Hi, everyone. We're glad you're here. This is the Three Lesbians and a Pen podcast. Get ready to have your world rocked. As we dive into the wild and sometimes wacky world of self publishing. We are three fabulous bestselling authors. I'm your host, Kimberly Todd with my best friends.

K. C. Luck

and Jamey Moody. 

Join us as we discuss the joys of writing, challenges of self publishing, and anything else that tickles our fancy. 

Hey there and welcome to episode 25 of the Three Lesbians and a Pen podcast. I'm Kimberly Todd. I'm here with my fabulous friends, KC Luck and Jamey Moody. Today we're talking about writing the fucking book, but before we start, how is everyone's week? KC?

Well, I'm still a little sad, but it's getting better because my girlfriend comes back, on Wednesday when this actually comes out. So that's very

exciting. Yes. And that's been great, but I have been very productive. Like I said, last week working on, Fixing Hearts, which is coming along quite nicely.

I'm over the halfway part. Yes. Well, I know. And, but I'm also flirting with the idea of taking a short story that I based my super secret project on, and it's actually like a prequel to it and fleshing it out into a novella to release in April because the super secret project comes out in May. So anybody want to weigh in on that out in the audience, that would be great.

I would appreciate it. So I know how much time and effort to spend on it. But that's what I've been working on.

And we know you love novellas like Kimberly and I do.

I do love novellas.

Hey, I'm speaking for all three of us, my pod pals. We wanted to thank everyone for buying our books on Amazon or if you're, in KU for, reading them through that. We know there's a lot of unrest going on with this Amazon boycott and things like that. And we just want to say thank you. Because, we do this for several different reasons, but, I think I can speak for all three of us and say we do it because we want to bring you joy. And that's how we do it is through Amazon. So thank you for buying our books.

Yes. Thank you for buying our books... 

Thank you! 

So this week, if you didn't notice, I released a book and socials that, they let everybody know, and I'm just very happy, to have Wish Upon A Rainbow Star out in the world and the reviews have been great.

 I really appreciated, some of the reviews or people that have read all my books.

And that was the 24th book I've published, which I know I can't frigging believe it. or let me just say it. I can't fucking believe it. That's what the title of 

this episode is. 

You go, girl!

I can't believe it. Anyway, they've read all my books and they really thought this one was the best. And so that just makes, my little heart happy because it means I've, you know, improved.

And, anyway, so I think this would be a great book if you've never read any of my books to read. Just because it's the beginning of a series.With people that have read most of my books, saying things like that, if you haven't read one, this is the one to start with. So that's what I've been working on all weekend is.

Checking to see how the book's doing.

Exactly. Yeah. Refresh. Refresh. refresh!

Refresh But I will say this real fast, we had a cold 

week in Texas and there is a reason that I don't live up north. I don't know how you people do it, but, I was so happy and so was Leo, my sweet puppy. Yesterday, it got up, almost to 70 and the sun was shining and we got to go outside and walk.

And it was just, a lot of joy, a lot of happiness, so Kimberly, what were you up to?

Yeah, we're excited here we have 40. But we didn't get, like, you guys with a minus 3 or whatever you had. I couldn't believe that weather. Yeah, but I I'm having a challenge. You guys have done this many times, but I find it so impossible to edit a book and you know, cause my editor sent me back one book and then flip my head back to the blurb, which, yay, I finished the blurb for the next book.

Oh good.

To start writing, like to do switch between two books. I just, my brain is like struggling with that. And the other thing, this is a little romancy, but, 

My wife and I went out this Saturday for dinner and she came out of the, room dressed really nice and we were ready to go out and she had put on her perfume that she wore the first time we met.

oh.

And, it's amazing how smell and scent, we talked about that in writing, and I just swooned.

And we've been together in, April, it'll be 11 years. So I was like, hello. You immediately noticed, huh?

Yeah. I was like, you smell beautiful. All those pheromones start kicking in. Yeah,

I remember this.

Exactly. I was like, wait, how long ago was that? Now? Time flies, though.

11 years. That's

Mm hmm.

She's amazing. 

So do we have any texts from last week?

