D.M. Asteria: A Sort-of FAQ
Updated: 7 days ago
Ever since starting my journey into the author spaces of social media, I get direct messages daily on each platform. Some of those, of course, are bots who are farming for information. Some are people hoping to make a buck by hustling their services to me. Some genuinely want to know more.
This... is for everyone in the latter.
Who is D.M. Asteria?
I'm just a woman who loves to read and started writing her own stories over thirty years ago. I just finally got a wild hare to do something about it and look into publishing.
Is this a pen name?
Yes. While D & M are my first and middle initals, and I will easily answer to Dawn in public, my surname (both maiden and married) is complicated to spell and pronounce. I wanted my name to be more accessible.
What writers influenced you?
Taking any controversy and putting that aside, I am heavily inspired by Neil Gaiman. Perhaps not in style of writing, but in what you can do with something to make it your own. I have read the cover off of Good Omens, and both he and Terry Pratchett were impactful on who I am as a reader and a writer. Kristin Hannah moves people to tears in her stories and if I can have a fraction of that impact, I will consider myself successful. Tolkein is also another obvious influnce.
When genres do you read?
A little bit of everything and that's the absolute truth. I don't limit myself to one genre or another. My mood tends to sway to what I'm reading and I will admit openly to avoiding fantasy or fantasy-adjacent stories while Remnants of the Past was in its first few drafts. I didn't want to unintentionally borrow things if I could avoid it.
I generally decide to read a book by reading the back or inside cover first. If that piques my interest, I move on to reading the first couple paragraphs. If that fuels the fire of interest further, I buy it.
What do you do when you're not writing?
Work, mostly. I have a regular day job that I enjoy and pays the bills. This is a hobby that maybe one day will grow into something more. Beyond that... tending my plants, caring for my pets, playing video games, read, dance... try to exercise.
Coffee or Tea?
Both? I love coffee, preferably hot, and cannot imagine a day starting without it. I do love tea, too. Honestly, hot beverages in general.
What something surprising about you?
I am a nerd, a geek, and I am proud of it. I don't care if it's cringe to be in my mid-40s and still collect Pokemon. They are cute, I have adult money, and I like filling my home with whimsy.
Beyond the Pages
The writing journey is unique for everyone. I don't know if I've met anyone who has the same story as anyone else. That's what makes it so wonderful to talk to other writers and find out what inspires them or where they started.
What made you start writing?
This time around? I found an old drive with some stories I started over 25 years ago. I read through them and realized they had potential if I fleshed them out more. I ended up cutting entire concepts from the original story, expanding the world and the cast, and even changed several characters' names because they didn't feel right in my mouth when I spoke them aloud.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing creatively since at least middle school. I just never did anything with it other than share with friends.
Why did you choose fantasy?
I've always loved fantasy. I was blessed to have fantasy be part of my everyday life as a child. Growing up in the 1980s meant I grew up on Labyrinth, Legend, the animated Hobbit, The Last Unicorn, The Princess Bride, Unico, The Neverending Story, Return to Oz...
I would be more surprised if I never turned to fantasy.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Considering I have many excel sheets of my world building, character descriptions, character motivations, family trees, etc... I am definitely a plotter. This does not mean that my characters don't occasionally run away with the plot and change things, but I have a general idea of how I want the story to go.
Where do you get your inspiration?
The world around me. So many everyday things influence my worldbuilding, my characters, and their motivations. While my story might be fantasy, the conflicts are going to be human and recognizable.
Do you write every day?
I try to, but I don't force it. The days I try to force myself to write are the parts of the story I end up deleting because I hate it later. When I hit a zone I can do thousands of words in a day. But there's no harm in taking a few days or weeks off until the inspiration comes back.
Do you characters ever surprise you?
All the time. Without spoiling the upcoming book, several characters made decisions I hadn't expected that shaped them for future tales down the road.
What's the hardest part about writing a novel?
Knowing what to keep and what to cut. Kill your darlings, they say. I have. I have cut entire chapters and tossed them in the trash. I deleted an entire five page prologue because I realized it wasn't needed. Help with that is where my alpha and beta readers come in. They give me feedback and I decide what can go.
What's your favorite part of the writing process?
That the characters live with me. I know them and the world so well I could talk about it for hours uninterrupted. I used to play a lot of tabletop RPGs and that creation of a character and knowing them so well you feel like you live in their skin... there's something so amazing about that.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Not usually. I get distracted if there is noise around me. I can't work in coffee shops, or when people are talking, or with the tv on, or even with music playing.
I do, however, have some character specific playlists in Spotify that help me get into the zone of that character when I feel lost in their voice. Maybe someday I will make those public.
The Publishing Thing
I am planning to self-publish my works at least for the foreseeable future. This has less to do with any sort of shunning of traditional publication houses. I researched the query process, did a lot of pro/con lists for trad pub vs indie pub, and decided to maintain the level of control over my work that I want... indid publishing was the way to go for me. Maybe that will change in the future, maybe not.
How long did it take to write your first book?
If we ignore the fact that I started it in like 2001 in a notepad file, I sat down about two years ago and started to really flesh it out. A lot of that time, however, was spent not just writing, but expanding the universe in other files for reference. I created an entire world during that time, not just a manuscript. I have lands, cities, political structures (some based on reality, some not), magical systems to develop, currency and transportation... so much more.
Once that was done an organized, it went a lot faster.
Do you use AI to write your books?
Ah, the damned if you do, damned if you don't question. No, I do not use generative AI to write my books. I also will not use it for character art, maps, or cover designs. My words are my own. Unfortunately, a lot of software has Assistive-AI built into it and I can't control that. But I can say with certainty that I never had AI write anything for me.
Do you create your own artwork?
I know my limits. I am trying. I have software designed to help me and I am fairly decent at art. Well... physical mediums. I am less confident in my digital art skills, but I am working on it. I am hoping to offer graphics and things created entirely by myself. I also know that if I cannot reasonably offer something of quality, it's worth paying someone who can.
Will you offer signed copies of your books?
I will probably have some on hand. I can't say how and when I will sell or distribute them as this is a learning moment for me. What works for other writers might not work for me. I will probably hope to attend author events or fairs in the future.
Can I become a beta reader or ARC reader?
I'm going to be conservative with this and say no. To protect my work my alpha and beta readers are people I know and trust to not feed my manuscript into AI or to try to steal it to market as their own. This has become a huge problem over the last year or so among indie authors. I also refuse to pay a beta readers. That doesn't mean I am unappreicative of their help, I will give each of them a hardcover copy of the book the helped with upon completion of publication.
I am undecided on if I will pursue an ARC phase or not for similar reasons. While the early reviews are nice, I am not sure the benefits outweigh the risk enough for me to want to chance it.
How can I support an indepentent author?
Follow them on social media, interact with their posts, share their content if you enjoy it. If you obtain a copy of their book, review it honestly but not cruely. I have some harsh reviews on my Goodreads account for books I have read, and those are only for things that I think cross a line or morality I cannot stomach and want to make sure others are aware of.
If you are someone who likes to make art, make fanart. Tag the author in it. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like to know that their work inspired someone.
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