Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I’m thrilled to continue sharing some lovely indie authors I’ve met in our community–it’s so great to connect with folks again. This month, please welcome the fantasy author Felicity Hewitt!

As a fellow mother of three, I have got to bug you about time management. How on earth do you coordinate your time as a parent with your writing time?

It can be tricky at times, and you must be willing to be flexible. That being said, I have created a writing routine for myself that fits well with my family’s schedule. For my day job, I am a stay-at-home mom, and this year, my youngest went off to kindergarten, so I enjoy school days alone in the house, which is when I get most of my writing done. I also wake up an hour or so before them and get my day prepped during that time. What has helped me the most is consistency, as much as possible, and to write every day that I can. The key is to find what works for you.

Nothing saps my writing energy like a phone call from one of my kid’s principals. ☹ What is your writing Kryptonite?

Aside from things like illness or injury, I’d have to say my own brain. I’m a neurodivergent writer with ADHD, and though there are benefits (hyperfocus and a great emotional well to pull from), there are, of course, things I struggle with, one of which is RSD or rejection sensitivity dysphoria, and with that comes imposter syndrome. Nothing pulls me from my focus faster than feeling as though I don’t have what it takes or struggling with a day of self-doubt over my skills. Thanks to my supportive loved ones and a lot of introspection, I can usually keep the imposter syndrome at bay or recover from it quickly when it arises. I know those are tough challenges for many writers, so to your readers who also struggle with these issues, I hope they know they are not alone, and they are not imposters. Do you write? You are a writer. The same goes for all passions. End of story 😊.

I LOVE THAT! So, let’s talk writing. What first inspired your Shadow Knight series? Was there something about the story that made you see the need for a series as opposed to a standalone story?

A couple of years back, I read my first fantasy romance, and I fell in love with the characters, the angst, and the cringy yet swoon-worthy moments. It made my heart flutter. Then the book ended, and I experienced my first ever book hangover. I’d been sad about books ending before, but not like this. I grieved the loss of the friends I’d made within those pages, so I dove into the world of writing by drafting my first fan fiction (which is now and will always remain private 😉). As I wrote, my passion for the craft grew, and when I’d finished typing the final words of my fan fiction, I noticed that the itch to write had wiggled its way into my brain and was here to stay. “What if I wrote my own book?” I thought to myself. “Then I’d control how long it was, the angst, the love, all of it.” With one of the strongest pulls in my gut I’d ever felt, I decided to write my own fantasy romance, and thus, The Shadow Knight Series was born. Why a series? Because the characters and the world grew so big, I couldn’t fit all of it within the pages of a standalone book. The characters within these pages are my friends, my creations, and my children, with their own lives inside the pages of my books. As their author, I am compelled to write their stories in their entirety.

I know what you mean! I spend so much time making sure my characters are complete souls with histories, wants, and needs. How do you select the names of your characters?

Baby name book. No, but seriously I have flipped through a baby book, but I also use search engines and Pinterest a lot. Many of the names I select are chosen because they have meaning connected to the character. Caligo, for example, is a Latin word that means mist or darkness, fitting for the commander of the Shadow Knights, and with his first name being Faris (a name meaning knight), I feel it describes him perfectly.

Hey, baby books are handy, lol! Fantasy writing requires a LOT of detailed worldbuilding. How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

Fantasy writing does take a lot of worldbuilding. I spent months on it before I wrote the first word of chapter one. I like to have the systems of magic, the types of creatures that live in the world, the politics, religion, etc., all set before I write, then slip details in as they fit. I try to give the reader a basic understanding of things they need for the plot, such as how magic works. The monsters and different landscapes I let unfold with the plot, and the rest I try to leave up to the reader’s imagination.

I have an eternal river of books and articles I wade through for research. Do you have any favorite literary sites or writing resources you’d like to share?

I love wordhippo.com as a quick and thorough thesaurus, inkarnate.com for easy map-making software that’s super affordable, and the #WritingCommunity on X. I’ve learned so much from my fellow authors in that community. I highly recommend it.

Fantasy romance, romantasy, etc, is definitely a big deal right now. Do you try to be more original or to deliver to the readers what they want when it comes to the tropes of these genres?

I tend to lean into the expected tropes. There are some that I absolutely adore and have included in this book. (Hurt/Comfort, overly protective MMC, intimate platonic friendships, arranged marriage, etc.) These tropes give me all the tingles, the warm fuzzies, and the delicious angst I crave when reading romantasy novels. I do, however, have some tricks up my sleeve to keep it original. You’ll have to read it to find out for yourself.

Indeed! Say, let’s talk reading for a minute here. What is your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Under the Oak Tree. It’s a South Korean manhwa that is a webcomic, graphic novel, and novel series. It was the reason for my writing, and to this day I am head-over-heels in love with the characters and the angst. Oh my goodness, never have I read such delicious angst. It’s gaining popularity in the States, but I still feel it is an under-appreciated story. I highly recommend it.

Sounds like a pretty powerful book!

For me, it’s a fairly recent read, Under the Oak Tree. The author did such an excellent job creating tension and angst between the two main characters that when something emotional or suspenseful happened between the two of them, I was left an emotional wreck. I won’t spoil anything, but the ending of part one? Sobbing. I was literally sobbing after I read it.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

My first and best friend, who is an author, is also my husband. He is my alpha, beta, and proofreader and my greatest supporter in my writing career. Outside of him, I have found a wonderful community of authors on X and am beginning to do so on Instagram as well. Everyone is super supportive of each other, offering helpful advice when asked and offering encouragement for every step of the journey.

As a writer, what would you choose as your spirit animal?

I’d go with an owl. They are adorable and hilarious. My daughter once told me that owls are cats in a bird’s body, and I totally agree. Owls play an important role in my novels as well, and they are so symbolic of magic and fantasy.

Aw, that’s awesome! My kids surprise me with their insights sometimes, and how their antics and interests seep into my own characters’ psyches. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

Absolutely. Anyone can be a writer if they have a story inside them. Of course, being able to feel your emotions deeply can be helpful. I myself have cried at numerous scenes that I’ve written, but I don’t believe it’s necessary. There are many ways to capture an audience.

Thanks so much for chatting with me today, Felicity! Let’s end with one last question: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

The small things trip me up the most. I can write epic battles with monsters and magic or passionate love scenes, but getting a character out of their chair and across the room? Torture.

HA! Pretty sure we can all relate to that. 🙂 Congrats again on your debut novel! Folks, be sure to visit Felicity’s site where you can find out updates as well as her social media information.

So, what’s coming up? I have a writing resource spotlight, why boys need stories, too, and a podcast is in there somewhere. Plus, the end of the school year’s coming, and that means a fun little summer project I’m excited to share with you…

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!