Supporting Other Writers with Kelly Blanchard

Today on the show I am joined by Kelly Blanchard to talk about how writers can support each other, which I believe is a topic which is long overdue discussion. Not only is Kelly one of the most supportive people I know, she also has one fo the nicest accents. It was a pleasure to chat to her and find out what we can do to more effectively support the writing community. 

Transcript

Wendy Jones: 0:00

anti Kelly, it's absolutely lovely to have you on the show. How are you?

Kelly Blanchard: 0:05

I'm fantastic. How are you?

Wendy Jones: 0:07

I'm very well. Thank you. I have to say, I think you've got the nicest accent of anyone I've ever had on the show.

Kelly Blanchard: 0:14

Thank you. I get that a lot. I don't think I have an accent. But I'm glad you enjoy it.

Wendy Jones: 0:19

I love it. I got I'm getting shades of Gone with the Wind here, you know, which is always nice.

Kelly Blanchard: 0:25

That's hilarious.

Wendy Jones: 0:28

But here we are. Welcome to Scotland, even if it's in a virtual sense. I appreciate it. I don't think I've been to Scotland. I've been to England before but not Scotland. So you need to come to Scotland. I'm glad you know the difference. A lot of people throughout the world go Are you from England? I'm like, No, I'm from Scotland. Oh, is that in England? No.

Kelly Blanchard: 0:49

I have two sisters that moved to England and both got matried to brits.

Wendy Jones: 0:55

you know the difference? That's fantastic. Anyway, I want we're going to be talking today about supporting and encouraging writers, which I am absolutely passionate about. Yeah. And it's a topic I've long felt needed discussion. Why do you think it's an important topic for this podcast? And indeed all writers?

Kelly Blanchard: 1:14

Well, I think it's because most people, especially beginning writers who just like I want to write a book and a step in trying to figure out those a question that the writing community is competition, it's just all competition. But really, if you really look at it, and you look closely, it's a community. And depending on the author's impression, foster question, they get either viewed as competition like everybody's competition, and they will fight everybody, or they're viewed as a community and their support everybody. So I think it's really important to discuss this and to show people that really, it's not a competition, it's Yeah, there might be have some people that are in the same genre as you but doesn't mean that you're competing against them. It's everybody's community, everybody will have their own time to shine, and it's best to support and encourage one another. So that's what I take from it.

Wendy Jones: 2:05

That's brilliant. I love that. I have to say, I love what you said, You're it's so true. We're not in competition. We're there to support each other. There's room for us all. But I love the sentence you've said, which is everyone has their own special sort of shine. Fantastic. It was worth doing this podcast just for that, although I'm sure we'll get more nuggets of it, you know, go gold nuggets throughout. But that was brilliant. You're right. Everybody does have their own special sort of shine. I'm going to put that above my desk now. Kelly. I'm curious. To be honest, I wanted to explore further because I'm curious as to what we mean, when we say we're supporting encouraging other writers, that might mean different things to different people. So what do you think it means? Well, I know what it's like to

Kelly Blanchard: 2:55

try to start a journey by myself with nobody around that knew what they were doing it nobody in my family, none of my friends, nobody was it was a vital published author, nothing like that. So I know what it's like to be by myself, and to try to figure it out. And how hard that is. And I don't wish that on anybody else. So I am always like, when I see somebody who's struggling and has a question that I can answer, I went into it. I'm very active in lots of writing groups, and Facebook, and so forth. So I always I'm very willing to show my resources to help people. I don't think it's cheating. I don't think it's cheap. I like people who will take advantage of that. And you got to be careful on that. But to me, I just, it's been somebody who encourages people, somebody who is a cheerleader for people, somebody who says, Hey, I believe in you. I'm very proud of you. I'm very proud of what you're doing, you can do this. So just keep going. Sometimes it's honestly all they need, even though I may never read the book, I can they still tell me the ideas and like, that's awesome. You know, go do it, you can do it. I know you can. And just you know, having that as having somebody like that in your corner can really just just really just shaped someone's path. And I've had a lot of people have told me that they have published books, because I was the person who was encouraging them to say you can do it, I know you can't just do it. Because many writers will often have that whole imposter syndrome and like, No, I can't do it. So if you have somebody on the outside who's like, No, you can, and you're good at this, you can do this. And that can help them pass that and they can eventually published a book and so forth.

