Science Fiction Meets Romance – Where to Start?

Unless you’re new here, you’re probably aware that science fiction and romance are my bread and butter. Not only are they what I specialize in, but the two blended together is one of my all-time favorite genres to read. That’s also why for my next book, Breakup Queen, I’ll be doing just that. Sure, it’ll be a fake-dating rockstar romance, but I recently came up with a loose science fiction twist that should crank it up to the next level.

I really think it’s going to heighten the stakes and make the story a lot more nuanced. Whenever you’re writing a new concept, you’ve got to have the stakes high enough that the reader actually cares about the outcome. I know that sounds obvious enough, but it’s something I think a lot of authors accidentally overlook. That’s why I’m reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer to get myself in the mindset for the kind of story I want to build.

So this month, I wanted to share 3 ways I think sci-fi heightens the stakes more than a story without it:

• Life versus Death: While some heartache feels like it could kill you, everyone knows it can’t literally end a life (assuming the absence of a Romeo and Juliet situation, of course). With a science fiction or even dystopian twist, your characters could literally lose their life over the course of the story.
• Bigger world implications: Is there an evil overlord threatening to take over the tri-state area? Well, unless they’re as innocent and harmless as Dr. Doofenshmirtz, your protagonist could have a serious issue on their hands. Bonus points if the story also makes some bigger points about real-society outside of the story.
• Extra Plot Complexity: Suddenly, it’s not quite as simple as telling the guy you loved him the whole time; now you’ve got cyborgs to fight off. That’s a silly example, but I’m sure you get the idea.

Some of the best parts about contemporary science fiction is that while it’s situated in society as we know it, there are twists and new complexities that the reader maybe wouldn’t have expected. At the end of the day, we just want that escape from reality, right?

I know that’s why I’ve written my science fiction books. Whether it’s time travel or dystopian thrillers, there’s always an escapist quality that I’ve seen readers really connect with.

Happy reading and writing!

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3 Editorial Mistakes I’ve Made (in Life and Otherwise)

As many of you may know, I’m an editor and content writer in addition to being a self-published author. And as with many things in life, I’ve met a lot of people and interacted with a lot of different kinds of literary media in these capacities. But what I’ve seen in all these situations, is that so many mistakes are repeated. Why is that, you may ask? Well, that’s because there’s still a lesson that must be learned (be it in writing, or in living). And I’d argue that both of those are equally important in different ways.

That’s why this month, I wanted to share a few lessons I’ve learned with patterns I’m intentionally avoiding repeating. This isn’t to call out anyone or anything in particular; I just wanted to share what I’ve experienced to possibly give someone else a heads-up and boost ahead in the right direction (which, is also totally subjective, but I digress).

#1: Don’t assume that you know what you’re doing.

Hey, still trust your gut – but don’t be so full of it that you can’t tell your butt from your elbow, ya know? You might have the best intentions with your manuscript. There’s a great concept, and you have this innovative new style of writing that you’re passionate about. But then you meet an editor like me who tells you that writing an entire story in 2nd person (“you…”) is a crazy idea. Before you shrug and say you don’t care, take the time to learn why a professional like me might say that.

And as for life, look for patterns. If you notice that you always end up in the same undesirable place, re-trace your steps until you figure out what might be causing that. It doesn’t mean you keep messing up, but there may be a better path to get where you want to go. So don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled – you might find yourself somewhere pretty great. I learned recently that my mindset in relationships makes it hard for me to connect with people sometimes because it’s hard for me to take things slow and stay present. But that’s something I’m working on, and I can say that I’m already feeling more confident and better than ever.

#2: Don’t get locked into one concept too early.

Life takes time to develop, and so does your manuscript. The key is being ready to pivot to take everything into account. If you find yourself stuck on one idea, you might really miss out on the next great thing. Be ready to change things up whenever inspiration strikes. This could be as simple as adding or removing a new character, or working in a dramatic plot twist that adds immeasurable value to the story as a whole.

