Author Interviews: Onika, Tyler, & Bruce
Onika Howdyn
If you publish/write under a pen name, how did you come up with it?
I took out the first letter of my first name and created a pseudo version of my favorite superhero's last name.
Tell us a little about your book(s) like its title, genre, and where readers can find it:
I am currently working on a dark fantasy series. The first book, The Dragon Favorite, is slated to be live on Kickstarter in the fall of 2024. The Kickstarter pre-launch page and my scrapbook website can be found on my IG profile (@oahowdyn). I also write under another pen name, D. Allyson Howlett, where I published three contemporary Young/New adult novels. Those can be found on my website dallysonhowlett.com.
What does your writing routine look like? Silence or noise, pen or computer, snacks and drinks, time of day, etc.?
I can honestly say I don't have a routine. I write when I have time to write or when I feel like writing. That could be sitting down at my desk on a rainy day, whipping out my phone waiting for my kids karate class to finish, taking voice notes while I am driving in the car. I recently started writing my fantasy elements in a notebook so i have one spot to find all the things. I usually have music on, but sometimes I don't. Time of day doesn't matter. It could be 7am or 12pm. I write in pockets and never on a schedule.
Plotter, pantser, or in between?
I'm in between. I do write outlines for most of my drafts. Some I just wing. I do like to have an idea of characters, their traits, and where I want the story to begin and end. For fantasy, it's a bit more robust since I do a ton of world building. Most of that happens along the way though, as I think of ideas to utilize that make sense for the world and the characters in them. World Building is the most fun part of writing fantasy.
Where do you keep your writing ideas? Notebook, phone, email thread?
Either in a notebook or a google doc. if I had it in email, I would lose that in a day. I just started notebooking and it has been so helpful to just have it open while I write on the computer.
Who reads your writing first? Your spouse, friend, CP, etc.?
Me and a volunteer critique partner. I like to connect with others in similar genres to read my work.
Does reading help you write or distract you?
Both. Since publishing, I find that my mind works a bit differently when I am reading a novel. I look for things that could have been done better, or things that work and that I want to take a crack at. In some instances, I get lost in the story and all that logic gets thrown out the window. That is when I just read to read and enjoy a good story.
What (if any) research went into writing your book?
A ton. Reedsy is my one stop resource for all things self-publishing. That website site has been so helpful. I also have read a few books by other authors on how to publish and now, how to launch a successful author kickstarter. Attending summits and retreats has been helpful too. I find that learning from other authors in the flesh has been the most helpful resource. Asking questions goes a long way.
Being as specific as you want, who is your target audience?
This is the hardest question to answer because I feel it's different for every novel. For my fantasy, it's pretty straight forward. People who love fantasy. But to get a little more specific, mothers and those who have or are currently suffering from some form of depression. My stories are heavily influenced by mental health and how we sometimes deal with it in life. Through a fantasy setting, in a made up kingdom with made up things, I think it's important to escape reality but also, know that no matter where you are, people go through the same things.
What advice would you give your earlier self?
It's not a race. The only deadline you need to make is your own. Pace yourself. Don't think it has to be done in XYZ time. Every book is different and needs time to grow.
What monetary or numerical goals do you have for your book?
I want to fund on Kickstarter, but I am setting the bar lower than what I would initially need. I'd be happy with making my goal, if that is all that happens. I would love for as many people to read and hopefully enjoy my books as possible, whether they read it for free or if they pay money for it.
How long did you work on your book from the first idea to the date of release? Omg, for my fantasy novel?
I've been worldbuilding and writing stories in this world for over a decade. I plan on writing seven books following the line of these characters. Some are already drafted or half drafted. Some are just notes. I flip flopped btw publishing this one of the first in the trilogy first for at least four years until i decided to go with the before the trilogy novels.
How did you decide on your publishing method (self, indie, trad, etc.)?
Based on interest. I self-published already and now want to Kickstarter publish and see how that goes. I want to do trad. with a supernatural historical fiction series I have written (two out of three books are drafted so far). I want to try everything bc why not?
What else do you want to share about yourself or your writing?
Writing is a craft and I think every author needs to understand that no one is a best selling offer right out of the gate. I love to learn new things, new methods, new ways to do things and hear how others have been successful. Being open to constructive criticism is so, so important.
Where can readers connect with you?
I am mostly on Instagram @oahowdyn or email me at oahowdyn@gmail.com. My alter ego is at dallysonhowlett.com and my IG is @d.allysonhowlett. I am also on Goodreads.
Tyler Tarter
Tell us a little about your book(s) like its title, genre, and where readers can find it:
I have the Roots of Conviction Trilogy that is an Epic Fantasy about a group of heirs that have to rediscover magic in order to stop an invasion. I also have Stars and Storms, a Military Science Fiction book about a group of cadets that get caught in the middle of the first battle of a galactic war while on a training mission.
What does your writing routine look like? Silence or noise, pen or computer, snacks and drinks, time of day, etc.?
I tend to like noise while writing and I almost always use a computer. Due to my day job, a lot of my writing is squeezed into the little downtime I have.
Plotter, pantser, or in between?
Typically the longer the story, the more I plot. For short fiction, I will often pants the majority of the story. For Novels though I can spend as much time Plotting as I do writing.
Where do you keep your writing ideas? Notebook, phone, email thread?
Basic ideas are kept on a Google Docs.
Who reads your writing first? Your spouse, friend, CP, etc.?
I have two writing groups and my mother that tend to read my stuff first.
Does reading help you write or distract you?
It helps me a lot, I tend to try and read in the same genre as I'm writing and it helps keep me focused on the style and form of the genre.
What (if any) research went into writing your book?