Wendy Jones: 4:30

No, that's that's really good. Yeah. And I know that you are very good at supporting others. And we met in one of those Facebook groups and I was so impressed by the way you reach out and help others. Hence the reason that we're doing this podcast today, but can you can you outline some I know you've said some already but can you outline some of the other things you do to support other people?

Kelly Blanchard: 4:50

Well, I do a lot of different things. It depends on the person like this morning, actually a few minutes before this interview. I was explained to somebody what a what I do. Clean link and a dirty link is on Amazon and how to get a clean link for your books and what that is how to explain that. And then yesterday, I was hoping somebody who was like, I don't know how to launch a book, I don't know anything, can you help me outline stuff, so I give them that information. But one thing that I do a lot, I have my own Facebook group. And in that group I share lots of beautiful picturess, because I follow this. And a lot of people say that some of the pictures I like, exactly what they imagined, for those seen the story or a character. And I'm like, awesome, it's great. But it might give them a story idea just by pictures. So I share that. But one thing I really enjoyed doing at times is I sometimes will actually sit down in the cap and the authors fictional work with one of the characters and I will interview them, I will ask them these questions because he also wants to understand the captcha. And I find that cat does a very much like children, then with their own talents, they can be rowdy and misbehaving and won't work. Then they will actually just open up in ways that they also couldn't get them to open up. And so that's something I've done, I do. And it's a lot of fun. It can be difficult, because it's a, it's a little two hour process, it's two hours of an interview. But that's just because of how much I have to do to get them to open up and so forth. So that's something I'm really off of community attempts. And but yeah, mainly it's sharing pictures, being encouraging, offering tips, writing tips, and so forth, and just being available online. And so thickish comfortable enough to shoot me a message saying, hey, do I, you know, do on the Kindle unlimited kind of Direct Publishing? Do I do the ebook first, or the paperback? So I could say, well, you can do either, but you can find this fast, you know, and so forth. So that's really how I support and encourage people.

Wendy Jones: 7:02

Yeah, I mean, that you're really helping people there, because you're taking so much time with them. So I want to dig a bit deeper. I mean, how do you go about doing this? And how often do you do this for people?

Kelly Blanchard: 7:15

I do it every day. I mean, it kept us that's, that's at a schedule, that's actually a paid service that I have to charge for. Because it's, it's very, it's a two hour process. And it's very time consuming and takes a lot of energy. So I have to try for that. But everything else I normally do is free. But I do it every day, like yesterday had a character interview, I was helping somebody with the publishing. And then this morning, I was helping to do other people. Basically, what I do is I wake up mostly in the morning, I get my own writing done, I don't talk to anybody. And then I get to walk on my, you know, I started doing my own online stuff. And then some online, people messaged me going, Hey, I have a question. And so I, I help them throughout the day, whoever needs it. And I see questions in Facebook groups that I can answer, I'll answer them, if I can't enter it, but I can direct them to somebody who can I will do that. You know, I just I like to connect people and I show resources and so on and so forth. So it's all day every day. You know, even on Sunday, I don't make a day off to be honest. But I enjoy I mean, but yeah, so as long as I can provide my own writing done in the morning. Good.

Wendy Jones: 8:31

Yeah, that's important. And I wanted to ask you that, how do you actually balance your own work whilst being there? For others?

Kelly Blanchard: 8:39

It's hard at time because, you know, definitely so many people asking so many questions. But I have a routine now will especially I just wake up early in the morning, do you want to see my husband off to work? And then I personally do is I write, and I have my own, you know, I'm very disciplined, right, you know, right about 2000 words a day. I'm like, this is what I'm writing. And I'm very good at just sitting down and being disciplined about that. And then once I'm done with that, I'm done with writing my actual writing. And then I can focus on everything else I need to do like connecting with my fan base and stuff. And that's around time when people start messaging me and, you know, contacting me asking me questions. So as long as I get my way down to morning, I'm pretty good. And then today is pretty open because I I'm very, I know, do pick up, you know, stop and pick it up again next day and so forth. So it makes it easy for me to be there for others as necessary.

