authorpreneurs

I’m an Authorpreneur- It’s Finally Real!

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November is Entreprenuer Month

In 2011, President Obama recognized November as a month to celebrate the innovators, job creators, and small businesses that drive economic growth and inspire new industries.

Back in 2019, exactly 2,152 days ago I published this blog post. Next month will mark six years since I became an authorpreneur, and it is still surreal. My dream has grown into Amaryllis Co. Shop, Amaryllis Author Services, and the Amaryllis Author Collective. I published The Girl from Saint Petersburg and The Girl in the Triangle, released The Changemaker Journal, and in 2026, The Girl in the Newsroom will be released. Six years have changed a lot. There have been many accomplishments, but there is still much more to come. I am thankful for every single day that I get to share my love for literacy with readers and authors, and I thank all of you for joining me on this journey!

December 29, 2019: It’s Finally Here

I officially submitted my completed manuscript to an editor. One MFA, ten years, two kids and I’m finally turning my manuscript baby into my first published novel! The next six months will be rough as I go through my rounds of edits and begin the marketing journey. All while I still balance real life with a day job and family. But it’s finally going to happen and I can’t wait!

As I set up my author website, I’ve been thinking about what I want that to look like. One of the things I want is for this to be a place where I’m transparent about the indie author journey and what goes on behind the scenes. The reason for that is I’m publishing this way as a conscious choice, and I want others to understand that choice. Both as readers and as other writers contemplating self-publishing for themselves. There’s a stigma still attached to self-publishing. I’m hoping that by lifting this curtain, I can help alleviate some of those negative associations.

Like most other English majors and MFA grads, I always assumed traditional publishing was the only route worthy of considering. Self-published authors were sell outs who couldn’t hack it with the publishing industry, right? So, I put in my dues. I joined the Writer’s Guilds and attended conferences. I listened to the agent/editor panels and furiously took notes about what they were looking for, what it would take to get past the gatekeepers and I even paid to have my manuscript reviewed by agents and editors. But after awhile, I started to question why.

I knew plenty of writers. Extremely talented writers, sitting on amazing manuscripts, waiting for their chance to come. They sent out endless pitch letters just praying to be accepted. I even knew writers who HAD been picked up by agents only to have the process take years till publication. And then they were still responsible for all the marketing themselves and only claiming about 30% of each sale. I heard repeated over and over that writers don’t go in it for the money, it’s for the love of the art, right? But in this digital age where anyone with a voice and an internet connection can build a following should that really still be the case?

There are still self-published authors who give credence to the hack stigma. But there are also extremely talented, successful authors out there who either began in self-publishing and built careers or who are now leaving their traditional publishing houses to voluntarily self-publish moving forward. Why? Because it makes more financial sense for authors. AND it gives authors complete independence and authority over their work. Instead of having no control over their manuscript’s illustrator or cover designer, they can choose their artists and be part of the design and entire experience.

Authors can also choose how they earn their income. They can see more proceeds of their royalties by self-publishing. Or, they can diversify their earnings by publishing both ways. The point is, the author is in control. They’re no longer dependent on a big publishing house to get their work into the world. They CAN do it themselves. They can be an authorpreneur and treat their writing as the small business it can be.

As a society we applaud entrepreneurs and small business owners. So, I think it’s time that we relinquish that starving author image and instead encourage and support authorpreneurs to value themselves and their earnings potential. I look forward to sharing this journey with you, and I hope I encourage others to share their own work as well!

Find more ways to spoil your inner bookworm!

Check out the Amaryllis Co. Shop, fully stocked with custom designs perfect for every book loving Amaryllis Girl! From shirts, mugs, wine glasses, and more, I have curated a shop with all of my favorites! SHOP HERE!

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Plagiarism or Inspiration

Plagiarism or Inspiration? How Do We Know the Difference?

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Is there a fine line between them?

Plagiarism vs Inspiration

Plagiarism or Inspiration? How do we define the difference?

Did you read Grapes of Wrath  in school? What about Of Mice and Men? I know I even got to teach Of Mice and Men  to my 9th graders. And I have to say, as much as many of them complained, it was actually one of my favorite texts to teach.

