Rewriting Reality With SherritheWriter

I started out with e-publishers in the mid-2000s, but drifted to self-publishing when I realized that my vision for writing was growing beyond what they felt comfortable publishing. I also realized that I had more freedom with writing timelines and publicity if I self-published. I tried it with Move, Book One of The Tanger Falls Series, and that book outsold all of my other published novels at the time. To date, my self-published books still outsell the ones through publishers. 

I've done both. It depends on what phase your other projects are at. It's not unusual for me to have multiple novels-in-progress, and in fact, this is the first time I've only been working on one novel in several years. I generally pursue my ideas immediately. 

No, I'm a pantser, especially when it comes to writing fiction. Outlines never work for me, because an insight, idea, or character will always go rogue and ruin it. I prefer to let the story grow on its own, and see where it leads. I have general ideas about what I want to happen and how I want it to end, but I don't get too attached to anything until the rough draft is done. 

For science fiction, I would recommend Emma Newman's Planetfall series and Blake Crouch. They write compelling stories with characters that will get in your head. For mystery, I recommend P.D. James and J.A. Jance. They have a talent for capturing the essence of character and plot in their stories. 

I love writing science fiction because it allows me to not only envision the future, but to create it. Imagining what humanity will be in the next generations is an interesting and exciting prospect. Will we improve? Or will we become more dystopian? The future is the one place where all doors are open, and you can explore another one with each new book.

Promotion. Like most authors, I enjoy writing and working on books and stories, but the promotional aspect is a challenge to the introvert inside of us. It's tricky because you don't want to "toot your own horn" and prefer for the attention to be on your book and characters instead of yourself. 

I identify with my main characters, because I put a great deal of myself in them. It's one reason why I need beta readers: to give me some distance to make them believable to readers! One thing I say often on social media is that readers ride shotgun to the author's issues. It's true. My writing is how I work out what's in my head. Of course, once I hit that publish button then it becomes the readers' story, and I want them to identify with it however they need to to be inspired, entertained and to grow as a person. 

No. I want my readers to enjoy reading my books. If they find insight or inspiration to help them improve their own reality, that's great. Art is about interpretation, and I want my readers to find whatever they need in my books and stories. 

Absolutely! I think that's as normal as burnout from a job. You can get weary of anything you do regularly, even things you love. It used to make me panic, but over twenty years of writing has taught me that the muse will always come back once it's had adequate rest. I often turn to my other hobbies, especially reading, or I might try something new. I do cross stitch, and I've tried jewelry making and some other crafting projects. Anything to keep creativity alive while the writing well restores is good. 

I do. I have an excellent cover artist through Vila Designs, and we work closely to create each cover. She's great! I highly recommend her work. 

I'm re-reading Emma Newman's Planetfall series now. I read it for the first time in late 2019-2020, when the pandemic hit and my father was in the first stages of what we later found out was lung cancer. I remember enjoying the series immensely, and the novel I'm working on inspired me to read the series again now that I' in a different season of life. So far, I'm enjoying it as much, if not more, than I did the first time I read it. 

I'm working on a futuristic sci-fi story tentatively titled Singularity. It's about a society where an epidemic has wiped out 95% of the population, and they're trying to use AI to rebuild. Instead of helping, the AI exposes more problems and people wonder if the AI caused the epidemic.

That's a vision for my writing. I'd LOVE to have The Tanger  Falls Mystery, The Earthside Trilogy, The Sentience Series, Broken Time, and eventually Singularity made into a Netflix series. If you guys need new materials, check me out!

Yes. Before I could write, I'd draw pictures in my storybooks to create my own stories. Nobody really encouraged it in me growing up. I'm not sure if they thought it was a phase or some strange manifestation of my mind. Once I graduated college, married, and got settled in our home, I realized that it wasn't a quirk, it was part of who I am. I started writing when we bought our first computer in 2000 and never looked back. 

It generally takes me one to two years from rough draft to publication, depending on the length and complexity of the story. I send it through a couple of rounds of beta reading and proofreading to ensure that I'm connecting with readers before I hit the "publish" button.

Anywhere I can, which is mostly at home and at my desk at work on lunch breaks (I take my laptop to work with me to write sometimes). It's challenging to write when you have a full-time job outside of the home, but possible. You adapt by taking any block of time you have to write, be it early mornings, lunch breaks, nights, weekends, holidays, or days off. Any progress is a success!

I listen to grunge, alternative, and heavy metal. I know that sounds weird from a nerd like me, but that's what inspires and energizes me. I guess the stuff that's popular when your in high school and college stick!

I enjoy reading, of course. I love to read science fiction and mystery novels. I also do counted cross-stitching, but that's dwindling as my writing grows. I hope to take up more or explore more hobbies when I'm finally able to retire from my day job!