When things happen to you that you didn’t expect, it can be tempting to wallow and cry about it. Instead, look at challenges like opportunities to grow into your best self. Find your mojo again by joining a gym, trying a new sport, or taking up that hobby you’ve been dreaming about for months. The world is your oyster (although I admittedly have never fully grasped what that means, it seems to fit nicely here). Just be ready for anything and jump when the time is right. You don’t have to force it, you’ll just know.

#3: Don’t get lost in the noise.

The drawback to taking the above advice, is that you run the risk of losing your vision in the process. What causes that is a good old-fashioned case of forgetting what you’re working toward in the first place. Whether you have a huge dream in life to be a rockstar, or join the local fire department keeping your community safe, you gotta chase that. Sure, things in life sometimes happen to make that tougher, but that’s no reason necessarily to give it up. But sometimes it is.

What I’m trying to say here is that you gotta know what you want, and what you’re willing to give up to get it. The minute the scale tips in an imbalanced direction, you might have to pivot. You get what I mean? Nothing in life (and very few things in writing) are totally black-and-white. So much of it is a lovely shade of gray, and it’s up to you to balance light and dark in equal doses.

Hopefully this little rant helped you learn a few things about life and writing. But even if it didn’t, thank you for reading this far anyway. I hope you have a wonderful journey wherever you’re going, and that maybe our paths will continue to cross.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @angelinasingerauthor if this resonated with you 🙂

The Benefits of NOT Writing

Yes, seriously. No, I’m not losing my mind.

I’m just saying that although if you’re reading this blog, writing is your bread and butter (like it is for me), but there’s more to you than just that. I’m also saying that unfortunately, try as we might, writing just doesn’t happen outside of work. That’s been the case for me for the past six months, I think. Or maybe it’s even been more.

No matter how long it’s been since the words were really flowing without having to try, I went through a bit of writer’s guilt. Then not far behind that comes the imposter syndrome, and that can be really hard to claw your way out of.

Instead of penalizing myself for not feeling motivated with my latest concept, I’m trying to refocus on this season, knowing that the inspiration will come back. What I blame for this seemingly endless dry spell are the following (which, aren’t bad things by any means, they just may be to blame for my lack of creative motivation):

My table at the Scituate Farmer’s Market in RI recently!

• Having a boyfriend (don’t get me wrong, I love him SO MUCH – but it’s like now that I’m finally happy in that area of my life, suddenly I’m lacking the need to escape from monotony by writing a story). I call this the “Taylor Swift syndrome” (you know, when she openly started dating Joe Alwyn and suddenly fans worried all the angst would be gone from her songs, leaving us with nothing but sugary-sweet garbage). I don’t want to lose my angst either!
• My freelance gigs (as much as I am so grateful to be able to pay off my car as fast as I have been, there’s something really tricky about saving any creative juices for my own work after writing about pest control and personal care products all day).
• My other interests (in this case, my crocheted art that I make by hand for my vendor shows, as well as my independent guitar studies that have also sadly, fallen quite a bit to the wayside). After I get through all of those things, I feel too tired to sit and craft the story that’s been bumping around in my head for like a year now.

These aren’t meant to be viewed as excuses, but rather a self-awareness tactic to diagnose the issue, and then bring some much-needed balance back to my life. What I would suggest if you find yourself in a similar boat, would be to sit down and make a list of all the things you’re juggling in your life (professional, and otherwise). From there, try and compartmentalize / prioritize the things that you most want to tackle first, and what you feel okay with waiting on for a little while.

And in return, you’ll gain…

• A renewed sense of self

• A fresh start

• Better quality writing

• More motivation (ironically, but it’s true!)

And if you have the opportunity to enjoy a different facet of your interests for a while besides writing, don’t feel badly about it. Instead, soak up the rest of this summer with all the amazing things that make you unique!

Keep in touch with my latest book signings and art shows via my events page!

Stop Trying to Pour from an Empty Cup: Feed Your Soul

Trust me, I keep learning this lesson the hard way.

It’s so tempting to keep jumping around from task to task.

You can very likely get a lot of different things done this way, but it doesn’t mean it’ll be all that fulfilling. You’ll just burn yourself out and then you’ll be miserable. I go through this cycle all the time, but I’m finally ready to try and break it.

