It starts in the year 2012.
This wasn’t the year I started writing, but it was the year I was brave enough to tell someone about it in real life.
I even got a commemorative signature out of it.
(pictured: the front page of W;t by Margaret Edson, signed)
When this play was signed, I was a senior in high school, and my AP English (note: being in this class is my only flex) teacher set up a meet-and-greet with its playwright to talk to my class and sign our plays. I was nervous and hopeful that Edson would have a shred of insight to offer that could help me get my books published (I had written four of them by then, all of them once complete but falling apart under my personal scrutiny and edits). The only advice she gave was what she wrote in my play.
“Don’t let the PRODUCT become diminished by the process.“
At the time, I didn’t understand what she meant, but there were ten other kids waiting in line for her signature, and I also didn’t want her to think I was clueless (this was an AP class, after all, and I was convinced you couldn’t be anything less than deeply knowledgeable about any word written in the English language). So I didn’t ask.
But now, after years of battling the constant push and pull of sharing my work or hiding it, dabbling in literary agent querying or barely testing what all opportunities self-publishing could offer, I understand that my stories are my product. My most valuable possessions that I hoard like any self-respecting dragon. Or goblin, more accurately, if I’m being honest.
Anyway, the point is, as success in my writing ebbed and flowed from the personal rejections of literary agents, to becoming a featured on a writing website, I always found myself circling back around my manuscripts during those highs and lows, wondering if my stories were really, truly, actually ready to face the world.
And then I would succumb to an editing rampage, resulting in manuscripts torn into shreds, and suddenly no hope for an end in sight. Or worse, I would have the sinking thought that the end of my story suddenly wasn’t worth writing toward, anyway.
I finally understand what Margaret Edson meant when she said, “don’t let the product become diminished by the process.”
So I took a step back from grand ideas of publishing, traditional or self, and asked myself what I actually wanted.
Also, Margaret Edson, if you somehow remember this 30 second interaction and you’re reading this and thinking, “That… that wasn’t what I meant at all,” please don’t say anything. I just told all these people I was in AP English so it would be embarrassing.
All of That to Say Hi! I’m Madi
I’m a multi-genre writer. If you want to read fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and/or contemporary romance books, let’s be friends. I write books about ruthless characters (even in contemporary romance? yes because ambition knows no genre), and a dash of romance to keep things interesting (it’ll be more than a dash in contemporary romance, don’t worry). I want to build a community around my work.
While I’ve always dreamed of being traditionally published, after reading and listening to the interviews of dozens of traditionally published authors, I realized I absolutely loved certain aspects of their jobs, but not the whole thing.
I just… want to write. And I want to have a fun time doing that. And I want to invite as many people to the party as I can!
The party in question is an adult, SFF (science-fiction fantasy), second-chance romance novel coming out on Kindle Vella (I think I’m going to create a whole post about this very soon) in September 29, 2023 called Saving Declan.
If you like assassins, superheroes, and dark academia, this one is for you. If you don’t like those things, that’s okay. We can still be friends. And for those of you who really REALLY like those things, I’ve got a blurb for you at the end of this newsletter!
Come on Barbie, Let’s Go (to another) Party!
Speaking of building communities, starting THIS MONTH, August 31st at 8pm EST, I am hosting a virtual “Write Night” on Instagram Live under my account ReallyMadiLeigh.
Write Night is about creating a dedicated space where writers can connect, write, and get help with their manuscripts in real time. Are you stuck on a chapter / frustrated by a scene / in need of a reminder that your struggles are universal and that even though writing is a solitary activity you don’t have to feel lonely while doing it? Come over! Get some answers by either myself or the other writers who will be joining us.
It’ll be fun, I promise. And not to brag, but after tearing apart so many of my own manuscripts, I’ve learned a thing or two about putting them back together. And I also took AP English.
I Didn’t Think About Writing a Conclusion to This…
So, yeah! That’s it for now. Watch this space for book updates, answers to writing-related questions, and any chaos in between.
If you’re looking for additional chaos, check out my CONTACT page to connect with me across the interwebs.
Oh, and here’s that blurb for Saving Declan
After their whirlwind summer romance ends in heartbreak, local musician Harper Lewis and international assassin Declan Daigo return to their very different lives in the bustling city of Icropolis, only to be forced together and pulled into the city’s seedy underbelly by the mafia.
Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, which will be a Saving Declan feature. In it, I’ll reveal the story icon, a full summary, and the inspiration behind this debut action-romance!
Madi Leigh 
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