Yes, we actually got a couple, one from CJ with another ask us anything question, which is perfectly timed because that's coming right up. And then Cheryl wrote to us and said she wanted to tell us how much she loves our podcast, so that's always nice to hear. Thank you, Cheryl.

But she talks about her ritual, because I asked some of the readers what their rituals were. And her ritual is to wake up at an ungodly time the day of the release. So that is a dedicated reader there.

She says, I download on Kindle, then go back to sleep. I'm not sure why that part happens, but okay, cool.

I appreciate that. And then she says, I start reading it later that day. My ritual is complete when I then order it in paperback form and add it to my library, which you three will find ironic. I converted a closet with a kick ass floor to ceiling shelf with bright lighting. I always smile every time I come out of my closet.  

But I love that idea first off.

Make it into a cool library. I love that. 

And how about that?

Thank you, Cheryl. 

Sticking a bunch of sapphic books In the, in the closet.

We love it, Cheryl.

And how many emails? 

Let's see. We heard from Manishka and, she's looking forward to this episode today. Because even though she's not a, an author or a writer, she has different assignments that come along in her job that she has trouble starting, which that made me feel good that we can help even people that aren't authors, you know, with some of the things that we do, so hopefully we can give her some ideas on some things to make her get the project going.

 She also said that she thought we did a great job, so we appreciate that. And I have to say, you were talking about Cheryl, KC did a giveaway last week, for one of her books on the I Heart SapphFic category. I can't remember what it was, but, Cheryl won the Amazon card she was given away, and, What a loyal reader.

She's going to use the money to buy my book that just came out. So thanks, Cheryl. That's frigging awesome. And then, I got an email from CeeJay

she wrote about how she does, a different playlist for each character, which I thought was interesting. I do, and we'll talk about this a little bit.

I don't listen to music when I'm writing, but I end up doing a playlist for each book. Because just about in all of my books, a song will come up in there, but then I'll add different, songs and end up having a playlist.

I love that she had, Pretty Reckless and Halestorm on her playlist. I was like, yay!

And I thought what else was interesting too, is she uses, the app Shazam and will Shazam songs when she's watching different shows on TV. Have y'all ever done that?

Oh, 

You know how in a show that you're watching you'll hear different snippets of songs and things like that? And I'm like, oh, I like that. I do the same thing and then I look up the song Some of them I know and some of them I don't I thought it was pretty interesting how she does it for different, characters So maybe when she's writing that character, she'll play that song So I just thought that waskind of fun.

And I think that's all the emails we got this week.

Okay. And then, Manishka also wrote, but it was for a prior episode about plotting and she doesn't depend on reviews. She likes to read the preview chapters to see if she's going to like a book. And as long as the plot isn't all over the place and there's no second or third act break up, She's fine.

She'll try the book. 

So for today again, we are talking about writing the fucking book. So KC, want to start us off?

Yeah. so I think the biggest obstacle to writing the fucking book, at least it was for me, is just kind of, fear. Thinking you're never going to be a success. Why bother? And it was interesting because I didn't even start writing seriously until my late forties. I mean, I screwed around and wrote short stories and wrote for the college newsletter and stuff like that.

But I didn't actually write a full length novel until I was like 48 and I didn't really seriously start getting published as KC Luck until I was actually 50. And the reason why is because, like I said, I was afraid that it would be a waste of time because who would ever read this? And I also was afraid I'd never find an agent and how would I ever publish?

And then I learned about self publishing and it kind of all took off from there. But yeah, that's how I started writing the fucking book. The first time was I just actually had to sit down and my brother dared me. He said, I dare you to write a book. And I said, well, I dare you to write a book.

And then it was a competition to see who could write the book the fastest. And that was how it all really got one to the end on a book for me.

Always a competition, huh? You know, listening to you, I remember when I sat down to start my very first book and I'm not sure that I even thought I would publish it then,

you know, I hadn't really thought about that, but, I did the same thing. Only I was way older than you when I published my first book. Cause it, it was a few years ago, but, I don't know. You want to write books that you want to read type thing.

 And so I, started by, how do I put this in my debut novel, Live This Love, the, conflict or the problem that one of the MCs is going through. I had never seen in any other book. So I'll just tease that right there.

