Angel Lawson on Learning to Use Tropes and Universal Fantasy

Episode 163 / Dark reverse harem romance author Angel Lawson shares the importance of understanding and applying tropes and universal fantasy concepts in her angsty novels of atonement. Angel describes past struggles with burnout and anxiety, and how she navigated through it. We also talk about co-writing, Kickstarter, consistency, and how bookplates and stickers helped her build a loyal fanbase.

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Intro:

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Written Word Media series: What We Wish We’d Known About Publishing With Sara Rosett and Jami Albright (April 27th, 2023 at 12:00pm ET): https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/speaker-series/

Timestamps:

[00:00:58] From Fanfiction to Indie Author Success Story
[00:07:08] Overcoming Anxiety and Creativity Burnout
[00:16:56] Learning to Write with Instinct and Trope
[00:21:47] Creating Dark, Trauma-Filled Romance Novels
[00:29:55] Building a loyal fanbase
[00:36:36] Genre Switch Proves Costly
[00:41:37] Learning to Stay in Your Lane as an Author
[00:50:19] Co-writers push genre boundaries with dark romance
[00:53:03]Co-Writing Success
[00:57:22] Readers Love for Free Bookplates and Kickstarter

The Benefits of Fanfiction

In episode 163 of the Wish I’d Known Then Podcast for Writer, successful dark reverse harem author Angel Lawson shared that she got my writing through fanfiction. She emphasized the benefits of writing fanfiction, which allowed her to explore different genres and characters, and hone her writing skills.

Anxiety and Burnout

Angel also discussed managing anxiety and course correction. She stressed the importance of not letting fear and panic control one’s actions and staying focused on what one knows. “You just have to tap into what you know and not let that fear and panic kind of take over.”

Incorporating Universal Fantasy Concepts

Universal fantasy concepts and tropes helped Angel understand her own writing. She cited “The Lords of Pain” trilogy as an example of universal fantasy, saying that it is present in every page, line, and situation.

Additionally, Angel talked about the challenges of writing trauma fiction. “There’s no easy way out. Book two is actually worse than book one. And the pain and trauma and awful things are harder as it goes along. And then in book three, that’s when things start to turn,” she explained. Angel says her books are actually atonement fiction.

Building Fandom

Angel focused on building a loyal fanbase. “Once the ‘Lords’ came out and I started doing well, I shifted my goals into fandom and reader building. And that, I think, has paid off in spades,” Lawson said.

Consistency is also crucial in writing. Angel reflected on how her trajectory would have been different had she kept her series consistent. “Had I kept that in line, if I had just done the whole series or whatever, I would have had a completely different trajectory, I think,” she said.

Angel added, “I don’t think there’s many exceptions to staying in your lane. I don’t think there’s an exception to understanding the writing and writing whatever your market is,” she advised.

Finally, Angel shared her experience with creating TikToks and building fandom through mailing bookplates and stickers. “If we spend $500 mailing out stickers, that is locking in a reader for life.”

Angel Lawson’s website: https://www.angellawsonauthor.com/

Angel Lawson’s consulting: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1js_KZkV7kvh2KO46zIsiAtQw0VA8dHXLZB9yEgF5QfQ/edit