Please introduce yourself and your book(s)!
My name is Angela Addams and I write very naughty things. 🙂
I have a complete werewolf/wolf slayer seven book series called The Order of the Wolf, as well as another series featuring witches as healers: The Witches of White Willow, Feral Heart and soon to be released Ascension. I also have a post-apocalyptic paranormal series that starts with The Dark War and continues with Fortune’s Fool. While a lot of my books are paranormal in nature, I also have an erotic thriller out called Burning Kiss and will have a new erotic romance series rolling out called Wicked Distractions which starts with the soon to be released, Wicked Disclosure. Whew! That’s a lot, I know…and there’s more to come.
What inspires/inspired your creativity?
Pretty much everything. I try to keep myself open at all times for new ideas. I listen to conversations. I pay attention to what’s going on around me. I read a lot of books and articles and I watch a lot of movies. All of these things help keep me inspired. However, I don’t rely on inspiration to get work done. I set weekly word quotas and I stick to them. I set deadlines and stick to them. I don’t require a muse to write. I don’t wait for the spark of inspiration to get to work. Any spare moment I have, I use it.
How do you deal with creative block?
Well, I don’t call it creative block or writer’s block for starters. I skip over those kinds of words because I view them as excuses that are easy to say and easy to sideline productivity. If I don’t feel like working or if my ideas aren’t flowing, I try to get to the bottom of why that might be. Once I’m honest with myself, then I can fix the problem. If I’m tired, I take a nap. If I’m distracted, I go deal with whatever is distracting me. If I’m feeling discouraged, I call a friend or talk to my husband. It’s all about mindset and writing is a career for me. I have deadlines to meet and things to get done, I don’t have time to waste on writer’s or creativity block.
What are the biggest mistakes you can make in a book?
Not finishing it! Honestly, all first drafts are garbage…but I think a lot of people get so hung up on perfection that they think a first draft has to be the greatest thing ever. That’s just not realistic. First drafts just need to be written, the ideas need to get out onto paper (or computer screen) and then you get to work editing it to death. And you definitely can’t edit a blank page/screen. It’s in the editing that the true magic takes shape. That’s where you transform the garbage into something that works. Of course, this magic happens with the help of trusted beta readers and then later with a good editor (or two) and finally some proof readers. So, writers really just need to finish the book no matter what.
How do bad reviews and negative feedback affect you and how do you deal with them?
Well, bad reviews do kind of suck a lot but I actually don’t read many reviews anymore. Unless I’m tagged in a review, I don’t tend to go searching for them. I have developed a thick skin over the years but honestly, when you’ve put so much work into something and you’ve solicited beta feedback and editor feedback on, like I do, if people simply don’t like the book and want to say something nasty then that’s more about their personal taste than anything I can do differently.
How has your creation process improved over time?
I’m much more disciplined than I was before. Because I have a full time day job, I have to budget my writing time really efficiently. I have spent a lot of hours streamlining the process so that I can go from outlining to writing to editing without much deviation. That took a lot of learning and reading, adapting and trial and error but I finally have found a series of methods that work really well for me. I don’t procrastinate either. I make do to lists and get things done. I realize that nothing about what I’ve just written is sexy or paints a romantic picture of what the writing life is like for me but every moment counts in my world and I can’t waste it or I’ll never get any books done!
Do you have any creativity tricks?
If you get stuck, aim to get unstuck. I get unstuck by outlining every project I do. I know all the story beats before I start writing. And if I still get stuck on something or my mood is not great for working, which happens sometimes, then I go and get my mind on something else for a while. Going for walks, reading, watching a show, whatever, as long as it snaps me out of whatever funk is stopping up my creativity. I firmly believe that creativity breeds creativity though. So if you’re working on your craft all the time then you will always be receptive to new ideas and your brain will always be working in it’s mysterious ways to come up with new plots, new characters, new what if scenarios.
What are your plans for future books?
I’ve got a lot of things on the go at the moment. I’m working on some Young Adult books as well as writing in my already established, very adult, series. I keep my readers updated in my newsletter so if you want to know what’s coming out next, I suggest you sign up! eepurl.com/blFHeL
Tell us some quirky facts about yourself
I’m pretty obsessed with cats. I really love them a lot and if I could I’d have a dozen or more living with me.
I used to wear prescription glasses but after the birth of my son, my eyesight returned to 20/20 (so weird, right?)
I don’t play video games because I know that if I do I’ll get completely sucked in to them and won’t get any work done. So, I avoid pretty much all games, including solitaire on my computer.
Website: http://www.angelaaddams.com/
Newsletter: eepurl.com/blFHeL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelaAddams
Books & Main: https://bookandmainbites.com/AngelaAddams
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Angela.Addams
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angieaddams/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/angelaaddams/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4801196.Angela_Addams
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/angela-addams
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/ap/nEYdrn/Angela-Addams