Little Birdy Book Blog: What inspired you to start writing?
Markie Madden: I've been writing as long as I can remember. In 4th grade I had a teacher who would make a squiggle on our papers. Then, the assignment was to finish the squiggle into a drawing and write a story about it.
LBBB: How long did it take for you to write your first book?
M.M.: Several years! Though, to be fair, I started it while still in high school.
LBBB: How do you come up with ideas for your stories?
M.M.: My most recent books have all come to new as I'm just about to drift off to sleep (thank you, Post-It notes! ), though my first book was inspired by a game my best friend and I played in high school, and my second book was inspired by my horse.
LBBB: What is your writing routine like? Do you have a set schedule or are you flexible?
M.M.: I usually spend my mornings and afternoons doing marketing things, social media, or working on my website. I reserve the evening and night for writing, which is when I've found to be at my most creative.
LBBB: What inspires you to write?
M.M.: Anything and everything can inspire me to write, but mostly I do it because I have a story to share and want to spread it around.
LBBB: Are any of your stories written from personal experience, or any character traits that mirror yours?
M.M.: My first book's main character was modeled after me, or who I wished (at the time) I could be.
LBBB: When in a slump, what do you do? If you read or listen to music, what are your go-to books or music?
M.M.: I've found that having more than one project going helps me a lot. If I get hung up on one, I can go to the other for a while. But I've always found writing the end was hard, because I didn't want the story to come to an end. Now that I'm working on a series, maybe I won't have so much trouble.
LBBB: How do you respond to negative feedback/comments with your work?
M.M.: You can’t please everyone, and if you’re in the business, you’re going to get negative remarks or reviews. If someone just doesn’t like your work, well, there will be someone else that does. If you get a comment that, oh, there are spelling errors in the work, then you can go fix that. What upsets me the most are reviews or comments that seem pointless and in no way constructive for the author.
LBBB: What is your writing space like? Do you work anywhere or do you have a special place just for your writing? Messy or clean?
M.M.: My writing space is either in my bed after my husband has gone to sleep (I'm a night owl), or a corner of the dining room table. It rarely gets used so I just sort of took it over. I try to keep things neat because if I don't, I can't remember where I put anything!
LBBB: Do you have a favorite author? Series?
M.M.: Kay Hooper and the Special Crimes Unit series, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb and the In Death series, Jean M. Auel and the Earth's Children series.
LBBB: Any fur-babies?
M.M.: I have 3 dogs and a horse! Of course, the dogs think they're human and the horse thinks she's a dog, so that works for me!
Markie Madden: I've been writing as long as I can remember. In 4th grade I had a teacher who would make a squiggle on our papers. Then, the assignment was to finish the squiggle into a drawing and write a story about it.
LBBB: How long did it take for you to write your first book?
M.M.: Several years! Though, to be fair, I started it while still in high school.
LBBB: How do you come up with ideas for your stories?
M.M.: My most recent books have all come to new as I'm just about to drift off to sleep (thank you, Post-It notes! ), though my first book was inspired by a game my best friend and I played in high school, and my second book was inspired by my horse.
LBBB: What is your writing routine like? Do you have a set schedule or are you flexible?
M.M.: I usually spend my mornings and afternoons doing marketing things, social media, or working on my website. I reserve the evening and night for writing, which is when I've found to be at my most creative.
LBBB: What inspires you to write?
M.M.: Anything and everything can inspire me to write, but mostly I do it because I have a story to share and want to spread it around.
LBBB: Are any of your stories written from personal experience, or any character traits that mirror yours?
M.M.: My first book's main character was modeled after me, or who I wished (at the time) I could be.
LBBB: When in a slump, what do you do? If you read or listen to music, what are your go-to books or music?
M.M.: I've found that having more than one project going helps me a lot. If I get hung up on one, I can go to the other for a while. But I've always found writing the end was hard, because I didn't want the story to come to an end. Now that I'm working on a series, maybe I won't have so much trouble.
LBBB: How do you respond to negative feedback/comments with your work?
M.M.: You can’t please everyone, and if you’re in the business, you’re going to get negative remarks or reviews. If someone just doesn’t like your work, well, there will be someone else that does. If you get a comment that, oh, there are spelling errors in the work, then you can go fix that. What upsets me the most are reviews or comments that seem pointless and in no way constructive for the author.
LBBB: What is your writing space like? Do you work anywhere or do you have a special place just for your writing? Messy or clean?
M.M.: My writing space is either in my bed after my husband has gone to sleep (I'm a night owl), or a corner of the dining room table. It rarely gets used so I just sort of took it over. I try to keep things neat because if I don't, I can't remember where I put anything!
LBBB: Do you have a favorite author? Series?
M.M.: Kay Hooper and the Special Crimes Unit series, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb and the In Death series, Jean M. Auel and the Earth's Children series.
LBBB: Any fur-babies?
M.M.: I have 3 dogs and a horse! Of course, the dogs think they're human and the horse thinks she's a dog, so that works for me!
Author Bio:
Markie Madden was born in Midland, Texas, August 19, 1975. She grew up in the small town of Flushing, MI, where she graduated from high school, met her husband, and had her children. She's written stories all her life, and tried many times to publish, with no success.
She finally published her first book, Once Upon a Western Way, digitally in 2012. In early 2013, she was diagnosed with leukemia and spent the next year battling this blood cancer. After she was unable to return to the traditional workforce, she turned back to her love of writing and founded Metamorph Publishing. She's now the author of three books, all in e-book, print, and audio book, and her company has just released a book by another author. She's expecting her fourth book to release in the fall.
She finally published her first book, Once Upon a Western Way, digitally in 2012. In early 2013, she was diagnosed with leukemia and spent the next year battling this blood cancer. After she was unable to return to the traditional workforce, she turned back to her love of writing and founded Metamorph Publishing. She's now the author of three books, all in e-book, print, and audio book, and her company has just released a book by another author. She's expecting her fourth book to release in the fall.
You can find Markie on-- Facebook | Twitter
Metamorph Publishing
https://www.squareup.com/market/metamorph-publishing
Metamorph Publishing
https://www.squareup.com/market/metamorph-publishing