Ask the Author: Michael J. Hansen
Answered Questions (3)
Michael J. Hansen
In general? A bunch of stuff.
Specific to authoring? Business, skills, and projects.
For business, I'm trying to expand my reach. I need a larger reader list. I need a larger, more dependable pool of ARC and beta readers. I'm trying to meet/find authors who are in a similar stage as me, and find an audience that I can please.
For skills, I'm focusing on writing my first draft faster, and then implementing more impactful revisions. I also want to improve at making the emotions I feel while writing jump out from the pages better.
For projects, my primary project is a standalone I plan on releasing this summer. It's a light-hearted coming-of-age fantasy tale. It's fairly self-aware and pokes fun at both common fantasy tropes and the authors who use them (yes, that includes me). I'm also concurrently working on the second installment in "The Celestial Saga," slated for an early 2024 release.
Specific to authoring? Business, skills, and projects.
For business, I'm trying to expand my reach. I need a larger reader list. I need a larger, more dependable pool of ARC and beta readers. I'm trying to meet/find authors who are in a similar stage as me, and find an audience that I can please.
For skills, I'm focusing on writing my first draft faster, and then implementing more impactful revisions. I also want to improve at making the emotions I feel while writing jump out from the pages better.
For projects, my primary project is a standalone I plan on releasing this summer. It's a light-hearted coming-of-age fantasy tale. It's fairly self-aware and pokes fun at both common fantasy tropes and the authors who use them (yes, that includes me). I'm also concurrently working on the second installment in "The Celestial Saga," slated for an early 2024 release.
Michael J. Hansen
Terribly. Haha.
I have movements in my stories, kind of like music. I prefer to write chronologically, but sometimes I have to skip ahead to the next movement to make progress.
If that doesn't work, I also work on two drafts at once. I'll move over to the other project and see if I can make progress there.
If that doesn't work, I try relaxing. I'll read another author's work or watch a show that has similar themes to what I'm trying to write, or I'll play FIFA. It's usually FIFA.
I have movements in my stories, kind of like music. I prefer to write chronologically, but sometimes I have to skip ahead to the next movement to make progress.
If that doesn't work, I also work on two drafts at once. I'll move over to the other project and see if I can make progress there.
If that doesn't work, I try relaxing. I'll read another author's work or watch a show that has similar themes to what I'm trying to write, or I'll play FIFA. It's usually FIFA.
Michael J. Hansen
3 things:
1) Produce a quality first draft, but don't you dare make it perfect. That's what revisions are for.
2) 'Show don't tell' is overrated. It's an important principle, but it isn't the law many make it out to be. Think of showing like cooking a steak. You obviously need to cook the meat, but there is such a thing as overcooking. Aim for medium. Some pretentious writers may insult your work for not showing more, but most readers will prefer medium.
3) Get more ARC readers than you think you need. New writers live or die by reviews.
Personal experience: I thought getting 35 ARCs would be enough for my first book. I gave them 3 weeks to read, sent them multiple reminders about the release date, and then a final thank you message on launch day. Those 35 ARCs only produced 5 Amazon reviews for me in the first 3 days, even though most of them had told me that they finished and said they loved it.
The ARC group quality will improve over time, but if you want 20 reviews on day one, get 100 ARCs.
1) Produce a quality first draft, but don't you dare make it perfect. That's what revisions are for.
2) 'Show don't tell' is overrated. It's an important principle, but it isn't the law many make it out to be. Think of showing like cooking a steak. You obviously need to cook the meat, but there is such a thing as overcooking. Aim for medium. Some pretentious writers may insult your work for not showing more, but most readers will prefer medium.
3) Get more ARC readers than you think you need. New writers live or die by reviews.
Personal experience: I thought getting 35 ARCs would be enough for my first book. I gave them 3 weeks to read, sent them multiple reminders about the release date, and then a final thank you message on launch day. Those 35 ARCs only produced 5 Amazon reviews for me in the first 3 days, even though most of them had told me that they finished and said they loved it.
The ARC group quality will improve over time, but if you want 20 reviews on day one, get 100 ARCs.
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