About TM Blayte:
Aspiring journalist by day, reader by night, and author somewhere in between, TM Blayte is the author of Until We Are Free. He is published by Alban Lake Publishing.
T’s biggest dream is to live in a palace built from chocolate ice cream.
What inspires you to write?
Life. I am inspired by political drama I see everyday on the global scene. I am inspired by events in history. I am inspired by traditional stories and beliefs. In short, something as insignificant as a mother fighting with her toddler in a shop can inspire a story.
Tell us about your writing process.
I usually create an outline of the story. Then I draw up a skeleton.
Using the skeleton very loosely, I write from beginning to end. After that, I let my story breathe for a couple of weeks.
I go back, edit, add and remove scenes, etc. Then I let it rest again, before sending it to my beta readers.
After receiving feedback from readers, I make the necessary changes. After another short rest from the manuscript, I perform a final edit.
Being a nervous author, I still tinker with the novel when it’s on submission.
I should add, things can change with every project.
Everything I do is on Microsoft Word. I might use a spreadsheet to record things like character names, gender, age, ethnicity, characteristics, etc.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
No. I think I have what people might imagine to be a creator creation relationship with my characters. I’m the boss, and my minions do what I say.
What advice would you give other writers?
Never give up. Work on other projects, don’t get stuck on one project. Above all, give yourself a break. Don’t forget to step back from your work.
Oh, and read in your genre as much as possible.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I am many things, but I know I’m no marketer. I have no publishing expertise. I knew I would always go traditional. It was always the agent, or independent press for me.
I think new authors should honestly think about why they are writing. There is a tendency of shaming people who claim they are in it for the money.
But be honest with yourself. If your dream is to become the next JKR or Angie Thomas, the road ahead is long. You can get there, but will take long.
For authors going with small presses, don’t settle. Just because someone accepts your book, it doesn’t mean you have to sign. Always investigate what the writer community is saying about the press, how well designed and edited are the press’s books, what are their distribution channels, etc?
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think things are changing. Technology is advancing. Entrepreneurs are getting new ideas every single day that passes.
The future is uncertain. What I’m certain of is we are going to see a drop in book prices. This means authors are going to get paid less and less.
I personally believe only authors into merchandise, and those that will double as screen writers are going to make any serious money.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and I've written a couple of crime short stories.
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print
Website(s)
TM Blayte Home Page Link
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
