook page for #FearTheDarkness!
Click here to add MARTYR to Goodreads.
Click here to add FOLLOW ME THROUGH DARKNESS to Goodreads.
Pre-order Follow Me Through Darkness!
June 3, 2014
SALT is available in paperback!!
SALT is available in paperback! AH. I have been waiting for this moment and I’m so so so excited!!!
It’s available on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel. Most local indie stores can order it!
Additionally, you can get signed/personalized copies!!
My local indie bookstore One More Page Books will have them — just call them (703.300.9746) or email them (leliaATonemorepagebooksDOTcom) to order a copy!
WOO!
March 31, 2014
My Writing Process Blog Tour
Hello everyone! I am the next step in the multi-author Writing Process Blog Tour, thanks to Amalie Howard, which you can read here. In addition to being an amazing friend, Amalie has written some really diverse and enchanting books. I basically love everything she does. Including breathing.
Without further ado, here are my answers to My Writing Process!
1) What am I working on?
I am working on revisions to the sequel of SALT, as well drafting the sequel to FOLLOW ME THROUGH DARKNESS. Plus, then I have two other books in the wings just waiting…
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I think every author brings something new and fun to the table. I feel like my books have an honesty about them that’s easy to connect to — or at least I hope — and that connection invests a reader on a personal level. Obviously, even the ones about witches, have these deeper pieces to them. I know I came from a place where I had to work really, really hard to overcome and to prove (to myself and others) that I could be more. That definitely translates into my characters. I don’t know that it’s a different thing, per se, but I do think it’s a special thing and I hope that as I release more books, readers start to notice that connection as well.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I love YA. In real life, I love hearing people’s stories–their journeys, the things that make them who they are. Because of that I love characters, and I think YA has the best characters. Teens are the most conflicted/interesting/ambitious people and somehow it just fits with what I’m writing. I hope that when I’m 80 I’m still writing for teens. I also, often, feel like I’m still a kid just playing dress-up like an adult, and sometimes that can be what being a teen (and what YA) is like.
4) How does my writing process work?
I always have a character, and usually opening line and an end goal before I write anything. If I don’t then I can’t build a story. I like to outline and I’ve found that I’m faster and more succinct and cleaner in my drafts when I do outline. Sometimes it’s a vague outline and sometimes a very detailed one, it just depends on the story. Once I feel confident in one or all of those elements, I write! Even when I (for some odd reason) don’t have an outline, I still tend to write and eventually stop and make one. I also like to do character sheets at some point in the process so that I know for sure who I’m dealing with — though, most times, they always end up surprising me by telling me new things that totally change who I thought they were.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out the next three amazing authors coming up on April 7!
Alex Kahler is many things, but first and foremost, he’s a Sagittarius.
Born in Iowa and educated across the States, he’s taught circus in Amsterdam and Madrid, gotten madly lost in the Scottish wilderness, received his Masters in Creative Writing from Glasgow University, and drummed with Norse shamans. Sometimes he also walks about on stilts. Or sews. Or hammers tiny pieces of metal into pretty shapes. His recent books include “The Immortal Circus” trilogy.
When he’s not writing or climbing in the rafters, he’s probably drinking coffee. And seeing as he currently resides in Seattle, his addiction is well-served. His book, MARTYR, comes out in October.
Tierney Fowler works as a government analyst by day and a style blogger by night. She resides in Northern Virginia near four shopping malls, counts leopard as her favorite color, and has at least ten different shades of red lipstick in her purse. Her first novel, Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous, is coming out Summer 2014.
Erica Cameron knew that writing was her passion when she turned a
picture book into a mystery novella as a teen. That piece wasn’t her best work, but it got her an A. After college, she used her degree in Psychology and Creative Writing to shape a story about a dreamworld. Then a chance encounter at a rooftop party in Tribeca made her dream career a reality.
Her debut novel Sing Sweet Nightingale releases March 4, 2014 from Spencer Hill Press. It is the first book in The Dream War Saga.
January 6, 2014
SALT is out today!!!
SALT comes out today!!