If you'd like to go get that book and see what it is. So I thought, well, why not try this? And I gave it a shot. 

 As I started writing the book. I didn't really read books on writing or anything like that because I had really good teachers in my English classes. So I felt like I knew how to write as far as the grammar and things like that go.

But I started listening to T. B. Markinson and Clare Lydon's podcast, Lesbians Who Write, and I always give them the credit because I wouldn't have been able to self publish on Amazon without them. Because they, we're so good at going through the steps and what you need to do.

And I had no idea how you self publish and that's one reason we're doing this podcast is because we want to help others self publish. Cause I had no idea.

Yeah. And for me, the same thing. I really didn't know that I wanted to write a book. I just started reading at one point in my life a bunch of sapphic books and I kept like pulling towards vampire ones and then other, you know, or fantasy and I could just like them all. I was absorbing as many as I could and I said, Oh, let me just start writing.

So I was home and I would write for over two years. I would just write a little bit. Like it wasn't a serious thing. I just thought, let me just see. And it, the story started getting longer and longer. And then finally in 2020, I published my first book. But I also the same thing. Once I published one, I was like, Oh, I started listening to the same podcast that, Jamey just mentioned and also Joanna Penn, The Creative Pen, because she has a lot of other things that helped as well.

 And I just got more and more excited from reading books. So I thought I could do that. And after you get one published, it takes away from me, it took away, you're still fearful, but you know, the process and feel a little more comfortable. So the second one, you're like, Ooh, I hope I can do this again.

You know?

Yeah. Well, and then ideas start coming to you. I really hadn't thought about doing anything else when I was in the middle of that book. And then all these ideas start coming to

you and you're like, what? 

hmm. Yep. Yep. You're no longer a book virgin, so you can just, you know, start writing and you've got it out there. You know what you're doing. It's all very helpful to get going.

Yeah. And if someone buys it, your first one, you're

like, Holy shit, someone bought my book. And then you look again, another person bought my 

And a review. Oh my God. A first positive review. You're like, Oh my God.

And it's not mom.

Yeah.

Oh, I love it. I love

Oh man. That's great.

I think when I started, there was a precursor somewhere along the way because do you remember, or has this ever happened to you? I don't even remember how I'd see him. People would ask you though, if you weren't doing your so and so job, what would you really like to do?

Or what would be your dream job or something like that? And I swear I'd never thought about writing a book, but I would say, okay. Man, I would love to be an author. I would love to write a book that brought somebody, you know, the entertainment that I get from reading books. And I just throw that out there because I really thought that's something I will never be able to do, but that I love in my life is reading.

And bam, look, all these years later, I'm writing frigging books.

That's right. Twenty four.

I know. It's just like, I can't hardly believe it.

You're an author.

You're a big time author. Big time.

You know, you do different things in your life or start different projects or I don't know, hobbies, things like that. But man, this one has just brought me such happiness.

 I get happiness writing the book and then when you finally publish it, and you get those reviews it just brings you a lot of joy and a lot of happiness, or does me.

Right. And you got to figure out why you're writing the book. Cause I've actually talked to some people and they're like, I'm really struggling because I don't know if I can get this done. And I'm like, well, why are you writing the book? And they're like, well, I know you can make money at it.

And I think that's kind of probably why you're stuck. Because if you don't love it, If you don't do it from your heart, I mean, even after 23 books, 24 books like Jamey, you know, if you don't do it because you love it, you can be pulling teeth. It's going to be really, really hard to get those words out.

So you have to find the right kind of motivation. So yes, it's nice to make money, but also even now you have to be wanting to do the process. Mm Yeah and if you 

are forcing yourself to write because of the money The final product might not be as good as it would be if you actually really enjoyed the story and got immersed in writing it.

Right. I,

hmm. 

I always look at it as, write characters that you'd want for your friends. That's how it always starts with me

 because y'all know, let me give you my little sad song again that I live in a small town with no lesbians. However, I do have new lesbians friends, but, 

I try to write characters that people would want as friends. And so, man, do I have friends? I just got to look over here at my bookshelf and I'm like, Whoa, look at all those friends. Look at all those gay friends I have.

I thought she's gonna say us but okay...

know, now we know where we stand.

