Welp, folks. Last time I posted a personal blog, I was WRITING ALL THE THINGS and have basically shifted from the March and April energy of “I can do anything!” to the May energy of “Oh shit. I have to do something.” Gone are the days of waking up at 2 AM and writing a new story or outlining a new book. Gone are the moments of me thinking, “I should just write a six-part series this month!”
Instead, I’m left with a bunch of half-plotted book ideas, a few flash fiction stories, a lot of great new ideas, and, shockingly, some actually completed projects. And now I’m sitting in the middle of all of that with my Yorkshire tea and my 21 zoom classes this month, looking around at everything going, “Who said yes to all of this?”
It’s funny how fast my energy shifts. Last month, I was flying through new stories like I was on some writers game show and the prize was the president of Penguin Canada waiting at the finish line with a billion dollar advance and this month, I’m dragging myself through the day, just trying to get through all of my work and slogging through a story here and there.
It’s like last month was all about what I could start and this month is about what I can finish. But honestly, it feels less scary this year. Maybe because I was ready for it. I know a crash always comes after a high. And I’m left with some amazing started projects. A new novella-in-flash with a few stories written. A wealth of pieces and excerpts for my Patreon. Some ideas for my non-fiction book and a good start on the proposal which is due to my agent in August.
So, it’s not the loss I thought it might be. It feels more–hopeful this time. This week, I’m leaving to road trip with my bestie where we’ll be authors-in-residence for the AWCS writing retreat. The following week, I’m teaching a three-day flash fiction class. Then I’m presenting at the Writers Guild of Alberta conference. After a long day of driving home, I’ll be in vacation mode until my wife and I leave for England and hopefully, I’ll wrap up some work in those six weeks.
Maybe it won’t be at the frantic pace of March and April, but it will still be steady. And sometimes, that’s even better. It forces me to slow down, to look at what I created in the high-energy phase, to determine which ones I can take to the finish line.
If you’re finding yourself in a creative shift – from writing all the things to writing none of the things – or reverse or something in between, my advice is to ride it out. I know I’m guilty of worrying, whenever I have a lull in my creativity, that it is never coming back. But time and history shows that it does come back. And while there are things we can do to nurture it, sometimes the best thing you can do is just wait and let it come back naturally.
Welcome to Five Questions With – a blog where each week, I talk to writers, publishers, and other creatives about their work. This week, I welcome MJ Williamz.
Congratulations on Chasing Her Scent! Can you tell me a bit about the book—what it’s about, what inspired it, and what you’re most proud of in this story?
Chasing her Scent takes place in Quebec City. A small bookstore owner discovers a secret room. In the room is a box she hasn’t been able to open. She eventually gets the box open and it reveals a map and a locket with a picture of Marie Antoinette in it along with a vial of her perfume, Black Jade. The map is very faded and unable to clearly see. The bookstore owner, Lisette and an American neurosurgeon, Sheridan embark on a wild treasure hunt across Canada.
This book is also a romance as opposed to an erotic romance, which I love. I’d rather write romance than erotic romance
Last time we talked, you mentioned you moved to Puerto Vallarta to “be safe.” That’s such a powerful statement. What does safety mean to you right now, and how has that shaped your writing—or your life—lately?
Safety to me means trump and his cronies can’t touch me. I know they’re gunning for all LGBTQIA people, but seem to be targeting trans people first and foremost. I needed to be where their policies, etc can’t touch me. Puerto Vallarta has offered me a beautiful, peaceful safe space. I don’t fear for my very existence here. I miss my wife Laydin with every ounce of my being and can’t wait until she moves.
As for writing-I finished Chasing her Scent down here and have started another book, as yet untitled (Coming up with a title is the bane of my existence!) This new book takes place in Puerto Vallarta and the main characters are an entitled American and a local woman who teaches her that one doesn’t need a lot to be happy.
So the creative juices continue to flow. Maybe more so without the added stress of living in the US.
You mentioned that you’re transitioning. If you’re comfortable sharing, what has that process been like for you?
My transition has been smooth and easy with all the love and support I’ve received from Laydin, her family, and my most excellent friends! I’m very fortunate and I know that. I’m in the process of figuring out a way to give back. We are offering our hotel as a place to recover for anyone seeking reassignment surgery here. At the moment, those surgeries aren’t performed in Puerto Vallarta-They’re all done in Guadalajara but I’m working with a nurse who’s trying to get them done here.