(You can get it as an ebook in all these places: Goodreads || Amazon || Barnes & Noble || iTunes)
I feel like I’m supposed to present something profound and author-ly about the release and how it feels to have this moment. This one moment. I’m always impressed by the way other people can take this release day post and write what it means to them and present it into beautiful words. I’m not sure if this will end up being that, but let’s see.
##
It’s weird. I thought release day would be like this:
But it’s more like this:
I don’t have any words.
That’s how I feel.
It’s a rare thing when I don’t have much to say. (Anyone who knows me can attest to that.)
##
Books and stories changed my life.
When I was a kid, these fantasy worlds were all that I had. Whether I made them up or watched them or read them, I lived in them. There was something about escaping reality that, as a kid and adult TV addict, that gives me hope and rejuvenates me and makes me excited about life. (You can only relate to that if you were that kid as well.)
I got my first job at a bookstore after college. I loved bookstores. (I still do.)
I used to walk around the store and stare at all the books. I’d touch them, and always find a new story that I’d look at the cover, the back copy, the first page. Have you ever thought about the amount of words stuffed between the pages of books in a store? Millions. Trillions. I can’t even think about it now without being overwhelmed. It’s amazing to me (still) that so many people have so many different stories to tell and ways to tell them.
Fantasy. Reality. Love lost. Love found. Funny…If you love or hate them, haven’t heard of them, it doesn’t matter. Someone wrote that book.
Someone had something in his or her heart and head that had to come out. It had to come out and breathe and live. It needed a life, and someone wrote it and went through the long, tedious, torturous process of finding someone else to believe in it—and then to give it life and power. Power that can be passed on to someone else.
I used to walk around the store in awe of that and think, “I wonder if I could ever have something to say that powerful.” And I used dream about this moment.
The moment I could share a story that other people could discover.
This moment. The one I have no words for.
##
People keep asking me if I’m excited about SALT, and I am. I may not be flailing and glowing, but I’m excited. This is something that I’ve been working toward for a long time, dreaming about for even longer. I’m SO THRILLED that I have this opportunity. I’m so amazed that I created something that other people to read. (Finally.) I had a story to tell. I’m one of those books in that bookstore, and maybe, just maybe, there will be a reader who feels about SALT the way I do about some of favorite fictional worlds.
I’m on pins and needles waiting for friends, for family, for people I don’t even know to read SALT. To read a story that I wrote. That’s an irreplaceable thing.
##
It’s a different experience, this release, because SALT isn’t a book I can hold in my hands. It’s not words printed on paper. It’s not a book I can put on a shelf—but it’s still real. It’s still MY book, and one that I love. A story I got to share. It’s proof (for myself) that I achieved the something I’ve always wanted, and so whatever comes next, I can keep going knowing that a dream has come true.
In summary, I feel like this:
##
And now SALT is yours, too. You get to meet Penelope and Carter and Pop and Gran. You get to experience some of their lives, their magic. And that, for me, is the most exciting part of all this because I love them all.
To everyone for buying, reading, sharing, talking about, being excited for SALT.
I hope you really enjoy it.
December 18, 2013
As Release Day Approaches…
There are a lot of reasons why writers write the books we do. For a friend, for a deadline, for a character, for publication, for fun, for ourselves. SALT was completely for myself; I honestly never thought it’d ever be published.
I wrote SALT after finishing a major revision on FOLLOW ME THROUGH DARKNESS. I’d spent two years with FMTD and that book is my heartbeat but the MC is lost, the subject heavy and the world intense. I was so tired when I finished that revision and then I heard Penelope’s voice.
She made me laugh. Her story made me smile, left me feeling joyful and light. It rejuvenated me, and I wrote it. It was fun to write and read, even while drafting and rewriting and building. As other people read her story, they fell in love with Penelope and her voice. That’s how Entangled ended up with it. And even when I was doing page proofs a few weeks ago, it made me laugh. It always makes me laugh.