That's right. We're behind the books

Okay. So I don't have y'all all the time. Okay. Monday mornings for sure. And then my phone as I text and call. 

 That's right. Who was motivated by reading that you said? Well, Kimberly, you said you read some sapphic books and that's kind of what motivated you. But who was the first who was the first author? Mine was Georgia Beers. She broke my cherry. 

I'm right there with you. That's one of the first ones that I read, a little bit of spice that really grabbed me. I'd read maybe a couple, four of that one really grabbed me. And I thought, oh my God, there's a bunch of these books. Let me just go see if I can find more. And that's when I learned about KU.

Yeah. Mine was Isabella. 

Oh yeah, 

American Yakuza. 

Mm hmm.

Mine was Blend. It was Blend that I first read.

So where do you write, Jamey?

Well, first, one of the reasons I started writing too, is because I had a lot of downtime at my job and there's just so much you can read on the internet. So, or read books and I just kind of started there. So I wrote a lot at work and then after I would come home, maybe I would write some in the evenings.

But now, since I am semi retired. I set up a little office in my house and I write mostly from there. And I've got to tell you, when I was transitioning from working full time, I was a little bit worried that when I started writing mostly at home, that, you know, the words wouldn't come or things would be different, but you know what, it's been fine.

I rarely write at work anymore. I wait until I get home and. I'm really happy about that. 'cause I was, I struggled with that for several months before I semi-retired.

 At one job I used to write at work all the time back when you had to be in the office. 

I used to write at work 

and, but I write on my phone. I would write on my phone. I don't know about y'all, but I can, 

I can, yeah, 19 

that too. How do

words a minute, but you could still write on your phone and then I would write a lot of my lunch hour in the car.

Yeah. Yeah. I had like a little tablet I could use in the car to write.

Yeah, and I used to carry a notebook around because 

 anytime I was like waiting on the subway or wherever I was, I would scratch down a few words if a thought came to mind or whatever. And now I just write in my writing nook, which is filled with lots of things. 

 Tell us about that.

Well, I'll show you and we can explain it.

Oh boy. 

No, it's the other side that I'm talking about.   

Oh, the post-its, oh, man.

Notice I did not turn the computer back around

but don't only see the Post-Its again. 

Yeah, I have lots of fun things around to help, you know, spur creativity or whatever.

Yeah. See, I don't have anything like that. I can write anywhere. I don't really have a writing space. I mean, I have my desk, obviously. I sit here and write, but I can write in the recliner on my laptop I have out there. I could write the kitchen table, I can write on out on the patio. It doesn't really matter to me where I write.

I can really get in the zone if I just put my head into it.

Can you write with music? Or do you write with

 I can either way. I do like music sometimes, but it's totally just fades into the background. I prefer like techno, you know, something without any words, sometimes classic, but usually something with a beat works best for me. I do like music. How about you?

Interesting. I don't listen to music or anything. The TV may be playing in the background in the other room. I'll tell you, you said you could write from anywhere. I used to write in the living room all the time on my laptop while I was watching TV, especially sports. Cause I just had that on in the background and I could be writing a scene, but you know, I don't do that much anymore. I mostly write in my office.

Yeah, I have to have complete silence. I always appreciate those people that can go to a coffee shop and write. I could not get one word down. That would make me insane. I have to be completely silent. I can go there to spy on people to get ideas.

Same idea.

 I love it, but I don't have a ritual or anything. Nothing like that. 

Mm mm. 

that.

We've talked about this a little bit before. Do you write in order? Chapter by chapter? Yep.

Yep. Absolutely. Very sequential. Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

Me too. At the bottom of my document, I may have a ton of, notes. And even a small outline, that does not make me a plotter, but even 

a 

How 

outline of what's coming up, it's not really, I don't want to fool people and make them think it's a, an outline because it's not really, but a kind of an outline of what's going to come next and then notes like crazy.

And,

Wait a minute, people. Do you remember the last podcast when these two ladies were jumping down my throat saying because I write a three paragraph blurb that I am not a pantser? But yet you have a document with all these things at the bottom, 

This 

lady 

Jamey's a pretender

Oh my gosh. Oh man. She's a closet plotter. What the hell?

