The Acquired Skill of Writing: Author Interview with Danielle Singleton

All but one of your published books deals with the dark side of humanity. How do you get your mindset into murder, deceit, and criminal activity without being consumed by terror yourself? Did you write your romance novel as a mental break from that?
It can definitely get a little heavy when dealing with serial killers and other evil characters and plot lines. I think it helped that I wrote most of those books late at night, so as soon as I was finished for the day I could go to sleep and wake up refreshed and a little removed from the plot lines.

But my romance novel was definitely a nice break from the dark side of things! My husband likes to take credit for my switch to a romance novel . . . Every Star in the Sky is the first book I’ve published since we’ve been married, so he likes to tell people that he switched me from murder and terror to romance and love. Maybe he’s right! Haha

Your books are independently published. Did you do the formatting and cover design, or did you hire others?
I did the formatting for all of my books. I’ve done the cover designs on some of my books, and for others I worked with different artists. I’m a pretty quick study with those types of things, so it was easier to do it myself.

What’s the hardest part for you in publishing and marketing your own books?
As to the hardest part about being indie . . . definitely the marketing side of things. The book industry is so broad and always changing, and you never really know what type of story will catch on with readers. It’s tough, for sure, but I just try to write the best story I have and hope that others will like it too!

What is the hardest part of writing for you?
From 30,000 – 60,000 words is the hardest for me. The first 30,000 come fairly easily, with character development and major plotline and things like that taking up a good bit of material. And the last bit – 60,000+ - is mostly just filling in the missing little pieces. But the middle third of the word count is where I really find out if a story has legs and will be able to become a full book.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
I love when readers tell me that something happened in their lives that reminded them of one of my books. It’s such an encouragement to know that something I created has woven its way into people’s hearts and minds such that it sticks with them after they’ve finished the last page.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
That writing is a skill just like any other and it takes practice to get better. My first book is great, I love it, but I know that I’m a much better writer now than I was 10 years ago. Anybody can dream up a great story, but to be a good writer is an acquired skill.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Show don’t tell. It’s so important, especially when writing fiction, to make the reader feel like they’re in the scene along with the characters. If you say, “it was raining outside”, that’s fine and the readers will know it’s raining. But wouldn’t it be better to say, “Joe’s old bones ached in the damp air as he heard the water pelt the tin roof above his head”?

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
I think the other big thing that I always have to remind myself is that books don’t write themselves. You have to sit down and put pen to paper (or type it out on your computer). The words won’t magically appear – you have to create them. That’s the great part and the hard part about being a writer.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?

I’m hoping that my next book will come out in early 2023. Maybe late 2022 if I really hop to it, but probably early 2023. The working title is Think Therefore on Revenge, and it is a murder mystery who-done-it set on a ranch in Wyoming.

When everyone wakes up one morning, they find that one of the guests has been murdered. He was stabbed to death, and the killer used the murder weapon to nail a cryptic message on the cabin door – “think therefore on revenge”.

Sounds like you’re back to the murder and mayhem! If that’s your favorite type of story, check out her books. And check out her romance book, too.
Website: http://www.daniellesingleton.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Singleton/e/B00AH6TBPM
Instagram: www.instagram.com/auntdanwrites
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singletondanielle