With the release day approaching, this is the thing I think is the scariest to me: I want people to enjoy it. (Every writer wants that! It’s why we write!) I want it to be a story that makes people smile. That brings a moment happiness or laughter. That was why I wrote SALT. It was never meant to be this beautiful piece of literary genius that would change lives. It was relief and escape and happiness and kissing. It’s scary because I don’t get to put a post-it not on the book (like we do at the bookstore where I work) and say “Warning this is meant only to be fun!” I have no control over expectations. (I mean the cover is purple and sparkly, so I hope that’s pretty self-explanatory for the tone of the book.) I have no control of reactions.
I have no control anymore, but I do hope that all of you who are reading or will read SALT find a moment of escape. And maybe even laugh at least once.
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble
December 5, 2013
SALT HAS A COVER!!
I HAVE A BOOK COVER!!
Isn’t it beautiful?
Many thanks to my fantastic cover designer, Jenny Perinovic, because this is perfectly perfect.
Add SALT to goodreads (and you can preorder it, too, which is pretty freaking cool.)
December 4, 2013
12 Days of Kick-Ass Christmas with Karri Thompson!
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Join us in celebrating Entangled Teen’s 12 Days of Kickass Event! This event is going to be a blast!
We are joining together to share some exclusive content with you all! There will be 2 teams, The Smartass Team who will post a good or swoon worthy deleted scene or an excerpt and The Badass Team who will post a villainous deleted scene or excerpt. And the cool part is we’ll be posting on each other’s blogs! The party starts on December 2nd and goes all the way to December 13th! We will wrap up the event with our monthly twitter party on December 13th 9 PM EST/6 PM PST as well! Each day will have 2 posts from us along with an EPIC giveaway!
So how do I join in you ask? It’s easy just follow along with the tour and find the hidden word (it will be highlighted) in each post and fill out the Rafflecopter form! What can I win you ask? You can win one of 2 Kindles (valued at $69) and we’re giving away 5 sets of 5 Entangled Teen Print Books US Only, and 10 Entangled Teen eBooks International! Also we will be giving away more books and Amazon and Barnes & Noble Gift Cards during the twitter party! That means 2 people will win a kindle, 5 people will win 5 of our amazing print titles, and 10 people will win eBooks!
Today I’m very happy to have Karri Thompson on the blog!
Karri’s debut YA novel, Amateur Angel, was released May 1, 2012. The next book
in that series, Hollywood Angels, came out September 1, 2013. The first book in her upcoming dystopian trilogy, The Van Winkle Chronicles, will be released by Entangled Publishing Spring 2014. Connect with Karri: Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads
About The Van Winkle Chronicles:
Cassie Dannac her wakes up in a hospital over 1,000 years into the future after her space capsule is retrieved from space. She soon learns that 600 years prior to her arrival, the earth was struck by a plague, killing over half of the world’s population. Naïve and desperate, Cassie, who longs for home and is having trouble adjusting to the new, dictatorial 31st century government, is comforted by Michael Bennett, the 20-year old lead geneticist at the hospital where she was revived. But why is Cassie in genetics’ hospital in the first place, and why do several of the people around her seem so familiar, including Travel Carson, the hot and edgy boy she is fated to meet? Soon she discovers there is a sinister answer to all of her questions – and that they want something from Cassie that only she can give. Check it out on Goodreads.
And here’s her deleted scene!
In this scene, Cassie has just learned that the doctors at GenH1 have bigger plans for her than she could have ever imagined. Michael is at her side, trying to allay her fears, but the bitter reality of her new fate in the year 3025 is still too much for Cassie to bear.
MIRROR X
“It’s not a matter of want, Cassie. It’s what you have to do. It’s part of the plan. I am just one member of the project. I can’t do anything to stop it. Even if I quit and leave the hospital it wouldn’t matter. It would be more difficult for them, but they already have what they need to start and finish the project without me.” Michael’s words were gentle, his voice sincere, urging me to understand his dilemma.
Yes, he was part of the team, part of the plan to violate and use me, but so far Michael was different from the others. He cared about me deeper than anyone else here at GenH1, and like me, he was brought to life for the so-called “good” of the world. We had more in common than anyone else on the planet. All of these things brought him as close to my side as possible without breaking his contract, and that was where I needed him to be.
