3 things I learned while writing the Strong Enough series
And how they have completely changed my writing
Cross-posted to Substack.
This title sounds like it’s going to be a craft email, and I guess maybe it is. But when readers ask for behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process, this is a lot of it! Growing, changing, and learning is like 99% of the game. So if you’re at all curious about how writing this series has gone, this email is for you!
But first…
When my PA, Kayla, was here for my release week (I KNOW ISN’T SHE THE SWEETEST?!), she told me that matcha gives a more sustained energy boost throughout the day rather than the spike and drop coffee gives you. Which was news to me! So I was like…bet. I’ve done boxed matcha lattes before (too sweet for me!), so this time I tried matcha powder to make my own iced matcha lattes and they are really good. Plus, the color makes me happy.
Don’t worry! I’m not giving up coffee. (We know how that turns out.) But matcha is now part of my rotation.
Do you drink matcha? I need tips for how to make it even more delicious!
Everyone likes to talk about what indie authors have learned from traditional publishing on the business and marketing side. And HOLY MOLY have I learned a lot. But the most transformative changes for me have come from the writing side of things. Honestly, I think some of my education has been from reading more books and paying attention to what is currently working in the market, but I’ve also been fortunate enough to work with several editors now (indie and trad!) who have helped me really shape the emotional arcs of my stories into something that will have you crying (and then cheering).
To be clear, a lot of these lessons have been shaped by my editors, but most of it has come from my emotional state. When I started writing The Write Place in 2022, I wasn’t ready to write the type of stories I’m writing now. I wanted to keep things funny, cozy, and low-angst. And there’s nothing wrong with those types of books. I still love a good cozy read. But that’s not where I am right now, and giving myself permission to feel things deeply has opened up a lot of emotions in my writing that I hadn’t been prepared to tackle before now. My editors have seen that and helped me shape them.
Teamwork, baby!
So, without further ado, here are the top three things I’ve learned from this series, and how they’ve changed my writing.
1. Don’t be afraid of the villain.
Yes! There are villains in contemporary romance! My cozy romances like Leade Park never had one. The closest I probably got in Common Grounds was Emery’s boss who ended up not being so bad by the end. The thing most people comment on (and love) about Love Out Loud is that no one is entirely evil in there. Even Lark’s ex-husband isn’t a total douche. (Mostly, but not entirely.) And that’s what I loved about that book, too! It’s what made it so fun to write!
And then I wrote Charles Hall into Not a Strong Enough Word. It was a lightbulb moment. Like, “Ohhhhhhh, not only is it fun to hate him, but he’s integral to the plot AND the emotional arc.” And damn, was it nice to write a character that didn’t get to be redeemed. (I should probably explore that in therapy, actually.)
It likely won’t surprise you that I have zero problems writing a male villain. But Not on the Same Page also has a female villain. It didn’t at first! I wanted her to be redeemable. But my editor took one look at her and said, “Nope! This will be so much more powerful if she sucks the whole way through.” (I’m paraphrasing.) So I wrote in a betrayal and we all got goosebumps.
See? It’s fun to hate someone the whole way through a story.
2. The answer is always “more.”
More emotion. More evil villain. More banter. MORE. Oh, you think that joke was funny? You need to make it more ridiculous. That two-line declaration of love? You’d better pair it with some emotional prose or beef it up, because it’s not enough.
Another way of saying this is: It’s never too much. When you think it’s too much is probably when you’ve gotten it right. At least, that’s the case for me.
Incidentally, this is how I write such great side characters. The fact that they’re not in the spotlight gives them freedom to be ridiculous that the main character doesn’t have. Take one of my (and my editor’s) favorite moments from Not the Way it Ends, for example:
Chewing thoughtfully for a moment, she adds around her mouthful, “Did you wear that pink dress last night?”
I spear an olive with my fork and pop it into my mouth. “Yep.”
Beth laughs darkly. “Well then, I’m full of sh*t.”
“In general, or specifically?”
“In this case, specifically. I one hundred percent think he has the hots for you. Who wouldn’t? You’re a godd*mn eleven—fifteen in that dress—and I have the authority to say so.”
I glare at her with intense skepticism. “Who gave you said authority?”
“I’m a card-carrying lesbian, lest you forget. Did you wear your hair down?”
“Side-swept ponytail.”
She cackles again. “F***, girlfriend.”
“You’re delirious with exhaustion,” I say over her laughter.
“He probably wanted to rail you in a supply closet.”
“I’m hanging up now. Go to bed. Goodbye!” I press the End Call button before she can say anything even more ridiculous.
But the point of Beth is that she’s ridiculous! That’s what makes her so fun and such a good friend! Who else can say these things to you but your bestie who only wants sunshine and roses for you? Some of my favorite scenes are the best friend scenes, and I really let myself go all out with Trina in Not a Strong Enough Word, Isabella in Not on the Same Page, and Beth in Not the Way it Ends. Just thinking about them has me excited for you to meet them!
3. Even when you think you can’t, you can.
This one is simple. I’m strong enough. I knew this logically. I’ve spent a lot of years being strong.
But there’s something about baring your soul on the page coupled with trad deadlines and a rapid-release schedule that makes even the strongest soul question whether or not she could do it.
I did it. I finished the series, even though it was hard. Even though I wanted to quit. Even though there were times when I was convinced I’d have to give my advance back and never publish again. I just turned in the first round of edits for Not the Way it Ends, and it’s all downhill from here. I couldn’t be more proud of myself or these books.
Because I’m strong enough. (And you are, too.)
Not a Strong Enough Word – OUT NOW
Not on the Same Page – August 18, 2026 * Not the Way it Ends – November 10, 2026
Preorder now to get the limited edition sprayed edges and goodies from your favorite indie bookstore!
Did you miss me in June? Well, you’re in luck, because there are plenty of places to see me in July!
Grab your tickets now, because space is limited!
July 11 at 1-4 PM
Writers on the River
Peoria, IL
July 22 – Q&A and Signing for Not a Strong Enough Word
In conversation with Kara McDowell
Under the Cover KC in Kansas City, MO
July 30 – Q&A and Signing for Not a Strong Enough Word
In conversation with Jillian Meadows
Love and Other Books in Ferndale, MI
Ranch hand x Ranch owner | Grupy x sunshine | Age Gap | Neighbors to lovers | Sneaking around | Book 1 of a co-written series
Small Town Romance
Second chance at first love | Single Mom + Former Soldier | Found family | Service dog | It’s always been you…
Oh hey. Did you see that last line in my thoughts section? You are strong enough. And don’t you forget it.
Happy reading!
