This is K.M. Island and you are listening to the fourth episode of the Helping Writers Become Authors

Podcast. A few weeks ago I received an email from a reader who was wondering when my superhero historical Wayfair is coming up.

I haven't talked about it too much lately since I've been focused on writing Dreambreaker's first draft,

but I'm excited to say that Wayfair's time has come once again. I hope to see this book published by this fall

Which means I'm now diving headlong into its final edits

This was an incredibly fun book for me to write set in 1820 London

and featuring a protagonist who can run incredibly fast and in his own way, jumped tall buildings, it was a really fun way to do what I like to do best.

Mash up historical and speculative elements.

You'll be hearing more as we get closer and closer to publication time, especially as I get to dive back into all

the fun stuff like commissioning cover art.

And now I hope you enjoyed this week's podcast, The Words that changed your life, discovering what made you a

writer. For me it's almost become a cliche answer. I write because stories have always been my language. I write because my very

first memory is telling myself a story. Why do you write and what made you a writer are two questions I'm ubiquitously asked in interviews.

I can respond to those questions in my sleep.

I don't even think about their answers anymore.

And that, as I'm realizing, is a shame. As artists, our early influences were more than just the first domino in our journeys. They were more than just formative. They were the experiences that

shaped us into the people and writers we have become. Sometimes these

influences are conscious. Some writers can recall a specific book or movie that made them say I want to be a writer.

But even in these situations, the subconscious impact is often far deeper and more telling.

Last week I talked about how inspired I was by the essay anthology Light the Dark writers on creativity, inspiration, and the artistic

process.

In it, dozens of authors shared what they felt were formative passages in their own early reading,

...