Steinbeck has a complex reputation in our literary canon. His books continue to reign on assigned reading lists, but people also tend to have extremely strong love/hate reactions to him. Perhaps, this is because he truly was a very complicated and controversial figure in life.

One of the thornier topics he encountered during his popularity was the source of his inspiration for The Grapes of Wrath. Few will ever forget that scene where Rose Sharon uses the breast milk from her stillborn baby to save the life of a starving man. But was this profoundly moving scene the fruit of Steinbeck’s imagination?

Smithsonian Magazine published an interesting piece a few years back about another author named Sanora Babb who published about the Dust Bowl. What was interesting about the piece was the mention of the copious notes Babb took during her firsthand interviews with migrant workers. These notes were shared with Steinbeck by the same editor who published both of their stories. In those notes- there was a scene with a stillborn baby and a mother sharing her breast milk.

This begs the question- what actually is considered plagiarism when it comes to authors’ inspiration?

I had a conversation about this recently with a book club I visited. We asked if any new story could ever entirely be new? Or ever told exactly the same way? Think on it- how many World War II historical fiction books are out there? How many authors inspired by the same chilling photograph or event in history?

Now think on eyewitness accounts in court. Do any two witnesses ever retell the same event exactly the same way or do each bring their own unique perspective to the retelling?

Kristin Hannah admits in interviews that the inspiration for her novel The Four Winds came from her love of Steinbeck. She wanted to write an updated version of his classic story. And although the books have similar themes and elements, I’d say she succeeded in telling her own unique story.

Perhaps there needs to be some grace given in storytelling. Although the word plagiarism is defined as taking of someone else’s words or ideas, I’d say it is very difficult to prove from where ideas originate or what happens after the same inspirational idea strikes.

I mean, if we were truly to take that definition at face value, couldn’t we potentially argue that every love triangle, natural disaster or genre-based trope is an idea born from someone else?

What are your thoughts on this topic?

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Outline Examples

Outline Examples – One of the Most Controversial Topics for Authors

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Outlining

What Kind of Author are You?

One of the most fun debates in writing circles is questioning your plotting strategy. Are you a plotter or a pantser? I, myself, consider myself a plantser. I love to plan, but I can veer off course slightly when creativity strikes. But one thing I swear, no matter the type of writer you are- you can STILL benefit from outlining! There really is a strategy out there to meet every kind of writer. And to prove that, I have a collection of my favorite Outline Examples to share below! And my own Franken-Joyana way for putting them together!

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

If you have not read this book yet, I cannot stress enough how much you NEED TO! One thing I love about the Story Genius method is it forces you to think about your character in depth. You must ask what is motivating them to act the way they do?

Most outline examples will focus on hitting particular plot driven markers. Story Genius, however, focuses on how the things that happen in the plot affect the protagonist and how they change internally as a result.

Story Genius

Focusing on the internal struggle,the lesson they need to learn and overcome internally to solve a problem in the plot externally, is what makes a story more relatable and interesting.

To create that internal struggle, Cron suggests finding what your character wants and why, their internal misbelief that is standing in their way, and their actual need they discover by the end of the story. Remembering this and having it remain front and center driving your character’s actions will bring your story to life.

There is so much to glean from this book! I strongly suggest completing the What If exercise in the book before doing any true outlining or plotting. That exercise alone will force you to figure out what the main point of your story is. Then you can really determine how to answer these other questions about your character. Once you’ve figured out who your character is and their internal struggle, it’s time to move on to the next part of the Franken-Joyana outline example.

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Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

The Save the Cat method began as a screenplay technique. But it’s now evolved into an all kinds of writing plot creation outline example.

Save the Cat’s main premise is that the key to plotting is pacing and structure. Structure being the order in which those events happen. And then the pacing is the timing of when they happen. They then also stress the importance of character in the story and call the three the Holy Trinity of Story.

So, with that in mind, we’re going to take all the character work we just did with Story Genius and add it to the Save the Cat beat sheet.