I tend to research a lot for my books. For example, most of my nations and races in the Roots of Conviction Trilogy are based on actual people and nations that are then given a fantastical spin. It helped me create depth that is both familiar and fantastical at the same time.
Being as specific as you want, who is your target audience?
My target audience has actually surprised me. I assumed my stories would be popular with the typical crowds in Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I have found that my best audience is Women 18-50.
What advice would you give your earlier self?
Trust that your books are good and it will just take time.
What monetary or numerical goals do you have for your book?
Big picture, my goal is to earn enough to take my writing full time. I try not to set too many goals besides the first month's sales goals on my books, though. I find that putting goals on a specific book does more harm then good, so I focus on totals for all of my books instead.
How long did you work on your book from the first idea to the date of release?
That very much depends on which genre. Fantasy tends to take 2-3 years while Science Fiction takes about 6-8 months if I have the time to focus on it exclusively.
How did you decide on your publishing method (self, indie, trad, etc.)?
I'm an Indie author who has done some traditional short story publishing.
What else do you want to share about yourself or your writing?
The first book in the Roots of Conviction Trilogy is currently being made into an audiobook that will release in the late summer 2024 and the second book of the Officers of Tomorrow series will release in the Fall of 2024
Where can readers connect with you?
All of my books are available on Amazon or through my website www.tylertarter.com. I'm also on Instagram @tylertarter and Tiktok @tarterypress.
Bruce Buchanan
Tell us a little about your book(s) like its title, genre, and where readers can find it:
THE BLACKSMITH’S BOY is a YA heroic fantasy novel, coming in 2025 from Wild Ink Publishing. It will be available in digital and paperback formats in all the usual places (Amazon, B&N, etc.)
Here’s the basics: Nineteen-year-old Bok Omat serves as his rural community’s healer and helps in his family’s blacksmith’s shop. It’s an unremarkable life in the Kingdom of Imarina’s peasant class, but as long as his parents, sister, and young nephew are safe, a fine one under the protection of the Inishari royal family.
But when an ancient spell threatens Bok’s family and the safety of the entire kingdom, he answers an unlikely summons from Princess Isabella to join her in protecting all they cherish. Despite their vastly different pasts, Bok and Isabella become close friends as they race to counter this deadly incantation and the mysterious mastermind behind it.
Bok learns secrets that force him to reconsider all he has ever known about the world and his place in it. But will this knowledge come at the price of his life, Imarina’s freedom, or even his burgeoning friendship with Isabella?
What does your writing routine look like? Silence or noise, pen or computer, snacks and drinks, time of day, etc.?
I carve out time to write every day. Given the other demands on my time (family, work, etc.), it’s not always the same time of day. But at a minimum, I’ll do a 20-minute intense sprint of head-down, no-distractions writing.
I’m definitely a laptop writer—my handwriting is too poor to write by hand! I don’t need complete silence, but I’ll find a calm, quiet spot in the house (at least until our cats find me!)
Plotter, pantser, or in between?
I started as a pantser—and found it overwhelming. I abandoned my first three attempts to write a novel in large part because I lacked organizational skills. I’ve found I need a detailed, edited outline—with the caveat that I can always make changes once I start writing.
But as far as the whole “plotter vs. pantser” debate goes, the only right answer is what works best for you. We all have different approaches—and that’s great!
Where do you keep your writing ideas? Notebook, phone, email thread?
I’m one of those oddballs who emails ideas to themselves. So, yeah….
Who reads your writing first? Your spouse, friend, CP, etc.?
My wife, Amy Joyner Buchanan, has written five non-fiction books and is my go-to counsel on everything, writing included.
Does reading help you write or distract you?
I can’t imagine being a writer and not being a reader, too! Just as I make time to write daily, I also read every day.
Becoming a fiction writer has changed how I read, though. I still focus on the characters and plot, but now, I’m also paying close attention to story structure, word choices, where the story starts—the decisions writers have to make when writing any story. I’ve learned so much just by reading other works of fiction.
Being as specific as you want, who is your target audience?
Fans of heroic fantasy fiction—people who like stories of heroes battling unbeatable villains and overcoming impossible odds. One reader described THE BLACKSMITH’S BOY as a throwback to 1980s/90s fantasy novels, and I can see the similarities. I deliberately wrote it to be accessible to people who haven't read fantasy before.
What advice would you give your earlier self?
Don’t give up! That’s what I’d tell every aspiring novelist.
What monetary or numerical goals do you have for your book?
That’s out of my control. I’ve put my heart and soul into this book and I just hope other people like it, too.
How long did you work on your book from the first idea to the date of release?
That’s a trick question! I’ve been kicking this idea around for years. But I started writing it in earnest in April 2023.
How did you decide on your publishing method (self, indie, trad, etc.)?
I feel fortunate to be published by Wild Ink Publishing, a traditional small press publisher. They have been amazing to work with.
I did a little querying and…I had no idea what I was doing. At the same time, I was researching various publishers and found a call for submissions to Wild Ink’s TENPENNY DREADFUL horror anthology. I had a short story in mind, so I wrote it, submitted it, and they accepted it! That led to me getting to know various Wild Ink authors and editors, and they all said great things about Wild Ink. They quickly rose to the top of my list and I’m glad it worked out!
Before I pitched them, I made the decision to get a professional developmental edit on my manuscript. I realize that can be an expensive option, but if you can make it work, I’d highly recommend getting an edit letter.
What else do you want to share about yourself or your writing?
Just that the best resource any writer can have is a writing community. Not only do you benefit when other people review your work, but you also need a supportive network of fellow writers. Or I did, anyway!
Where can readers connect with you?
On Twitter/X: @BBuchananWomble and on Instagram: @brucebuchanan7710. I’ll have an author website up shortly as well. Would love to hear from you all!