Has your creative work been a refuge or something else entirely during that journey?
I’ve written two books with Trans main characters now. Pleasures in PTown and Fleur d’ Lies. Pleasures is available on Amazon and Fleur d’ Lies will be as well hopefully later this year. So transitioning has given me more fodder to work with.
Writing is always a sanctuary for me whether it’s sapphic lit or trans characters. I’m living in paradise now so the need to escape reality with my writing isn’t as strong which is why my latest novel is taking a while to write! LOL
How do place and identity intertwine for you—as a person and as a storyteller?
Living in paradise and having the freedom to be myself and write to my hearts content has created the space and time for me to be at peace. I couldn’t separate my writing from my identity because for so many years it was my refuge. My safe place. Now I can revel in freedom and expand my writing in so many ways. It’s like I’ve finally come home.
What’s something you’ve learned recently, in life or in writing, that you wish you could go back and tell your younger self?
Never take freedom and happiness for granted. Appreciate what you have everyday.
Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?
Welcome to Five Questions With — a series where I talk with writers, publishers, agents, and other industry professionals about my favourite topic — writing! This week, I’m talking with Melanie Mayer about accidentally becoming a romance writer, balancing humor with horror, and what happens when you write a gargoyle love story so spicy you have to hide it from your elderly aunts.
You describe yourself as someone who “accidentally became a romance writer.” Can you tell the story of the accidental crossover and what surprised you most about stepping into this genre?
In 2022, I started participating in various writing contests and my very first assignment was to write a rom-com. Okay, I love comedy, I’ve read romance, maybe I can pull it off? It placed second for that round, which was the first inkling I might be on to something. I’ve written a lot of other genres since (horror, crime caper, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy), but somehow I keep ending up back at romance and romantic comedies. My first published novella? Romance. My first contest win? Rom-com. I can’t escape, so I might as well embrace it.
Hera, the absolutely adorable bunny
Your upcoming horror story “Wade vs. Roe” sounds both darkly funny and deeply political. What draws you to stories that mix humor with heavier themes, and how do you navigate that balance as a writer?
Humor is survival (especially these days). It might be dark humor, but it helps us through. You do have to be careful with the balance, and make sure it doesn’t come in so heavy with the comedy that you’ve taken away the impact. Using humor is like adding spices to food – you need the right amount, the right blend, to keep one thing from overpowering every other part, to keep the integrity of the dish itself. But I couldn’t get by without my warped sense of humor.
You’re not just a writer—you co-run a small press (Sloth & Envy) from another state, attend cons, sell zines, and keep an impressive events calendar. What’s something people don’t realize about the behind-the-scenes work of indie publishing and promoting at events?
Whew, the behind-the-scenes is a LOT of work! It’s pretty much a full-time effort. I’m a night owl, so my poor business partner wakes up to 5-20 Discord messages every morning. And I make him do a lot of the business related paperwork, since his degree is in business and he runs a warehousing business full-time. We aren’t marketing types, so a big challenge has been “How do we convince people to buy our books and zines?” Our social media is mostly just us being our usual goofy selves. We’d much rather engage with people and have fun than market ourselves as a product 24/7. Maybe it will pay off in the long run, or maybe people will decide we aren’t serious. But for something that’s this much work, we still want it to be fun – for us, for our writers and readers. Our whole brand is ‘quirky’.
Your background is in counseling psychology, not creative writing. How has that shaped your voice or storytelling style?
I think my background helps me understand people, and use that to shape characters. But it also hampers me to a degree, because the way I know people would tend to behave is not always what people want in a character. I’ve had feedback where they’ve commented on a character’s behavior being unbelievable, and I’ll think “If you only knew, people totally do this!”
Will you please tell me more about the Gargoyle romance because I have to admit, I yelled YES when I read about that.
