Publishing is a rollercoaster, but you'll make it through 🎢
Today's guest is author Sara Foster.
Once you’re published, you’ve made it, right?
The road ahead will be a smooth and steady incline — you’ll write your way into bigger advances and bestseller lists. Right? Not quite.
The hard truth is that in publishing, nothing is guaranteed. But with that knowledge comes freedom. Your writing career might not be linear, and that’s perfectly OK. That’s what makes it yours.
So give yourself permission to take the time and space you need.
Just because it won’t be easy doesn’t mean you have to make it harder for yourself. Writing takes dedication, patience, and a whole lot of trust in yourself — which includes giving yourself the grace to step back when necessary, or to go all in when the moment feels right.
In today’s interview, bestselling author of psychological suspense fiction Sara Foster shares the key to pushing through, the goal she has for all her stories, and what, really, writing is all about.
OUR SPECIAL GUEST TODAY IS…
Sara Foster
Bestselling author of psychological suspense fiction
Check out Sara’s Substack here!
What is the most memorable writing tip or technique that you have heard, and how did it influence your process?
I once heard Brit Bennett speaking at a festival event in Australia, and her most memorable writing advice was to “write with a question in mind, not an answer.” I often think about this as I work, because it encourages us to get into the complexities of our stories without becoming didactic. I want all the stories I write to form the start of conversations rather than serving as the endpoint for the reader.
What’s been the toughest moment in your publishing journey, and how did you get through it?
Oh there have been a few! Before I was published I thought that once I'd achieved publication I would just be able to keep writing and my trajectory would be a steady incline — instead it's more like a bumpy roller-coaster ride!
One really tricky moment was when sales of my third book took a dive and I had trouble finding a publisher for book four (and my advance dropped dramatically). The changing nature of the industry, and the relative success of each of my books, means that it takes constant dedication and strategic thinking and planning to keep going and stay positive!
When life gets busy, how do you protect your time to write?
In the past I have used hotels when things get really hectic at home. It's a luxury (although I don't choose my accommodation for the luxury — I just need a bed and a desk), but an important one. Often it's hard for creatives to give ourselves permission to take the time we need — particularly as writing novels is such a long process — but I would encourage other writers to take these moments, as they've always helped me to push my story on. If I can't afford hotels or it's impractical, I try to write first thing in the morning — getting up really early — so that whatever else happens I've got some words down that day.
What’s one thing you do (creatively, mentally, or physically) that helps you stay in it when writing gets hard?
I like to mix things up so if I'm struggling with the story I go back to working with the outline or putting my ideas on index cards, or reading novels to see how other authors handle whatever issue I'm having trouble with. I've always felt my writing benefits from some rest, so I like to move between projects when I can so I'm not always chasing the same story day in, day out. A quiet walk (without my earbuds in) often gives me some much-needed mental space too.
Ready for feedback that takes your story to the next level?
“Alyssa has such incredible talent and experience. She took my messy manuscript and niched it down so it made sense and had a compelling narrative. Her advice and feedback helped me take my story to the next level.”
—Donny Betts, thriller author
What part of the writing process brings you the most joy?
Those wonderful days when the words flow or I finally have a breakthrough in a section of the story that's proved particularly onerous. I love the process of polishing an idea from a really rough first draft to a finished and packaged work.
What’s a myth about publishing or being an author that you wish more people understood?
The life of an author is not usually about glamour or private planes or getting invited to Jeff Bezos's parties, it's about being prepared to dig in and craft our stories whatever life throws at us. Getting rich or finding a spot on the bestseller list is only one way of valuing our work, and our society pays way too much attention to that — because there's also an intrinsic value to what we do that's really important for a healthy culture.
ICYMI… this week on YouTube I’m revealing 7 bad ending strategies (and, as always, what to do instead)
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Thank you for inviting me to chat with you and your readers, Alyssa! It's been fab.
“write with a question in mind, not an answer.” feels like a summary of the creative process. I do not always know how my story will end, or if a chapter that I am writing will end up like I drafted it. To start to write is to ask "what will this become?" not to have an answer ready to be delivered.