My dark romantasy debut Sparrow’s Song has been a long time coming. I started writing it in 2023, when I started attending the Writer’s Academy to hone the craft I’d fallen in love with when I was just a child.
At the time, I was recovering from burn out and in the trenches of dealing with PTSD. From those challenges, the concept of the book was born.
I was struggling with feeling like my body wasn’t my own and writing about it was cathartic. I got to share the load with Lorelai and that helped me carry my experiences better. They tell you to write what you know, so that’s what I did.
Every Writer’s Bane: Imposter Syndrome
After finishing my first draft and the first two rounds of editing, inevitably, the self-doubt crept in. I have yet to meet a fellow writer who doesn’t understand the feeling between switching from “omg I am the best writer this world has ever seen” to “I am awful and my book is a dumpster fire” in the span of a single morning.
So, I did what I always do and shelved the manuscript. I didn’t touch it for a couple of years and started writing other stories. However, Sparrow’s Song was different from all the books that came before…
Roleplaying Games
I started playing Dungeons & Dragons again and started revamping the world that I’d already built for my books so I could use it in my game. The more time I spent further fleshing out the world of Iridis, the more the story and the characters I wrote started pulling at me. They simply wouldn’t let me go. I knew I had to finish their story and share it with the world. My characters demanded it.
Secretly, I have the fantasy of creating a world that doesn’t just set the stage for my own fantasy stories and D&D games, but to allow you to make it your own as well. In the future, I hope to publish adventures set in Iridis that you can play at your own TTRPG table.
The Editing Trenches
In order to give you the best version of my stories, of course I have to edit them. Any writer will understand the challenges that come with this phase. You start doubting everything and are driven to the point of giving up many times.
However, this time I wasn’t going to throw in the towel. Been there, done that; it doesn’t work. This story wants to be shared and I owe it to Lorelai and Adrian to tell their tale after all these years. They’ve lived in my head for so long, they’ve become almost real to me. I want you to get to know them too.
So I edited. And I edited again. As I’m writing this, I’m on the fifth (or is it the sixth?) draft of my debut. I originally wrote it in third person past tense, only to completely rewrite it in first person present tense, because I felt it would resonate more when you’re closer to the action.
Sparrow’s Song originally started with multiple POVs, but after some contemplation, I decided to make it just Lorelai’s story. It felt right. I will be telling other characters’ stories in the future, but I’ll let them have their own moment to shine.
It Takes a Village To Write a Good Book
The editing process is challenging, but I also love it. Every step helps me polish this book to be the best it possibly can be. To accomplish this, I worked with some wonderful beta readers and editors who trampled all over my already fragile ego.
I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to them, because they invested their time, experience and talent into helping me become a better writer. Getting good feedback is an immensely important and valuable step in the writing process. No book can be great without it.
Keeping Up Morale during the Writing Process
Though the editing process can be painful, I want you to end up loving the people and the world that I dreamed up as much as I do. That’s what keeps me going, always.
Aside from critical feedback, fortunately, I also received a lot of love and support for Sparrow’s Song. I genuinely enjoy connecting with other readers and writers. It’s one of the warmest communities I’ve had the pleasure of being part of. It’s inspiring to see other authors chase after their dream and learning all the many different skills it takes to self-publish a book.
Book Art Is The Greatest Gift
Speaking of skills, I am in absolute AWE with the amount of creative talent I’ve discovered. For anyone following me for a while, you will know that I have somewhat of a “problem” when it comes to commissioning artists to draw my characters. I just love to see them through other people’s eyes.
When a lovely beta reader surprised me with fan art of Adrian and Lorelai, I couldn’t hold back my happy tears. It might just be the best gift I’ve ever received.
The Road to Publishing My Book
One of the hardest decisions a writer has to make is how they want to publish their book. Do you want to go the traditional route of querying your book and hoping a literary agent will believe in your work enough to offer you representation? Getting your book picked up by a big publisher who can help you with design, marketing and getting your book into the hands of readers is, logically, something a lot of authors dream of. It makes sense. It’s a huge achievement to sign a book deal and traditional publishing has a lot of benefits.
But self-publishing is not a consolation price. It’s a valid option for people who want to maintain all the rights and full creative freedom when it comes to their work. Indie publishing takes a LOT of hard work. Everything will fall on you: the investment in time and money, learning all the skills you need to edit, format and distribute your book, and marketing yourself so people will want to read it.
In truth, as I’m writing this, I haven’t decided which route would be the best for me. For now, I’m focused on writing the best books I possibly can as I figure everything else out.
I hope that – however my books will end up reaching you – you’ll fall in love with them.
With love,
Maud Melior
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