The Anxious Author

    This is a little odd for me to be writing, but people have been reminding me to do an author spotlight on myself. They believe I should subject myself to the same questioning as our other spotlighted authors and talk a little about my works. Considering that I can't remember the last time I did an introduction post of some kind (outside of book release parties), they have a valid point.     Most of you know me as W.A. Ashes, which is my pen name, but some of you know me as Ashley or Ashes. I used to hide my true identity behind my pen name, but I no longer care. Originally it was a way to keep my personal life separated from my writing because people who knew me didn't want to read my books. At thirty years old, I no longer care. People who pass by me on the streets can choose whether to read my books or not. It's not going to break my heart. Nowadays, my pen name is kept simply because my fan base and other authors know me as W.A. Ashes. Plus, it is nice to...

       On July 29, 2022, a 114-year-old newspaper ceased publishing. I worked on this paper for the last year and a half of its life and it was one of the greatest experiences of my existence. It taught me a lot of things. I learned a bunch of programs like InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. It taught me formatting and AP style of writing (which I had the basics of before I started but rarely used). To steal a description from John Green, the paper's end came upon us like sleep, slowly at first and then all at once. Those of us that worked there knew the paper was in trouble. There were times we'd compare it to a sinking ship and ourselves as sailors using buckets to scoop water out of the vessel. I loved that paper, though. With every fiber of my being.       The Gothenburg Times was the first place to give me a writing job full-time. I never met the owners, but I worked closing with its publisher, who mentored me and taught me a lot about publishing...