Whaddya know, it's still July!
Go figure!
As quickly as the rest of the year has passed, I'd thought we'd be done with July by now.
Anyways, today I have B.G. Wolfe sitting in with me. She has a new book coming out TOMORROW, so let's get to know her!
B. G. Wolfe constantly has several fictitious storylines playing out in her head—especially when she’s trying to go to sleep. She aims to write diverse characters and storylines, with emphasis on those in the LGBTQ+ community and those who struggle with their mental health like she does. B. G. can often be found chasing after her toddler or one of her various pets whilst in desperate need of (more) coffee (or wine, depending on the time of day).
Website: www.bgwolfe.com
April Renegade on Amazon (TBR July 12): Link
A Mare’s Nest on Kindle Vella: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B1JQ51M1
Tiktok: @bgwolfeauthor
Instagram: @author_bgwolfe
Kindle Instagram: @maresnest_vella
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/735349684497030
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bgwolfeauthor/
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I honestly can’t remember a time when writing a story wasn’t on my mind. As soon as I learned how to read in kindergarten, and then learned how to write letters, I was trying to write down stories. I think I really remember a desire to do this around the time I was seven or eight and had a better understanding of what it meant to “be a writer.” My father and older sisters were always writing something, and it seemed right for me to do the same thing!
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
For my debut novel, April Renegade, I got the idea while I was attending a local punk rock show. I got lost in the music and watched the people around me for a while, then turned my attention to the band. All of a sudden, I got the first sentence for my book right then and there, and I saw a small movie play out in my head. The next day, I wondered if I could plot out a book with the little detail I had.
On a separate note, my first written book, A Mare’s Nest (which is only on Kindle Vella) came to me from a song. I was on a plane ride home and I continuously listened to “Tangerine” by Glass Animals. The more I listened to the song, the more plot I developed. It started with my main character and her love interest, and expanded into a crazy, science-fiction, apocalyptic love story. Who knew?
I’ve only gotten an idea from a dream once (well, more like a nightmare!), and it’s the next story I am in the process of planning out and writing. I originally wanted it to be a screenplay, but now I’m revisiting it in novel-form.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
Schedule, you say? Well, let’s put it this way. I work full-time, have a rambunctious three-year-old, and take care of a lot of pets on top of that. So, I write whenever I can fit it in. Sometimes, that’s during my lunch break. Other times, it’s while my child naps on the weekends, or after she goes to bed at night on the weekdays. It’s hectic, but I make sure I work on my current Work In Progress a little bit each day–whether that’s writing two sentences, two thousand words, or doing some marketing here and there. I don’t have a lot of time on my hands, so I make it.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Honestly? The only time I take a real breather in between writing and my 9 to 5 job is after my kid goes to bed. I hop in a bubble bath with a glass of wine and read. If I’m lucky, after that I’ll get to watch some TV or a movie with my husband. Otherwise, I’m marketing, making Tiktoks for promotion, plotting new ideas, or reading for leisure.
Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?
I love talking about this, because I honestly believe that anyone can become a better writer. We are all capable. Like with most things, practice is important. But even more than that, I think believing in yourself is the key. We’re all going to mess up. We all learn from our mistakes–but we all have to start somewhere.
I don’t particularly love the “write every day” advice, because we’re all human, and there’s going to be times where we simply can’t do that. Instead, I recommend that others to work on their project once a day (unless you’re on a vacation or sick–please don’t work when those things happen!). What I mean by this is: make some notes in your phone about a plotline you’ve been thinking about; write down a sentence or two that you want to add to you current Work In Progress and come back to it later; make some graphic designs for marketing; read for research. Whatever it is that will help a person reach their goal, work on that. But don’t overdo it.
On my best days, I get a little bit of everything done and write close to 2-5,000 words. On my bad days, I barely manage to post a graphic to my author’s Instagram and write nothing.
Find what works for you.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I’ve never been able to decide what it is I want to do. So instead, I’ve done a lot of everything. As a child, I remember loving animals from the very start. I wanted to be a veterinarian.