No, I'm not. I promise. It comes to me as I'm writing the

book. I 

promise I'm not. Because, let me tell you, let me defend myself. I'm having a little problem right now with get your ass in the chair and write. Because, I have just released a book. I have finished the second book of the series and it's with my editor.

So what comes next? I'm supposed to be sitting down starting this third book, right? Well, let me tell you, dear listeners, I am on page one. I did write the first paragraph and that's hard for me. Sometimes it's hard. I'll put it that way. Sometimes it's hard to start the book. The first book, the book that I just released, it was not hard to start that book because I knew exactly what was going to happen.

The second book, it was a little bit more cause I knew what was going to happen, but I had to get them to that first scene. And this book, I'm like, dang, I need to get them there. But it's really getting hard. It's really hard to get going. So I did. Sit down and write about, oh, I don't know, six or 800 words yesterday.

And I think that's going to be okay because I got interrupted, with a phone call and after that I got to thinking, Oh, you know what? I need to add that in there. So that's good. Sometimes when you get interrupted. Because now I'm going to go back when we get through recording and add some things to make, to punch it up and make it a little better 

because you don't want to, tell, tell, tell.

And that's what it feels like I'm doing in these first paragraphs. You want to show, not tell.

And so it's like, I got to do something to punch this up. So now I'm going to go back in and. So maybe it'll get going folks, but yeah.

 Just quick for a ritual. I know KC, you said you don't do one. I did it when I first started writing and then I stopped and now I'm doing it again. It's great. Like I pick a window. So 4am to 6am I write. And that seems like my mind says, okay, that's when you're supposed to be writing. And it seems to work.

It seems to help me sit in the seat because my mind knows, okay, you just have to sit there for the two hours. And then I actually write. So for the question where people say, how do you do it? That's for me, seems to work.

I'm gonna try that too. Once I retire here in 38 days. 

 So excited. I'm gonna try to set aside a certain amount of time every morning, and that's gonna be my writing time and I'm really curious to see if that works for me too.

So we'll see. Mm-hmm

And then one other thing for people that are starting up writing, I had joined a sprint writing group that I did for almost a year. And I made some really good friends from that. And also it does set you because you've got all these other people on the zoom call with you and you'd write for 25 minutes and then you sit for 10 minutes and chat and then write.

And that also gets you into a pattern I think or you could try it.

Mm-hmm 

It helped for me too.

As a very disciplined person, I'm always on time or a little bit early and things like that. I can't do that. I can't set aside a certain time. now I used to at work, I would, at lunch, Like, like you were talking about KC, I'll, I would write maybe while everybody else was at lunch or I was at lunch, but I have a hard time with that.

And when Kimberly first told us that she sets aside a certain time to write in the morning. I tried that and it just doesn't work for me because I'm mostly an afternoon or evening writer. And once I let go of that and let it go, then I don't have a set time. I do it. But I get the words in every day.

And let's point out the time that she said she's writing, 

4 a. m. to 6 a. m.

That is best time 

It's like, 

man.

yeah, 

I would write it and then, and then read it later and be like, what the fuck did I just write?

And you get up early too,

I do, but I'm not, I am drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. I am not writing words, that's for sure.

I love it. 

Oh, 

people, my pod pals get up early listeners. I 

yeah. Yeah. I'm going to stop doing that in retirement too, I think. I'm going to make myself wait until at least 530. We'll 

see. 

And then one other thing that helps with the writing too, in the butt and the seat, which I started doing after I started following that Chris Fox thing, I swear to God, keep in that spreadsheet that has the day and then how many words you wrote. And then how like, so I wrote 1500 words. I'm at 25, 000 so far for the overall novel by seeing that visually you're like, Oh, okay, tomorrow I got to do better.

I'm going to try to do better tomorrow. Or look, I made 800 words, so I did great today. I wrote something, so it's not a blank. So therefore be nice to myself.

hmm.

I do that too. I write my books in a Google doc and I have the word count on all the time. But, at the end of each day I have a little sticky note that I put the date and I put how many words I wrote that day. And it's just, well, I mean, I just started that way. Well, I think really because I had a goal, I was going to write a thousand words every day.