“The last thing I want you to do is quit the program,” I said. Michael’s face blurred, he was so close. “I need you; I need someone who understands how I feel about this. You understand me better than anyone else.” I closed my eyes, wanting this handsome, earnest guy to take me into my arms and tell me he’d make them let me go. “I can’t do this,” I said as the sick emptiness returned to my stomach. “I can’t. I have to get out of this hospital. I can’t stay here another day.”
“You have to participate, Cassie. I can’t stop it. You can’t stop it,” he said even more gently than before. “The team hoped and anticipated that you’d see this as your calling, you duty. That you would willingly sacrifice a bit of yourself for the future of the human race, but I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.”
He grasped my hand and looked at me so intently it was hard to look away. “There is no way out of this, but we can work together side by side. Maybe then you’ll be happy.”
“So it’s not just Dr. Little and Dr. Pickford? You also want me to eventually find happiness and fulfillment within the confines of the program, just from the sheer fact of knowing that I’m saving the world?”
“It’s the only way you’ll find peace in the project.” “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that is ever going to happen. I know Ella and Dr. Love are disappointed with me, but I want my old life back. I don’t want to be here, especially now. I told you I can’t do this. Maybe I should just kill myself,” I said, ripping my hand away from his.
“No! We need you alive, Cassie. I want you alive. We won’t let you harm yourself. I won’t let you harm yourself.” Michael left the chair and sat on the edge of my bed. “I promise we won’t hurt you. I promise I won’t hurt you. When we planned for your awakening, we expected some challenges. I would never call you selfish for your reaction. I, more than anyone else here, understand what you’re feeling, and I, more than anyone else here, cares about you and how you are feeling.” My heart smiled.
In Michael’s eyes, I saw someone who was haunted by not only his own existence but also how it would damage his career if he went against the team and how miserable I would be if I didn’t accept my fate with an open heart. But I still wasn’t ready to give into their plan without a fight.
“I’ll never be able to do it. I’d rather be dead.”
“They won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Then I’m stuck.”
“You’re only stuck if you want to look at it that way.”
He was right, but there was no other way I was going to look at it. I was stuck, and they had me right where they wanted me – bed-ridden, banded, and without friends or family to fight for my rights. “So, tell me the plan?” My voice cracked as I swallowed hard to suppress my tears.
A pain developed behind my eyes again, pulsing like a small balloon that was inflating and deflating over and over again in my brain.
“I can’t do this.”
“You can. You’re stronger than that,” he urged. Was I?
Michael gently picked up my hand and brought it to his lips. His lips were soft and warm and slightly damp from licking them just before he last spoke. I watched Michael’s chest expand and contract with each breath as he gave my hand another kiss.
“Before you were awakened, I spent hours at your bedside imaging what you were like, how your voice would sound, how you looked when you smiled. When your red lips pulsed, when your chest heaved, and you took your first breath, I kept my emotions in check, but now, now that you’ve ‘awakened,’ everything is different. I’m jealous and angry. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about you. Nobody here at GenH1 cares about you the way I care about you.”
Tightening my stomach muscles, I ignored the pain and tilted forward until the space between our faces was less than two feet. My heart, my mind, my soul – everything yearned for his affection at that moment.
“And I care about you, too,” I said as Michael’s touch and sincerity drew me to him and all my anger toward him fled from my heart.
“But I can’t, we can’t. It’s against protocol. I, I should go,” he said rising stiffly from the bed. He brushed the wrinkles from his uniform and quickly walked to the door. His lips were tight and his eyes glossy from passion, disappointment, and a loss of self-control. With the sweep of his foot, he enabled the obscuras, and the door closed behind him before I could think of something to say.
Woo! I’m excited for this one. Haven’t read today’s other post? Stop by Jamie’s blog and check out my excerpt/deleted scene from SALT.
Giveaway Details:
2 Kindles (valued at $69) US ONLY
5 sets of 5 Entangled Teen Print Books US Only
10 Entangled Teen eBooks International!
(no purchase necessary)
Rafflecopter Code:
Rafflecopter link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MWNiNTU0OTUyMGNlZDFiOGJmOTc5ZmExZmRmZDJmOjIzMw==/
And here’s the post schedule so you can follow along each day!
12/2/2013 Kendra Highley will host Rachel Harris with a Smartass post.