Wendy Jones: 9:34

Yeah. And that's you're obviously very good at time management and keeping that area separate, which I think is really important. Because as you said earlier in the interview, you can get, you know, sucked into the whole thing and it sucks you dry. So you need to make sure that you balance it. So the way you've said it doing it in the morning in the afternoon sounds a brilliant way of doing it. Really and I know I know you manage a couple of Facebook groups, and I was interested, how do you handle conflict within the groups? Because it doesn't matter what group you're in, there's going to be conflict.

Kelly Blanchard: 10:10

Well, um, I mean, I managed a lot of different groups, but honestly, I'm not like the main admin in lots of them. I'm just, too, they asked me to be an admin, because they know I can manage things if necessary. Okay, so, but I have my own group. And to be honest, there's not any conflict in that group. But that's because I'm like, we don't talk about politics. We don't talk about, you know, sexual orientation. We don't talk about any, you know, religion or anything that we don't do it. This is all for just, we're going to show nice pictures and be encouraging and positive, and, you know, stories and anything like that. And so to somebody in a conflict in my group, because I don't I don't I just don't tolerate that. And if those have, if there's something that doesn't look up, you know, if some, if somebody's been, you know, booed, I just voted into it. I'm saying, No, that's against the rules. And don't you know, either many of my Eman so you get, you get booted out. And so the person and I'm like, I'm, I don't want to kick the person out. But this is not acceptable. I'm a privately messaged them going, you need to tone it down. And that, okay, so really deal with too much conflict, just because, you know, I've been, I've been blessed with not having too much conflict in my group, because I'm used to groups that have had conflict. And I'm like, I don't want to deal with that. So yeah, there was a group I was in that they asked me to be an admin, but every month there would be some Firestorm. And I was like, No, I don't want to be an admin in that group. I don't need that.

Wendy Jones: 11:45

I can imagine. Yeah. And we've already touched on this. But when you reach out to others, that there is a distinct possibility that they might end up trying to suck you dry. How do you prevent this or indeed handle it when it does happen?

Kelly Blanchard: 12:00

Well, it's difficult to avoid, because you don't know who those people are going to be, I do get a pretty good sense I expect, I can only get a good sense of people, even with the internet. And honestly, what I try to do is not not talk to them. Now. They message me and I will add to it. And the thing is, is that they're like, keep talking, and like okay, I'm trying something else. I don't need to know all that information. But okay. I'm nice, but I don't really engage too much in conversation. But I if they have a legit question, and I'll go into it, and so forth. There has been a few people that I have mentored, that I would give to advice. And then they would come back to me like another week later with the same question. And they didn't listen to what my advice was. And I would give him again, the same thing hasn't changed. And they're still connected with the same problem. And I still didn't do I said, so fine. I said, Listen, I can't help you. Because you're not listening to I'm saying, so I think that, you know, I think that we need to, you know, step egos out of ways because this isn't working. And that's what happens sometimes. So it just, it takes some guts to do that. But you know, and if anybody really, really drains me, I have some really good friends online, inviting community that could take you please just deal with this post on my go to stuff the positive for me.

Wendy Jones: 13:20

Yeah. That's a good way to handle actually, well done. I just wondered, what are your thoughts on supporting authors who write different genres to you?

Kelly Blanchard: 13:32

I love supporting authors who write different genres. One of my best friend's, writing friends with a close friend of mine, she writes historical fiction. I like fantasy. Neither one of us read each other's books, but I have all her books. And she, you know, she knows we love to support encourage each other because it's just about, you know, writing, you know, you have the same problems, you know, often same problems, you just doesn't begin to move in, you got to figure out editing and publishing and all that kind of stuff. So there's a lot you have in common, and then yeah, um, your actual genres might be different, but doesn't mean you can't get along. So I get along with him quite well. I enjoy supporting people. I do not recall at all, but I have people in my group support that. That's what they write. And I'm like, awesome, good for you keep it up. You know, I'm not going to ever really you vote but keep it up. But, you know, I just like to still support them, even though I personally I don't mind having their books even. But I'm like, I mean, never read it just because that's not what I read. But I don't mind supporting you.