The Save the Cat beat sheet is a map of road markers to guide your character’s transformative journey in your story. You’ll see the fifteen beats they have on the beat sheet in the book. But coming up immediately with your fifteen beats can be overwhelming. I suggest starting with the Five Foundation Beats exercise first. Having those first five pivotal beats will greatly help you come up with the rest of your beat sheet and character journey.

So, now you have your core character internal struggle and your beat sheet for your character’s transformative journey. Next in the Franken-Joyana method is moving on to outline examples for creating the perfect scene.

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The Plot Whisperer by Martha Anderson

The Plot Whisperer is another great plotting outline example overall. But where it really shines is breaking down the nitty-gritty logistics of crafting a killer scene.

Plot Whisperer focuses on the universal story which they define as a character pursuing a goal, facing a series of conflicts and obstacles, and as a result of their choices along the way they are transformed and have a new understanding of themselves.

Plot Whisperer

To achieve this, Plot Whisperer believes three primary plot devices should be intertwined through every scene. Character Emotional Development, Dramatic Action, and Thematic Significance. Plot Whisperer states that in a scene a character acts and reacts to people, place and events. These actions and reactions should be related to the three primary plot devices mentioned above. Plot Whisperer offers their Scene Tracker to bring these threads together.

It takes awhile, but I recreate and use this Scene Tracker for outlining my entire novels. It makes a huge difference! I just started writing my third Ruth book, The Girl in the Newsroom. This was the first time I used my full Franken-Joyana method, but I’ve already noticed a difference in how much easier/faster my actual writing is going. Since, I did all the character development and handled all the major plotting structure on both the macro/micro level it now feels liberating to sit down and write. It’s fun and and playful to fill in all the creative details now without worrying about writing myself into a corner.

So, did any of the outline examples intrigue you? Did the Franken-Joyana method intrigue you? Hopefully, I’ve at least piqued your interest enough to think about outlining and give one, or all the books a chance. Happy writing!

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If you liked this post on Outline Examples, you should check out some of my similar writing posts below!

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Critique Groups

Writers Critique Groups

There are many, many levels of support a Writers Critique Group can offer. Read on for ideas!

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Writers Critique Groups

They provide eyes and feedback on your pages, fill up your creative cup and offer you trust and camaraderie. But what are some other ways a Writers Critique Group can benefit you? This is Part II in my Critique Group series. See my first post on why you need one here.

Accountability

Pages are due by a certain day. That means you need to have them done by then. It’s a built-in accountability system. I’ve also done Butt-in-the-Seat challenges with my Writers Critique Groups.

These are when we’ve decided on either a daily or weekly check in system. We usually text each other with a report on how often we got our butt in the seat and a status report on how much we accomplished.

Alpha or Beta Reading Developmental Feedback

It’s great to get line-level feedback on particular chapters or page counts. That’s the traditional Critique Group setup. But there are times you need more. Sometimes you need trusted Critique partners who are willing to do full manuscript reads. My one Critique Group does this on both the “alpha” and the “beta” stages. Alpha- That very newborn baby idea stage where the writer is still in need of spitballing ideas to bring it to life. And Beta- The first draft is there and now it’s identifying what’s working, what’s not and what needs more clarification or depth. We’ve had different partners sign on for different stages so it’s not too much work for any one person. It’s also a way to get different opinions.

New Idea Generating

There are times where writers are in between projects and need help coming up with their next ideas. Or, my one Critique Group decided to do this preemptively around Christmas one year since we knew that’s generally a low productivity time for us. So, we came up with a game called Premise Palooza. We spent the month sitting down for fifteen minutes a day and coming up with as many premises (ideas) as we could. My one Critique Partner wrote about our experience here in more detail.

Sharing Writing Experiences

Sharing writing prompts, swapping craft book recommendations, participating in Write-ins, or even attending Writing Conferences together. One of the best things about having a Critique Group is that you have a built-in network of Writing Friends to do writing things with! So, be creative and come up with the best ways you can think outside of the box and support each other!

Do you have any more ideas I didn’t mention? Please share them in the comments below!

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Business Plans for Authors

How to Write a Business Plan for Writers

It’s officially a new year! So, let’s start it off by examining how to write a business plan for writers!

