10. Exploring romance gone wrong w/ Amanda Jane Schiller

She’s far more excited about exploring the millions of ways a romance can go wrong, rather than right. Amanda Jane Schiller, a mom of one preteen and contemporary romance novelist, is on the show today.

In this episode, Amanda discusses the book that completely altered her previous views about writing and became the catalyst for her own writing style. She not only defines books about “romance gone wrong” but also gives us a sample of the psychological curiosities she gets to play with as she explores her character’s past.

Amanda also shares how she prepared herself for self-publishing so that the process wasn’t overwhelming, as well as what resources helped her most. And I give detailed examples of what it means to “read like a writer” and some of the other best writing advice I learned at university.

We also have an in-depth conversation about pursing our passions as adults, the roundabout ways we got here, and the messages we’re passing on to our kids. And, as always, we discuss which books we and our kids love most.

Get her books

– Wicked Games and Wasted Years: Part 1:
https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Games-Wasted-Years-Part/dp/B0962N9JTX 
– Wicked Games and Wasted Years: Part 2:
https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Games-Wasted-Years-Part/dp/B09WCJWNPS 

Connect with Amanda

– Blog: https://www.patreon.com/amandajaneschiller
– Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ajschiller
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.schiller.9

Books discussed during the show

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey
Dead Boy by Laurel Gale
Fearless series by Francine Pasco
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Resources mentioned during the show

– Reedsy.com
– Vellum
– KDP (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing)
– Draft2Digital

For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.

Free your creative self too

Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today: https://parentswhowrite.com/5-steps-start-writing.


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ABOUT ME

Erin P.T. Canning has worked for 20 years as an editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals.

She always planned to write a book, but life had a tendency to distract her. After dedicating six years of her life to motherhood and discovering her ADHD, she started writing again, even though she feared her writing skills had atrophied.

After letting go of her perfectionism, Erin finally finished her own shitty first draft and released her fantasy romance novel, Ruins and Redemption, in 2023. Her current role as a podcaster and book coach enables her to help writers pursue their author dreams.