A. A. Mize

Author of The Turned. This is my place to collect promos, images, music, and more for my stories. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to help or inspire someone else along the way. But you know what they say; "The road to hell is paved with works in progress" - Philip Roth

[perry-mason-della-street]

Me, after rereading my stories and realizing that all of my characters are so dumb:

[aamizeauthor]

I feel this sometimes when I put Sophie and Matthias together. Not a braincell in sight. They can be impulsive, especially Matthias, and man oh man does that guy make some stupid life choices.

[edwardsshinyvolvo]

can we normalize saying we love a book without remembering anything about it

[aamizeauthor]

This is a weird one for me because when I finish a book, I remember everything about it if I love it. And the fun part? Reading it all over again as soon as I forget what I read. I have one book in particular that I’ve read several times over the past 10 years and I always pick it up again when I forget who the killer was.

[lilix-love]

Just wanna take a minute to address this because it's been on my mind.

I really don't like how people kind of have this expectation that writers have to write what the readers want. I think writers are often taken advantage of because they really are selfless to put their hard work out in the world for everyone to enjoy, only to receive criticism (not even constructive) when it's something someone didn't want. Or when they refuse to write about a topic or for a genre or a fandom that someone requests? I don't know why some readers have this entitled attitude, because writers are quite literally some of the most selfless people on Earth? You see it with artists too, but artists do tend to only do commissions or just charge for their work, where as writers don't really tend to do that. Sure, they could, but it's so rare in the writing community that a reader could easily just go find someone else who will do it for free.

My point is, writers are kind of underappreciated and taken advantage of when it comes to their work. So readers, writers do not have to write for you. They don't owe you a happy ending, they don't have to write nsfw, and their characters are not ooc. It is THEIR WORK that they are so graciously letting you enjoy for free. So be nice.

[aamizeauthor]

Tamar's Playlist #thetaintedbook #theturnedbook #writerlife #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #vampire #vampirebooks #vampirenovel #characterdevelopment #characterplaylist https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-9ECqg8_h/?igshid=1029hrrevh75s

[aamizeauthor]

Devio's Playlist "Album art" is a random mash up of images I found online. #thetaintedbook #vampire #vampirebooks #vampirenovel #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #authorlife #writerlife #writing #characterdevelopment https://www.instagram.com/p/CG3USIlgjhv/?igshid=blxat6k9yfjv

[aamizeauthor]

Sophie's playlist "Album art" consists of random pictures o found and put together, I didn't take any of them. #theturnedbook #thetaintedbook #vampire #vampirebooks #vampirenovel #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #characterdevelopment https://www.instagram.com/p/CGx8gj4gaLO/?igshid=5dyud9bmpw7e

[aamizeauthor]

Matthias playlist "Album art" is random pictures I mushed together, I didn't take them myself. #theturnedbook #thetaintedbook #vampire #vampirebooks #vampirenovel #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #authorlife #writerlife #characterdevelopment #characterplaylist https://www.instagram.com/p/CGu429_ACHk/?igshid=1ftm8c2m47ox3

[aamizeauthor]

Character playlists: Rowan The images used for the "album art" is not mine, I just put them together. Credit to the original artists. #theturnedbook #thetaintedbook #vampire #vampirebooks #vampirenovel #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #authorlife #writerlife #characterdevelopment #characterplaylist https://www.instagram.com/p/CGtIniSg_7b/?igshid=cdukmylqj651

[aamizeauthor]

Preorder is live for book two The Tainted https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L5VT1QK #thetaintedbook #vampirebooks #vampirenovel #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #authorlife #writerlife #writersofinstagram #writing #indieauthor #bookpromotion #urbanfantasybooks #bookstagram #kindle #selfpublished #fantasynovel #fantasybookseries https://www.instagram.com/p/CGYSzEMAvdx/?igshid=1n4grjlw47n45

[aamizeauthor]

Cover for book two, The Tainted. I have a soft release date for the 20th of this month and I'll announce entry for the give away of book one, The Turned some time in the next week. #thetaintedbook #vampire #vampirebooks #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #authorlife #vampirenovel #indieauthor #coverdesign #coverreveal #writerlife #writing https://www.instagram.com/p/CF-1KJiA6bB/?igshid=1m0oqkb0f7rv2

[aamizeauthor]

That took entirely too long. But I have the holes ready for The Turned to be sewn together. Yikes I need a break #theturnedbook #writerlife #handboundbook #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #authorlife #vampire #vampirebooks #vampirenovel https://www.instagram.com/p/CFx_sJJA2-3/?igshid=pfmncmtbqnnd

[aamizeauthor]

Excuse me while I scream like a little girl! #m*a*s*h #mashfan #bjhunnicutt #mikefarrell #autograph https://www.instagram.com/p/CEXf6AYAFNF/?igshid=ckf85j5itmfg

[aamizeauthor]

Hmmm new notebook 😍

[thewritingumbrellas]

Writing advice from my uni teachers:

If your dialog feels flat, rewrite the scene pretending the characters cannot at any cost say exactly what they mean. No one says “I’m mad” but they can say it in 100 other ways.

Wrote a chapter but you dislike it? Rewrite it again from memory. That way you’re only remembering the main parts and can fill in extra details. My teacher who was a playwright literally writes every single script twice because of this.

Don’t overuse metaphors, or they lose their potency. Limit yourself.

Before you write your novel, write a page of anything from your characters POV so you can get their voice right. Do this for every main character introduced.

[annemareads97]

I’ll add some of the advice I’ve gotten that also really helps:

Read your work out loud, even if it’s just to yourself. This will give you a better sense of the dialogue and whether or not it is something that people would actually say out loud.

Beware of “talking heads”. If you have a section where it’s purely dialogue, make sure to break it up with some action. Are they gesturing with their hands? Moving around? Maybe there’s a change in their tone of voice?

Apparently, adverbs are the devil. I’m not entirely sure about this one, but I do agree that you shouldn’t use too many of them. A specific verb often works better on its own than accompanied by an adverb. For example, “he moved quickly” could be replaced with “he hurried” or “he rushed”.

[scribblehooves]

Me, speaking incomprehensibly about my niche interests

[luckystarchild]

Focus on one project at a time? Finish a project before starting another? Blasphemy.

[aamizeauthor]