Focus Business Plan

Writing a Business Plan for Writers

Time sure flies by and it’s super easy to fall into the trap of desiring to achieve a lot in a year, but never quite getting it together to make it happen. But here’s how you can rectify that. Here’s how to build a business plan for writers.

In my last post on Author Business Plans, I focused on the budgeting side and why that was important for your business finances. In this post I want to focus on what else a business plan can offer you as a writer.

Yes, your finances are important, but what about the accountability and goal setting? Forcing yourself to sit down and make specific and focused goals and following that plan to achieve them is absolutely priceless. So, here’s how to start.

Establish Your Primary Focus

First thing, is you need to figure out exactly what you want to be your primary focus for the year. Is this the year you want to complete a book? Or maybe this is the year you want to launch your book to the public. Wherever you are in your writing journey- try to take a step back and look at what you’d like to be the ONE primary focus you’d like to see happen this year.

Break Down Your Business Plan Manageable Goals

Now that you have your primary focus, try and break it down into the steps you need to accomplish to make it happen. For instance, if your focus for the year is on content, how many pages or words do you need to write a week to complete your project? If your focus is on expanding your readership and platform- maybe you need to focus on building a website and newsletter list. Make sure you write these down in clear, specific language with measurable outcomes. Otherwise, the checklist approach will never work.

Establish a Timeline with Deadlines

A year sounds like a long time, but we all know it flies by. So you need to hit the ground running. The sooner you can set deadlines, the sooner you can work towards fulfilling them. Just as I mentioned in my Writing Schedule blog post though, you need to also build in buffer room for life happening. So, yes, have a deadline, but know there’s SOME wiggle room in case of unexpected snow days, sickness etc. So for instance, don’t have an editor pre-booked for the day after you expect to have your book completed. Maybe schedule the editor for a week after, just in case.

Build in Support Systems

Do an honest assessment of your obstacles and shortcomings. Where do you usually falter in achieving your goals? For instance, I know I struggle with accountability. I’m an obliger and I prioritize everyone else’s needs over my own writing time. So, I combat that by sharing my deadline with my friends and family. Once it’s out there I have them check up on me. Now I feel like I HAVE to complete it. Plus, with them now cheering me on, they’re more apt to give me space to work without disturbing me.

Give Yourself Permission to Get Help

You need to remember that your writing IS a business if you treat it like one. Oftentimes, we classify it as a hobby because we’re not bringing in a huge sum. However, you ARE producing a complete product. Hopefully more than one even! Be proud of that. Own it! So, allow yourself the permission to unload things off your plate to prioritize your business time. Allow yourself a night away in a hotel for some uninterrupted writing time as a deadline grows closer. Hire a web designer to build your website for you instead of struggling through it yourself. Figure out what you need to be successful and budget the value of your time as well as if you can swing the monetary value.

Celebrate Your Successes Along the Way

Keeping to any business plan is never easy. But a business plan for writers can be even harder in some ways. Let’s be real, there’s a lot of variability and a lot that’s out of our control. Writing a book is hard. We might set out with every intent of keeping to a weekly word count and then one week can completely disrupt our flow! Then there’s the unpredictability of book sales, social media platforms etc. The point is I get it, it’s a lot!

Which is WHY– it’s crucial to celebrate the little successes along the way. You might not remain completely on deadline, but how many chapters have you completed? You might not hit your exact subscriber count, but how many more followers have you gotten? Every little bit matters and brings you one step closer to achieving your goal.

Good luck and happy planning everyone!

Looking for more author business resources? Here are a few posts you may want to read!

Find more ways to spoil your inner bookworm!

Check out the Amaryllis Co. Shop, fully stocked with custom designs perfect for every book loving Amaryllis Girl! From shirts, mugs, wine glasses, and more, I have curated a shop with all of my favorites! SHOP HERE!

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Writing Schedule

Planning a Book Writing Schedule

You’ve decided to write a book. Yay! But how do you manage your time to make sure you finish it? Learn how to create a writing schedule.

Writing Schedule

Mastering the Book Writing Schedule

Let’s be real, it’s a lot easier to SAY you’re going to write a book than to actually do so. There’s a reason why the majority of people who set out to accomplish this don’t. But there is a major tool the successful have in their arsenal. A writing schedule. A REALISTIC one. Let’s break down what that looks like below.