Here I am back at how I accidentally became a romance writer! Some members of my writing group had a little tradition on contest results day where we’d pass time by reading a few passages of the most unhinged Kindle Unlimited stories we could find. I got hooked on the idea that I could write an unhinged story for them and that’s how the gargoyle romance came into being. It was intended to be a short story of about 5-7k words and ended up as a 36k word novella. Once I started writing, the whole plot revealed itself to me. My story takes place in the Scottish Highlands, at the manor of a reclusive modern-day noble. The main character, Lauren, arrives to do specialized restoration of the statues adorning the walls, and ends up in the middle of a battle between two ancient magic-wielding entities. Because it’s spicy, I did use a pen name (Mallory Glass), mostly to keep my elderly aunts from buying a copy. I don’t want to be responsible for mass heart failure within the family!
Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?
Do penguins count? I did get the chance to do a behind-the-scenes penguin feeding at an aquarium in 2010 and have loads of penguin pics. I love all the weird birds. The goofier, the better! (Ed. Note. Why yes they do! Penguins rock.)
Welcome to the 5 Questions Series. Each week, I’ll ask five questions of some of my favorite authors, editors, publishers, and other industry professionals. This week, I’m talking with Martin Greening about Roman mythology with a fantasy twist, what crowdfunding a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) actually teaches you, and the joys (and heartbreaks) of editing a shared world anthology.
Ruma: Dawn of Empire combines Roman history with fantasy mythology—and launched as a successful Kickstarter! What inspired the setting, and what did the experience of crowdfunding and publishing a TTRPG teach you about creative risk?
Originally the Ruma setting was created by a few friends of mine for a tabletop miniatures game. Unfortunately, that project never took off. I had always liked their idea, so when I decided to write a TTRPG we worked out a deal to use Ruma as the setting for the RPG. Setting a game in a historical period, even while stretching the reality of that world, gives the creator a foundation to work with. You’re not creating things from a blank page. I found that appealing since this was my first foray into writing a game.
As for crowdfunding, I have been active on Kickstarter as a backer for quite some time, especially in the TTRPG category, so I had a good idea of what was needed to conduct a successful campaign. For anyone interested, there are primarily two things you need to do so: 1) build a following before the campaign so it hits the ground running and funds quickly (everyone likes a winner), and 2) invest a little in artwork/graphics so your campaign page has a polished look. So even though I had spent a little bit on some artwork prior to the Kickstarter campaign for Ruma, I didn’t feel like it was a huge risk. Especially since I had planned from the start to use print on demand for any physical copies of the game. Shipping never entered my equations, and shipping costs are the bane of crowdfunding campaigns. (OK, I lied, there are three things you need for a successful campaign. Make sure your shipping costs are covered!)
Version 1.0.0
Tales of Ruma expanded the world through fiction, pulling in Greek and Roman mythology. As an editor, how did you approach curating stories for the anthology—and what was most rewarding (or challenging) about building a shared world across different voices?
I hadn’t originally planned to do an anthology for Ruma, but the Kickstarter campaign was far more successful than I anticipated and I had no idea what to do with the extra funds. I certainly didn’t want to pay taxes on all of it. Over the years I’d made a few connections with writers, mostly from the Superstars Writing Seminar, so I thought an anthology would be a good avenue to spread those funds to writers while creating a companion product for the game. I knew I wanted a few anchor authors. Established writers with name recognition. So I asked several I knew if they’d be interested in the project. I also knew that I wanted the anthology to hold the works of fresh voices. Unrecognized names looking for a chance. So I placed submission calls online. Let me say that reading through a slush pile, even one as small as mine, is greatly rewarding. You see the entire gamut of stories. Great ones, good ones, some not so good. Some that show promise with a little guiding hand and some that, sadly, just aren’t publishable. As an editor, you often have a limit on word count. In my case it was limited by the budget, so I had to make some hard decisions on what to include and a few very fine stories didn’t make the cut. Often there will be submissions with similar content or themes and because of limited space not all of them will be accepted. This is a hard lesson to learn as a writer so I was grateful for the experience from the other side.
You have a free short story available for all your mailing list subscribers. Can you give us a teaser on what the story is about?
Thanks for asking. It’s a very short story called Park Rules, about the social dynamics and politics of dog parks and how one finds their place. I wrote the story for a competition for the AutoCrit Community and was happy it earned a spot among the winners. The competition’s theme was, perhaps not ironically, Community, and at the time I was taking my dog Arya to a park often. Just goes to show you never know when inspiration will strike or how such a mundane thing as taking a dog to a dog park can spark a story.