12/2/2013 Rachel Harris will host Kendra Highley with a Smartass post.
12/3/2013 Christine O’Neil will host Vivi Barnes with a Badass post.
12/3/2013 Vivi Barnes will host Christine O’Neil with a Badass post.
12/4/2013 Karri Thompson will host Danielle Ellison with a Smartass post.
12/4/2013 Danielle Ellison will host Karri Thompson with a Smartass post.
12/5/2013 Princess Sophie will host Cecily White with a Badass post.
12/5/2013 Cecily White will host Princess Sophie with a Badass post.
12/6/2013 Jolene Perry will host Lea Nolan with a Smartass post.
12/6/2013 Lea Nolan will host Jolene Perry with a Smartass post.
12/7/2013 Victoria Scott will host Sara Hantz with a Badass post.
12/7/2013 Sara Hantz will host Victoria Scott with a Badass post.
12/8/2013 Kelley York will host Tiffany Truitt with a Smartass post.
12/8/2013 Tiffany Truitt will host Kelley York with a Smartass post.
12/9/2013 Melissa West will host Cindi Madsen with a Badass post.
12/9/2013 Cindi Madsen will host Melissa West with a Badass post.
12/10/2013 Rebekah Purdy will host Shea Berkley with a Smartass post.
12/10/2013 Shea Berkley will host Rebekah Purdy with a Smartass post.
12/11/2013 Lisa Burstein will host Jus Accardo with a Badass post.
12/11/2013 Jus Accardo will host Lisa Burstein with a Badass post.
12/12/2013 Renee Collins will host Tracy Clark with a Smartass post.
12/12/2013 Tracy Clark will host Renee Collins with a Smartass post.
12/13/2013 Chloe Jacobs will host Brooklyn Skye with a Badass post.
12/13/2013 Brooklyn Skye will host Chloe Jacobs with a Badass post.
We’re super excited to share all of these awesome posts with you and make sure to follow along on twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #12DaysOfKickass!
December 2, 2013
This is a fun SALT week!
It’s Monday! *cheers* This week is super fun (as the title implies) because I get to do share three pieces of SALT news. (If you only read one then make it…all three! Seriously. It won’t take long and I have gifs of pretty people. It’s worth it.)
Ready??
1) On Thursday, December 5, my cover goes live!! You can still be part of the cover reveal — just sign up right here by December 4!!
2) I wanted to share the official description for SALT (in case you didn’t see it yet) because this is my book y’all!
Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.
When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find “her” demon. To take back what was stolen.
Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own.
Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.
AND
3) I have this really fantastic author blurb that I’ve been so thrilled to talk about for months and months and months now!!
“Heart-stopping action and swoon-worthy romance makes SALT a paranormal romance that stands out!”
-#1 NY Times Bestselling Author, Jennifer L. Armentrout
RIGHT? I told you this was worth it. SO excited and thankful for Jennifer’s vote of confidence and enthusiasm for SALT! It’s a pretty amazing feeling when someone like her offers this kind of support.
I can’t wait to share the cover with you on Thursday! That’s only 3ish more days.
Meanwhile, you can add SALT to goodreads right now! AND you can also still join the #SALTshakers (my street team) to get exclusive fun things like excerpts, sneak peeks, and news.
Can’t wait to share my cover with everyone!! And I am really excited that SALT comes your way in just over a month!
November 21, 2013
A Problem with Trust.
This post is all about trust, which is something I’m struggling with lately. I’m also writing a sequel (if by writing you can count staring at a page and producing no words at all) and it’s related to my struggle with trust. Hugely, in fact.
For some reason, I’m having an issue trying to trust myself and the story I’m writing. Every single word I write is met with this ocean of doubt. Seriously — every .single. word. This blog post has been going better than my book, which sucks because I have a deadline. A deadline that I probably won’t meet, considering I’ve been writing for a month and have 10k words that don’t even work and it’s due in January. Heh.
I’ve never had this problem, but I know it’s largely due to this trust thing.