Wendy Jones: 14:36

Yeah, it is difficult because you want to balance it. For example, I get people saying to me, you know, oh, can I? You know, can you tell people in your newsletter about my I'm taking hoarders example. Nobody's asked me that. But you're hot. And I'm like, Well, my readers read crime. me telling them about your horror book isn't actually going to help you in the slightest.

Kelly Blanchard: 15:01

There is so there has to be some lines and boundaries.Okay. But yeah,

Wendy Jones: 15:09

I will retweet things if it's harder or fantasy or any of the things that I don't write because I support other people. And there'll be people that follow me that do read those sorts of things. Exactly. You don't know. So why not show? Yeah. And we just mentioned fantasy. And I know you are a fantasy writer, and you've got several cities to your name. I mean, all you've done so many books out, and and they're all based in one fantasy world. Can you tell us about this?

Kelly Blanchard: 15:36

Well, actually, right now, I only have one series that's published, but I have not in the same universe that's going to be published soon. This How would you write, but not yet published. It's The Chronicles of like, that is the series and it follows Lloyd who is a source or Prince? He's very powerful source for

Wendy Jones: 15:53

Excuse me, do you mind spelling that because I'm a bit on the deaf side? And I'm not picking it up properly? What is it The Chronicles of what

Unknown: 16:03

LORRIC

Wendy Jones: 16:10

Thank you. I didn't I wanted the I wanted anyone listening to be able to pick it up as well. So thank you, and I'm sorry to interrupt.

Kelly Blanchard: 16:18

So um, so it follows Lauric, who was a source footprints, and it starts off with him suddenly reappearing, to be missing and presumed dead for 10 years. And in his absence, he realised that his name was like, dragged to the mud, he was accused of all this horrible stuff. And he's, he was gone for 10 years. So trying to figure out what's, what's going on. And there's a war looming other stuff. And so he's just trying to pick up the pieces and help his family and people he cares about. But the point is, yes, magic. And people think that just because he has magic, bad things, he should not allow that thing to happen. But, you know, bad things to happen. He can't stop every bad thing from happening. So he's constantly trying to help everybody, but he's constantly blamed for bad things to happen. Even though we put them in and watch things from happening. They don't know that they just so well, you didn't fix this problem. So you know. So it's really it's a long series, because there's constantly something after another that happened that does continue on his journey. And it's basically him. A lot of people think he's a bad guy. They view him as a bad guy. And he is constantly trying to walk the line between good and bad, because everybody thinks a lot of people think he's a bad guy. And he thinks horrible things about him. He's trying to be great, the good guy. But he sees that sometimes it might be easier to be the villain. And he's trying not to do that. But he can see why it's so tempting. So really, it is a story of somebody who keeps getting blamed for bad things happening that you can't stop. And no matter how many good things you do. And so yeah, he's just that basically, His story is, I mean, it's much more complicated than that. I can't go into too much detail because there's so many layers and so what everyone is your source will get blamed for everything bad that happened, then that's a good book.

Wendy Jones: 18:12

I might have to read that. I know the feeling. That's many of us feel like that at times, you know. But you know, sounds like a fascinating city. So it is one that I think I might go and read. I'm trying to I'm trying to broaden my reading basis. They say

Kelly Blanchard: 18:30

story so many characters you can assassin on him is fiction. Everybody loves accents, because he's so witty, and she has a tendency of stabbing people when she gets angry. And that's

Wendy Jones: 18:48

my final question, Kelly. I can't believe how fast this has gone. And it's been amazing having you here. Where can my listeners find out more about you and your books?

Kelly Blanchard: 18:58

Well, they can find me on my website. It's kellannatta.com that KELLANNATTA.com. Or they can find me on Facebook. My Facebook group is called the music realm. So if you just look up some music as well, you'll find it. I'm on Twitter on Instagram and Canada again. My Facebook page is Authir Kelly Blanchard. And if you look at the Chronicles of Laurric on Amazon, you'll find it so yeah, that's, that's about it.

Wendy Jones: 19:33

Well, you know, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on today. You're such a nice person and genuinely lovely. So it really was an honour to have you here. Thank you for coming on and sharing your wisdom.

Kelly Blanchard: 19:44

Thank you so much for having me. It was pleasure.

Wendy Jones: 19:47

Well, take care and enjoy the rest of your day. You too. Bye bye.