So I said last time too. And in previous blog posts, you might’ve noticed me talk about self-care, taking breaks, etcetera. But you know what I realized recently?

There’s actually a third option besides just being a workaholic and being a couch potato.

Yes, seriously – and it’s called feeding your soul.

It’s not a question of working or taking a break – it’s actually more about doing things that make your heart happy. For me, as a content writer, my work is extremely draining on the creative front, so I recognize that I need to take time for my art as well.

Sure, it might not pay as lucratively as my articles about pest control or personal care items, but there’s something incredibly important about writing things that let your light shine. I have a story that’s been begging to get out for a while. And most importantly, big plans for it once I do.

All that being said, if you’re curious about my other stories that have already been published, you can grab copies of those HERE. They’re a mix of coming-of-age, science fiction, and YA/NA romance.

So now the question is, how do I actually get this done?

Right, of course – because it’s rarely that simple. Without any clear plan, it just won’t. That’s why I’m trying to institute Feed My Soul Fridays. Basically, I won’t do any creative work for clients on Fridays (unless there’s a legitimate urgent need). Otherwise, Fridays are my day to plan, daydream, and work on my story. That’s something that will help balance out my work-life. I also want to keep working on music and studying guitar so I can teach students soon – because that will also feed my soul.

One of my soul-feeding hobbies: amigurumi crochet! Check out my art page for more about these funky characters.

Some easy tips I would suggest to help you start a similar habit would be the following:

• Spend a day observing your habits – what do you naturally gravitate towards? Even if you can’t drop everything to do that thing in the moment, make a mental note of what you want to do later.
• Think about your schedule – are there some parts of your typical day or week that are busier, or more open? Try to fit in a bit of these soul-nourishing habits when you find breaks in your schedule.
• Commit yourself to honoring your body and mind consistently. Maybe it means taking time to read for a while before going to bed no matter how late it is. Following through on the promise you made to yourself is a crucial part of self-care. So don’t disappoint yourself!

If you do all these things, I am convinced your work-life balance will get better.

I wish I could say that I’ve mastered this skill, but full disclosure: I definitely haven’t yet. My hope is that by blogging about it and sharing it with you, maybe these habits will get easier to instill in my own life. So feel free to be an accountability partner for yourself, or anyone else around you that’s clearly pushing themselves too hard. I’m the worst about this, but I’m feeling the effects of not doing that, and it’s definitely not going to pay off in the longterm.

So here’s to a productive, yet fun, soul-nourishing summer. Sink your toes into the sand and live it up, because you’ll never be this young again 😉

Life Moves Fast… Blink, and You’ll Miss It

I always struggle to think up new things to blog about. My life rarely feels all that exciting. Except for when it does. Then, it’s like a deluge of things and my head spins with all the added changes and adjustments. But that isn’t usually a bad thing – no, quite the opposite actually!

In previous seasons of stagnant progress, I often wondered when (or even if) things would ever change for me. And oh boy, did they change. When I graduated from college wondering what I would do for work, I had to network and work hard for over two years until I started getting real paid gigs. But when I recently bought my first-ever brand new car, I had this moment of “holy crap, I’m actually getting somewhere in life now”. You can read more about that experience in this recent blog post.

But to share with you what I mean, I’ll break it down into three categories:

1. I got a boyfriend.

I know, I was shocked too (JK, it was bound to happen eventually because I’m freaking adorable, obviously). But the WAY in which this one happened was so incredibly wild, I’m still processing it even over a month later.

I originally met Adam TEN YEARS AGO in band camp. I was the guitarist, he was the drummer randomly assigned to the same group. We didn’t talk much, but we definitely hung back while the louder, more confident kids led the conversations. Pretty typical for awkward teenagers (and boy were we awkward). In the decade that followed, we mostly lost contact until he hit me up on Instagram a couple years ago and we started chatting again. Then, this past December, Adam was like “hey, I haven’t seen you in forever, want to catch up sometime?” And so I was like, “Sure, why not?” I can always use more friends. I was partially right about that, it just escalated in a way I definitely didn’t expect. It turns out, we have all the same values and energy. It honestly blew my mind how crazy we connected, and just the sheer depth of our conversations. So I recently asked him, “Are you glad I let you out of the friend zone?” And Adam didn’t skip a beat, he just said “I never really saw it that way.” Enough said, we’re adorable and stuff. I definitely chased guitarists too long when I guess it was always meant to be a drummer 😉

