Writing Blog Recap

To those of you who are new here, welcome! This website has gotten some decent traction this week, and I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you (new and returning folks) for checking out the website. 

I'm going to be spending the next few blog posts going over everything I've learned with my most recent release, Bound. I've learned so much in the process with this one that I've had to split the information into categories in order to figure out how best to share it with all of you. Before I get into that, though, I wanted to take this post to just kind of give you a recap of this website and how it ties into my writing journey.

I self-published my first book, Azure Light, back in 2017, and I've been fortunate enough to be able to publish about one book per year since then. When I started, there was very little that I actually understood about the publishing process, and with every book I release, I've made it my quest to do better (learn more, create higher quality work) than with the last. 

My love of writing extends far beyond just writing and publishing my own books. I've been able to take what I've learned and use it to support other authors on their writing journeys, utilize it in my work as a reading intervention specialist, and get out of my comfort zone to further my writing career. 

I started this blog in January of 2022 as a landing place for expressing and exploring my passion for writing in a different format. I didn't do much with it, until February of this year, when I made it my goal to post once a week as often as I could, sharing what I've learned along the way with others interested in writing and reading.

Since I started posting to this blog, here are some of the amazing things that have taken place.

I had my son. I've always wanted to write and illustrate children's books in addition to my other works, but I've always been so afraid of the illustration and formatting process. Having my son gave me the push I needed, and since he was born in 2023, I've written, illustrated, formatted and published two children's books, with more on the way. (I've also had the absolute pleasure of collaborating on a collection of 26 phonics readers for the University of Utah Reading Clinic). 

I hired my first developmental editor. I've always gone through various different (free) sources for my editing, and this small, obvious step was huge for me. 

I ran my very first KickStarter for my novel that released last week. Through the KickStarter, I was able to learn to design bookmarks, stickers, and art prints. I made my book cover so much better than I could have hoped, and I got the sequel written. Through this KickStarter, I sold books outside the country, and sold a total of 27 books to those who pledged. I ran my first two social media book giveaways, and I got all the orders sent out. I was also able to design and create Fates - the game I invented for the book. 

I was able to get out of my comfort zone and talk with bookstore managers at various Barnes and Noble locations. Through this process, I was able to get my book on the shelves in store for the first time, and I was able to schedule a handful of book signings for October, November, and January. 

Through this blog, I have been able to start an email list where I send out regular blog posts and book updates. (If you're interested in joining, fill out this form on my homepage: https://breyannailevansauthor.weebly.com/ ).

I've also been featured in two articles in the last month: 
As seen on MSN.com: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/parenting/15-authors-to-look-out-for-in-2025/ar-AA1rvRXm?ocid=BingNewsSerp 
As seen on Medium.com: https://michellewhitingsocial.medium.com/discover-breyanna-evans-the-self-made-author-uplifting-the-literary-community-in-utah-83fc2134720e 

Here is a list of the posts I've written here to date. 
Please note - some of the images in these posts have shifted.
​I am working on going back and replacing them with their original files. 
Three Things I Love About Writing
To Sequel, Or Not To Sequel, That Is The Question
My Message To You
How Learning About Structure Helped Me (and My Students) Write Better
WRITING SKILLS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL THAT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN MY TEACHING (AND STILL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN MY WRITING)
What Elements Do I Enjoy Writing the Most?
How Do I Make Time For It All?
Three "Obvious" Things I Didn't Know When I Started Publishing
"Why am I learning this?" How I Use the Plot Structures I Learned About in High School to Get Through Writer's Block
3 Books That Have Improved My Writing and Publishing Process in the Last Year
What Kind of Writer Are You?Getting Past the Fear of Judgement
Writing - Little Things that Make a Big Difference: Varying Your Sentence Length and Watching Your Default Words
Using Travel Experiences to Enrich Writing
One Book or More?
Writing - Little Things That Make a Big Difference (Re-Writing Dialogue)
Writing - Little Things That Make a Big Difference (Showing Vs. Telling)
What Do I Ask My Beta Readers?
Breaking Down My Editing Process
Answering FAQ's About My Writing Process
Recounting My Writing Journey - Chapter 7
Recounting My Writing Journey - Chapter 6
Recounting My Writing Journey - Chapter 5
Recounting My Writing Journey - Chapter 4
Recounting My Writing Journey - Chapter 3
Recounting My Writing Journey - Chapter 2
Recounting My Writing Journey
Season Cycle
New World

I've learned and grown so much over the course of the last several years, and I'm incredibly grateful that I've been able to find a place to share this knowledge with others, and that through these experiences, I've been able to meet and connect with so many incredible people on the same journey. I look forward to continuing this adventure with all of you! Thank you for reading!