You’re also a flash fiction writer, which is such a different scale than worldbuilding for games or anthologies. Do those forms feel creatively separate to you, or do they feed each other in surprising ways?
I suspect I share a common trait with many people in our ever-increased pace world—a short attention span. Writing flash fiction is a method to create small wins. Projects you can finish in as little as a few minutes (although they often take more than that) as compared to writing a world guide, or a novel, or even a short story. But writing flash fiction and writing game rules do share a common trait: brevity. In a game, the rules need to be clear and concise. Long explanations can lead to player confusion. So I think they do feed each other in that respect. You can see this in action with recipe-style flash pieces. They perform much the same as game rules. Do this, then do that. If this, then that.
Do you find yourself bringing any influences of mythology into your flash fiction writing?
Honestly, my flash fiction is all over the place. And I find this is one of my favorite aspects of them. They can be about anything, any genre. I find many of the pieces I write to be more like glimpses or moments of some mundane thing. I do think that using mythology in a flash piece can help alleviate the need for heavy world building in a piece, which is hard to do when you’re focusing on a small word count.
BONUS Question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?
If you looked at my phone you would think there are two things that exist in this world and nothing else: tabletop miniatures and my dog. So sorry, no bird pics from me. Now, there were a couple of pigeons on my fence the other day . . . until Arya chased them away.
Find out more about Martin Greening on his website.
In my last post, I talked about the joy of coming out of winter depression and into the new creative life of spring. The way the thaw seems to happen all at once—how ideas break the dam and bombard me so fast, there’s literally no way I can bring them all to life.
That’s how I feel right now. Full of ideas. Full of life. Novel premises, character voices, exciting titles that won’t leave me alone. I’ve written five flash fiction stories in the past few days after a long winter without writing ANY. It’s thrilling. I’m outside a lot more now, walking for ages with my wife, pointing out the new blooms coming up in people’s yards and out on the trail, looking for marmots and beavers and all the other animals poking their heads out. Yesterday, she pointed out the birds that live in a dead tree in our yard and I immediately came inside and wrote a creative non-fiction piece called “Birds in a Dead Tree.” (I post all of these on my Patreon which is bursting at the seams with stories right now!)
After a long lifetime of coming into spring each year with this idea that I’ve been “fixed” from the brokenness of the winter slump, I know it doesn’t last. And that might feel sad to some. But to me, it’s hopeful, because it’s also a reminder that when I face my next depressive slump (which, incidentally isn’t always seasonally related), it won’t be forever, either. The point is that right now, I feel I’m in a writer’s shopping mall with an unlimited credit card and a full staff following me as I point to each one, saying, “That one! That one!”
And I also know it isn’t going to last. So this year, I’m trying something new. I’m stockpiling. Instead of berating myself for my ADHD mind that can’t settle down and focus on one idea, I’m giving space to all of them.
Every time a story idea strikes, I open a fresh document and bust out a first draft. If it’s a new novel idea, I’m making a folder with the working title and at least writing down the basic plot idea. In a few cases, I’ve outlined the inciting incident, the rising action, the ultimate conclusion. I gave myself a few hours last week to do full plot outlines on three different books. Does this mean I have bits and pieces of a dozen books without any real progress on any of them? Yes. But does it also mean I always have something to work on when I sit down to write? Yes.
It’s become a kind of gift to my future self. A reminder that the creative well will fill up again—and when it does, I’ll be ready. Or when it doesn’t, I’ll still have something to work with. It’s kind of like when my wife and I canned all that tomato sauce the one year we successfully grew tomatoes. In February, when we’re living in a cold, grey bucket of suck, we can whip out fresh sauce and fill the house with the smells of summer. Well, I can also paw through my works in progress folders and bring back the smell of my verdant spring.
If you’re also in a season of abundance, I encourage you to gather what you can. Write the messy notes. Sketch the outlines. Give those stray thoughts a name and a place to live. You don’t have to chase every idea right now. (Though you can!)
Maybe next winter, instead of dreading the creative slump, I’ll look forward to them hibernation, to the time when I can wrap the blankets around me and dive into finishing something.
Finnian Burnett 