And over time that has diminished because when you put that on yourself, sometimes it will give you anxiety if you don't hit it. And sometimes I would do a bunch more and sometimes it would be really hard to get to a thousand. So now I just write down what I've done every day, 

and I know how far along I am on the book. But I will tell you my secret weapon for getting my butt in the chair is if I'm stuck or if I just won't sit down and do it. I take a walk.

And yesterday, since Leo and I got to take a walk, that's exactly what I was thinking about is you've got to open this frigging book, Jamey.

You've got to get started. Even though I'd written, you know, one or two paragraphs. So we went for a walk, had a great time. And when I got back, I immediately sat down and wrote down what I'd been thinking about and bam, there I 

was. 

Yep. I have a trick too. Here's my trick. I will tell myself, you only have to write for five minutes. Just sit down and write for five minutes and then you can be done and you don't have to worry about it anymore. And then I always write longer than five minutes.

Yeah. I don't know what it 

You trick your mind somehow.

Yeah. 

gotta start.

I was laughing while you both were talking, you very mature people. I stop and I get up because I like to eat, and I'll go get my, puffy cheetos that I love, and then I watch The View that I record, and then by the time I'm done I'm stuffed with cheetos, I've watched the view, which I find entertaining, and I know a lot of people are not fond of it, but I like it, and then I'm back and I can write.

Hey, such a such a healthy alternative.

Mentally and physically.

I

know it's not always possible to go out for a walk, but man, that always seems to help. You know, if I 

just kind of do something else like that. And I'll tell you what I do sometimes. I'll go over a scene in my head while we're walking along and 

I'll be like, Ooh, that was a good line. And I'll be afraid I'm going to forget. And so I opened the voice memos on my watch and I'm not talking to myself. I'm talking about a scene right there. I'm doing dialogue right there as I 

walk my dog. 

Yeah, I've done that. Yep. 

Going off the idea that you just said about, you know, leaving a memo on your phone. I have the book beginning, middle and end. I pants in between all of that. And if I get an idea. I write it on sticky note and that's what you guys are teasing me about because that wall is a thought, it gets written down immediately and stuck on the sticky note, then back to writing and then if I'm stuck I said let me look at my sticky note wall and see if there's something there. 

 That I've done. That I've done. Yeah. Wrote down like a hundred things that can happen and then you go back to that list and you're like, Oh crap. Yeah. Number seven might work.

Yeah. Exactly.

Or it always happens to be when I'm going to sleep at night, I'll have an idea or something will come up. So I have to grab my phone and do a voice memo, but it's really helpful because if you will do that and just take a minute, then you get up the next day and whatever time it is that you're going to ride four o'clock in the morning or in the afternoon, like me, I'll go back and listen to that voicemail and I'm like, got it.

And man, off I go.

And after listening to the three of us, you all should listen with wisdom because you need to write it down. You will not remember

it. 

You will not. You will not remember it the right way and it will be like, that sucks. That wasn't what I was thinking.

Exactly.

write it 

Or you'll, or you'll say, man, I said that so much better when it first came.

Yes. Exactly. Or you write it down in the middle of the night and then you get up and read it and you're like, it's the red bumblebee in the fridge. And you're like, what? I was dreaming apparently, because that's not what I was thinking.

I'm telling you those voice memos, so they're the way to go.

Well, I think that's it for this week. Next week we're going to have the Ask Us Anything episode. And we have so many questions that we're going to break it into a part one and a part two. So next week will be Ask Us Anything Part One. And do we have a question?

Well, the question is, this is it. Your opportunity to ask us anything. So get those questions in and we'll put you on the list of either this next episode or the next one after that. 

Well, that's it for this week. Thanks everyone for listening.

Thanks everybody. See you next week.

I hope we gave you some ideas on how to get your butt in the chair and write. Thank you . Talk to you next week. Bye. 

Thanks for listening. If you'd like to reach out to us, you can contact us by email at contact@threelesbiansandapen.com with the number three spelled out or on Instagram, Facebook and X at Three Lesbians and a Pen using the number three. And finally on our website, at threelesbiansandapen.com, we look forward to hearing from you, see you next week.