Learning Your Writing Style/Stamina

The first thing you need to do is pay attention to how long it really takes you to write a chapter. And how can you best accomplish that?

I used to believe I could only write in long stretches of uninterrupted time. Then I returned to teaching and got into the stage of kid chauffeuring. I’ve realized I needed to tweak my writing style if I wanted to maintain my productivity. Luckily, an author friend of mine recommended Immersive Writing Sessions. These have been life-altering for me! This particular playlist by Abbie Emmons also offers a cute, visual way to keep me on track.

They’re designed to follow the Pomodoro method of twenty minutes of targeted, uninterrupted time followed by a five- minute break. She also has them timed to be four sessions that add up to two hours total. They’re perfect for me to get in my two hours a day while fitting my more on-the-go lifestyle. I can realistically assess when I can grab twenty minutes of uninterrupted time- like right after a class ends before I have to grab my kids or in the parking lot outside ballet. And yet it adds up to two hours of productivity over the course of the day.

So, I count by chapter. I know if I keep to this schedule regularly- I can complete 1-2 chapters a week. I’m a slow writer with historical fiction- working on it. But there are also different ways to calculate this. For instance, my author friend who recommended the sessions- she uses Save the Cat and counts by beats. She knows it takes her 16 hours, roughly, to complete a beat.

Drill down what works for you, but first try getting into a regular routine with your writing for a few weeks and pay attention to your output and notice patterns. THEN you can move on to the next stage.

Drafting Your Writing Schedule

Once you can estimate your output, you can look ahead to the calendar. One thing I’ll mention is it really helps if you have a planned outline so you know how many chapters your book will contain. I know I’m alienating pantsers here, but the planning ahead really will help. Check out my blog post on Outlining Strategies to help with this.

For instance, I know my book will have about thirty-two chapters. So, now knowing my usual output each week, I can count ahead how many weeks it will take me to complete the book.

Now, here’s where realism comes in. I also look ahead for what life obstacles are going to impact that. For instance, when the kids are off from school and going to be home disrupting me. When I’m going to have papers due to grade for my students. Or family in town visiting, travel plans, holidays, etc. These things all need to be considered because you will NEVER write as much as you think you will during these life events. So, plan for them instead of being disrupted and feeling like a failure later.

Revisions and Editing

A few things to consider for the end. One. Make sure you build in buffer room. There WILL be other life events you could not have anticipated or planned for. Like the week’s worth of Snow Days that had kids home and threw off my schedule last week. Or sickness, etc. So, make sure you add in an extra week or two for breathing room.

Two. You also need to build in Revision and Self-Editing time. I usually leave myself a few weeks to go through big-scale revisions and self-editing. I also ALWAYS recommend working with a copy editor. So, you will need to build in time for that as well. Most copy editors need at least a month to complete their edits. You will then also need time to implement their feedback.

Final Thoughts on Book Writing Schedules

I know this probably seems like a lot and like it will take forever. Writing a book is not for the faint of heart. There are ways to do it faster. I know there are people who can knock out books in a few weeks to a month. NanoWriMo right? I’d caution that these are the exceptions though. And they have most likely cleared their schedules to completely prioritize nothing but writing for that period of time. That is another approach. Although a more difficult one when you’ve got other obligations.

However, this writing schedule approach is to help you avoid the trap of allowing it to drag on forever. I say this as someone who has fallen into that trap the past few years trying to balance life and this final book of my trilogy. So, finding that right balance of reality vs. upholding expectations is crucial.

Good luck everyone and happy writing!

Do you have any other writing schedule tips that have worked for you? Please leave them in the comments below! Thanks, I look forward to hearing them!

Did you enjoy this post? Here are a few more that may interest you:

Find more ways to spoil your inner bookworm!

Check out the Amaryllis Co. Shop, fully stocked with custom designs perfect for every book loving Amaryllis Girl! From shirts, mugs, wine glasses, and more, I have curated a shop with all of my favorites! SHOP HERE!

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