Mallory McCartney Talks – Top Ten Things NOT Too Do When Writing // Black Dawn Blog Tour!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my stop on the Black Dawn blog tour. I have a very special post from Mallory McCartney. She’s talking to us about what not to do when writing a book.

Thank you for having me! 😊 In my transition to becoming a published author, like anything, has been a learning curve 😉 Here are my top ten things not to do when writing

• Don’t be hard on yourself. The first step to writing a book is getting the first draft out. Don’t overthink it, get it on the page, and then worry about going through the many drafting processes, and the structural process.

 

• Don’t Give up. Writing is one of the hardest things I have EVER done. There are days when I have writers block, or I’m just not feeling it, then don’t force it. The creative process comes from your heart, and you want that reflected in the story. Be kind to yourself, and never give up. I try to write a little bit every day, and it becomes like a muscle. The more you nurture and work on it, the stronger it becomes.

 

• Never write for anyone but yourself. This is one is a big one, write because you love it, because your passionate about your story. If you don’t love what you are doing then I think the readers won’t connect to your story as much. Write your book for you, and because you want to breathe life into it, and the rest will come

 

• Never stop reading. Never stop reading for your own pleasure!!!! This is so important, having your downtime and losing yourself in a favorite new book, for any writer, is vital.

 

• Never have your social media, or your phone near you when you write. Unplug, and immerse yourself in your world

 

• Never stop believing in yourself. Writing a book can be scary, you’re putting your heart into a story, and sharing it with the world. Never doubt yourself, never doubt your story. There will always be good and negative reviews, but use reader’s constructive criticism to grow as a writing, and grow your craft. Writing is running a marathon, not running a sprint, and like with any craft, you can always grow and learn as much as you want 😊

 

• Never stop working. If you’re working with your company or querying, don’t put all your eggs in one basket and always work on the next book in the series, or next project.

 

• Don’t be afraid of where the story takes you. This is a big one, when I initially started Black Dawn, it was a different story entirely from the manuscript I have now. When I revisited it, knowing that I was going to have to rewrite it all, I was terrified with the journey I was about to undertake. To this day, and working on the prequel and book two, it still scares me a little. Sometimes the characters take you down wild roads that you could never imagine, but as a writer, take a deep breath and go with it, wherever the story may take you. It’s part of the adventure!

 

• Don’t send manuscripts out too early. I made this mistake, and sent out Black Dawn because I was so eager to see if I could find a publishing house for it. Always, always, make sure it is as edited and as polished as it can possibly be.

 

• Never stop reworking your manuscript until you feel it is finished! Don’t focus on the word count, and rework the story as much as you need until you, as the author, feel it’s the best version it can be!

Title: Black Dawn (Black Dawn #1)
Author: Mallory McCartney
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult
Release Date: February 14, 2017

Blurb:
The end of an Empire, the rise of a Queen

Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life. That is until two mysterious, and handsome soldiers show up at her apartment, and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Memphis Carter and Brokk Foster come from the magical and war ridden world of Kiero, and upon Emory’s arrival she will discover she is the long-lost heir to the Royal Line and is thrown into the Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne.

With both men being darkly woven in her past Emory uncovers hidden secrets, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.

Some things are better left in the shadows.

You can find Black Dawn on Goodreads

You can buy Black Dawn here:  – Amazon – Barnes & Noble– Indigo

 

About the Author:
Mallory McCartney currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and their two dachshunds Link and Lola. Black Dawn is her debut novel, the first in a series. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found dog grooming, book shopping and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.

You can find and contact Mallory McCartney here:
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Goodreads
– Amazon
– Instagram

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Black Dawn. Three winners will each win a signed copy of Black Dawn. Open International.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
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