As I got older and learned to write, I immediately wanted to write, and only write. But as I got older, it turned out that life wasn’t that simple.
I’ve spent the majority of my professional life in an office setting, which I enjoy. I like being able to help others and get things organized for my colleagues. I just recently came to the conclusion that I’m fine with working in an office and writing on the side (after I applied to nursing school…because again, decisions are hard!).
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
At first, I decided not to write under a pen name, but now I work at a school–the same school I attended back in the day, and the same school my daughter will attend come Fall. Because of this, I decided to go with B. G. Wolfe as my name. Aside from that, I have a name similar to my real name (same initials) that I use for my Kindle Vella science-fiction book.
I’ve never wanted to keep my work a secret, which is why I was against a pen name in the beginning. Now, as a mom, I’d rather protect my kid and have people not know who I am if they run into my books.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I write what my soul is screaming for me to write. Eventually, those voices cannot be ignored. I had no intentions of writing a male-male, gay romance, coming-of-age novel, but I was at a punk rock concert and got an idea. Here I am, a little over six months later, two weeks away from the book release. And I’m extremely happy that I got to tell their story.
Typically, I don’t stick to one genre. My Kindle Vella is science-fiction, romance, New Adult, Women’s Fiction, thriller, suspense, mystery…you get the picture. I just try not to make it overwhelming.
Either way, I guess I’m original in my own way. But I know what I like to read, and those are the things I try to write.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
My mentor, Laura Lascarso (since I was 14 years old) has helped me so much as I grew up, and even now as I prepare to launch April Renegade. The rest of my author friends, I’ve met on Tiktok. Without my friend Jason Dorough, I would have been totally and utterly lost on how to market my book and how to self-publish. I’ve met authors and aspiring authors and readers from ALL over via social media, and I’m thankful for it.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
First and foremost: STOP BEING SO HARD ON YOURSELF! I would constantly go back to my works in progress and edit before I even wrote. Eliminating that bad habit has been a total game changer for me, because I would read what I wrote the day or the week before and hate what I’d written. Now, I read my last two sentences or so to find my place in my writing, then I just write. I don’t go back and edit until my first draft is done, and that simple practice has helped me more than I can explain.
Also, I would tell myself not to give up. For so long, I simply thought I’d never write a book of my own. One day, I changed my mind, bought a journal, wrote myself a permission slip to write and imagine without rules and without fear of making mistakes. After that, A Mare’s Nest came to life.
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Hmm. I think I’d have to say The Night Inside by Nancy Baker. My sister read it forever ago, and she raved about it so much that I checked out a copy from our local library and devoured the very dark vampiric tale. As far as vampire stories are concerned, that one is by far my favorite. I advise anyone eager to read it to check their trigger warnings.
What does literary success look like to you?
That’s simple: Being completely happy in the stories Ihave presented to the world, not writing for fame or glory or any other reason (other than the fact that I enjoy it), and relishing in the comfort that other people have read my work, and some of them love my stories and characters I created as much as I do.
What’s the best way to market your books?
Currently? Tiktok. Second to that, Instagram. I put myself out there as much as I can manage, connect with authors and readers, and give my audience teasers of my books, quotes, and reviews. I try to have as much fun with it as possible, and pre-make Tiktoks and Instagram graphics as often as I can so that I don’t get overwhelmed later on when I don’t have anything to post!
What do you have coming next?
Currently, I’m editing chapters of A Mare’s Nest when I can and then publishing them through Vella. That book will have two more books afterward to make a trilogy. I have those books plotted, and hope to return to them at some point.
Aside from that, I plan on writing a novella in the April Renegade universe where each section is broken up by the concert tour the band was on (three total).
Lastly, I have a science-fiction/horror book that I am currently outlining called After Party. I originally wrote it as a screenplay back in 2015, then tried to rewrite it again in 2018. Now, I’m going to write it as a novel, and maybe a screenplay later on.
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