I know because I can feel it when I delete the words, or when I cry, or when I start over and produce nothing. I know because I feel like I hate all of this, like I can’t do it, and that’s not a feeling I enjoy. Lately, I feel like I don’t deserve this because I can’t make words happen. What kind of writer can’t make words happen? Doesn’t trust herself or her characters? Why can’t I let go and just let the story take over? Why can’t I listen to my characters? Why do I keep obsessing over and trying to make sure the story works before I write it? (Because we all know that isn’t how it happens.)
Short answer: I don’t trust. (In myself. In my ability. In the story. In the characters. In the fact that I don’t even know what’s going to happen in the next two months, which scares me.)
Longer answer: I am terrified. (Of no one buying SALT ever. Of people hating it. Of people loving it. Of expectations. Of everything that’s riding on this. Of disappointing. Of never ever succeeding or getting what I want. Of getting what I want and succeeding. Of not being good enough. Of everything.)
I’m not saying I’m not 1000% grateful for where I am — because I totally am — but being grateful doesn’t make writing fall into this place where nothing can hurt me. More things can hurt me, and they are, but they’re all coming from myself.
This lack of trust and this fear is keeping me back. I know that. I get it. But even though I know it’s a problem, even though I understand, I still don’t know how to overcome it. I have the most encouraging writer-friends who are always having the same conversations with me over and over. So, that “you can do it” encouragement isn’t working because they may believe in me, but I don’t believe in myself. (And honestly, they must be tired of telling me.) I know it’s typical to feel this way, I know every writer does, but that doesn’t help me overcome any of the anxieties I have.
And I have them so bad that I can’t write. I can’t write.
AND IT SUCKS. That makes me feel like more of a failure, like I’m even less of a writer, and I let that doubt overtake me and I get paralyzed. This is where I’ve been for a whole month! I will do almost anything to avoid the opening Scrivener. And I have to open Scrivener. (Again: deadline.)
This is a post I “shouldn’t write” because professionals are not allowed to complain about writing sequels. We’re not supposed to talk about feeling like a failure or fear. But I am. Because before I’m a professional, I am a creator. If I can’t create then I can’t be a professional. (They’re all connected.) I’m a writer, and like it or not, we writers need other people because we all like to tell ourselves that we are completely alone and we’re not. I know I’m not. Just this week I’ve seen or had multiple conversations about this exact issue. I’m not alone here, even though I feel lost and alone. I think that is cause to break the expected rules.
Has anyone else dealt with this? How do you overcome it? How do you soldier on? How do you believe in your story and in yourself? How do you separate the fear? I know I’d love to know. Especially if you’re writing a sequel that you don’t entirely see clearly.
I’d love to learn how to trust myself again — and fast.
I don’t have an expectation in writing this. I don’t want anyone to pat me on the back and say I can do it. I’m just looking for people to tell me what they’ve done to overcome this. I’m only even saying because maybe, just maybe, being honest and getting it off my chest will make me feel better.
Because I want to write. I need to write. I miss writing. I think this story could be a really good one — once I figure out what the hell is supposed to happen and how to get it on the page. And believe that I can do it.
November 18, 2013
Want to be a SALTshaker?
I’m building a team — and you could be on it!
If you don’t know (or if you do) my debut novel SALT comes out January 7! And I thought it would be fun to build a street team. Since SALT is digital only, I have a bunch of cool things planned to promote online and offline.
If you sign up for my street team, then you can get information before everyone else does, win prizes, and EVEN MORE FUN STUFF. I can’t really say what’s going to happen, but just know it will be awesome.
Maybe I’ll even bake you cookies.
You can join right now — I only have 30 spots! So jump on it and be one of the first people to join, and I have a top secret treat waiting for you now. (like, for real secret.)
What’s SALT about?
A powerless witch, some demons, some salt, some snark, lots of magic, kissing and a hot boy. If you like Supernatural then you’ll probably like my book. Although, my book is more funny than broody. You’ll still like it.
Join it on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/saltshakersteam/
Don’t have facebook? Then you can join it via email! Just send me an email at danielle(at)danielleellison(dot)com.
I’ll be hanging out twitter forever under #saltshaker and waiting to announce that someone has joined my street team. Add me (@DanielleEWrites) and let’s have a party!