2. I’m starting my guitar teaching journey.

Yesterday was a typical Wednesday for me, except for the fact my guitar teacher dropped the news that he was leaving the store to teach elsewhere. So that’s when I finally decided to take the plunge and go for it – it was time for me to finally start the process of applying to teach. He was already helping me with this process on the practical level, but now is the time I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone and actually go for it after years of toying with the idea. I’m equal parts terrified and excited, but I know that it will be so fulfilling for me, AND will bring some much-needed structure to my weekly routines.

3. My writing gigs are picking up.

I finally am seeing real progress in my professional work. I have clients that come back to me again and again, as well as a couple larger gigs that bring consistent assignments to me. These are HUGE blessings, and the only drawback I can see is that they’re keeping me from writing my next book because I’m often creatively spent by the time I get to it. But that’s okay – I know the creative process takes time, and that as long as I don’t give up, it’ll all happen the way it’s meant to (as seen in the above points 1-2). Of course, there’s still a long way to go, but there’s something really surreal about seeing your life finally start taking shape the way you’ve always wanted it to.

Where has your life been taking you recently? Share in the comments and let me know how you’ve been. And if you’re ever in the market for creative content writing or editorial work, please drop me a line via my freelance website HERE: https://www.angelinasinger.com/freelance

Battling Project Overload: Coffee & Concepts

And no – it’s not a cool science fiction title. This is literally just the story of my life as an overactive busy-brained freelance writer.

My brain is so tired – like all the time. And I’ve found I also don’t retain things as well because of it. So, it’s high time I handle my crazy workload before it gets too big for me to manage. That’s why I really enjoyed my recent conversation with Walt Robillard – Editor in Chief of WarGate Books.

I was fortunate enough to land a spot on his podcast show, Coffee & Concepts, to talk about my books and my writing process. What so many people don’t think of when it comes to interacting with their favorite stories, is the way authors have to weave these narratives from literally nothing. And finding time / motivation to write can be challenging at best and near impossible at its worst.

We talked about what kinds of coffee we like (which is largely frappuccinos and lattes for me), as well as what kind of inspiration I gathered for my latest release of The Rewind Duology. This series is so important to me, because it really took the struggles I experienced as a kid, and flipped them all around. Where I used to feel weak, these books transformed into a triumph – and I’m also donating a portion of the proceeds to KIND Campaign as well!

Giving back to the community is a crucial component of my work – that’s why I love being able to support an amazing charity that I believe in. Alongside my work with high school students who have an interest in getting into the writing field, as well as my work on the Board of Directors for ARIA, it’s been a blessing to donate my time and efforts.

Excerpt from Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember (The Rewind Duology #1):

“Maybe getting older lets you finally see all sides of the dice – not just the ones that are facing up.” 

Vera Bartlet is a soon-to-be college graduate with absolutely no idea how messy her life is about to become. It’s not just the job search looming on the horizon or her lack of a boyfriend that’s got her stomach in knots – rather, her dad has been missing for almost a decade, and no one knows what happened to him. 

When Uncle Edgar mysteriously arrives back onto the scene, he comes armed with some interesting new ideas about what may have happened to Vera’s dad – and an even more revolutionary idea of how to find him. With nothing short of bending time and space, Edgar sends Vera back in time in the hopes that she might find the clues they need to get her dad home. 

As she sifts through the mangled pieces of reality and her altered memories of middle school drama become jumbled in between truth and fantasy, Vera has to choose which elements of her past should stay in the past, and which she might like to incorporate into her future. Time travel is never simple, and there are always side effects – but in this case, it might just hold the key to finding her dad. Will Vera stay sane long enough to find her dad and make peace with the bullies who made her miserable?

I have plans to start drafting my next concept, but my life has been so chaotic. Here’s hoping things settle down soon. But until then, keep hustling!