Personal Adventures
When you live as far north as I do, August symbolizes one thing…winter’s coming. And while August was an exceptionally hot month, the urge to start preparing for winter is strong.
We cleared land, picked berries, went out on some adventures to hidden lakes, and I found a large stash of mason jars in my garage so went ahead and reorganized my spice cupboard.
Buying in bulk is more cost effective and having jars in the open is better for my ADHD-ass to remember what I have and to use them! It also appeals to my witchy & graphic design sides as well.
I just like things that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
We’ve almost completely shifted our mindset from summer to fall. It’s time to go cut wood for cozy fires, clean up the yard, we put the sauna up, are planning a salmon fishing weekend to Alaska, and are watching the snow settle in on the mountains!
The leaves are just starting to change and my mental health always dramatically improves at this time of year.
I’m ready to hibernate!
Professional Adventures
I finished THREE chapters of my Vampire Girl Robin Hood with dragons fantasy book and sent it off to my dev editor to sample it. We are meeting next week to discuss the story and if we are the right fit for each other.
Choosing an editor is kind of like choosing a doctor/therapist. You have to get along, but they also have to understand you. I’ve been burned by editors before, where they didn’t actually edit my book…they just told me how THEY would have written it.
If an editor ever tries to change your language or your style, RUN! A good editor fit is someone who enjoys the way you write but is experienced enough to point out your rough spots and help you find a way to bridge those gaps.
I absolutely love my contemporary romance editor. Her notes are brutal and honest and sometimes make me want to cry, but it’s because she does not let me cut corners or rush my stories. Her most used comment in my manuscripts is “I know you can do better” and “Show don’t tell”. It’s always when I rush the emotion to get to the action (which I do a lot in earlier drafts because my brain works faster than my fingers so I have to cut words to get the story out).
This new editor gives me a good feeling and I’m hopeful that her and I will connect over this Romantasy story as that’s her favourite things to read so she’ll be a wealth of knowledge in that market.
Here’s the opening line of the book:
The sweet pungent scent of blood fills my senses. I run my tongue over my short pointed fangs, desire almost as thick as the air.
I’m also working with my favourite artist to illustrate the cover! Roh and her dragon are coming along nicely and I’m so excited to reveal it!
Other News
Just yesterday, I deleted ALL of my social media. I’ve wanted to do this for years but always got sucked back in by the “You’ll never make it without social media” folks that would make me second guess my feelings about it. But watching an insane amount of unnecessary drama unfold and grow into a monstrous beast was the thing that clicked my brain into gear. For a brief moment I thought about bowing out altogether, but that shifted quickly into remembering that I couldn’t thrive in life if I’m not creating art in some form. I love writing, love my stories, and LOVE my readers. I hate social media and what it represents and how it distorts people into thinking it’s important to creating art. If you love it, then by all means go for it.
But I’m a writer, not a content creator. I don’t want to make reels or edit carousel posts. I want to write. And I love my website/blog, and my newsletter. So that’s where my attention will be focused for the forseeable future.
My WHOLE AUTHOR HUNDRED DAY challenge starts on Sunday, which ties into my no socials quite nicely. Part of the challenge is to cut away parts of my creative career that are infected so that the healthy parts can thrive.
You can keep up with my plans/progress here on the blog or if you want to join me, make sure you’re on the list. This is a self directed challenge using your own unique skills, strengths, and stresses, so you do NOT have to delete your social media to participate!
ALLISON MARTIN 
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