In this guest post, 5 Surprising Writing Lessons for Authors Drafting Their Next Book, bestselling author Maggie Shayne shares insights she discovered while crafting her latest release, Honky Tonk Cowboy. From tapping into character authenticity to letting surprises shape your storyline, she shares how seasoned authors continue to learn something new with each book.
Five Things Writing HONKY TONK COWBOY Revealed that I Didn’t Already Know
A Guest Post by Maggie Shayne
Maggie Shayne here. Honky Tonk Cowboy will be my 114th published story. 13 of those are novellas, so there are 101 full-length novels. I just realized that right this moment. A hundred and one seems like a cool number.
Every book is different, and each one has its own strengths and challenges for its poor storyteller. Characters who refuse to do as we tell them, outside events that seem to hit out of thin air. I know you readers didn’t see that twist coming, because I was writing it and I didn’t see it coming, either!
When I write my first drafts, I honest-to-goodness don’t know what’s going to happen. I know where I’m starting, and I know where I want to end up, but everything in between is a crap shoot, and it’s the characters running the show. I write my stories the same way you read them—eagerly, rapidly, because I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
In this book, the first draft was a bear! I knew who my characters were, but I didn’t have a handle on their conflict. I understood Ethan Brand really well. He was left on the doorstep of the Texas Brand ranch in Series 1, The Texas Brand. He was adopted by the family, raised as one of their own. But he can’t forget that his birth father is a criminal, doing time for murdering his birth mother.
The Brands are esteemed in Quinn, Texas, standing head and shoulders above ordinary men, admired as local heroes. Ethan is never going to live up to that.
I knew all that before I began, and I also knew he was going to be a country singer. So as the book opened, I had a good handle on him. But knowing and writing it out are different things.
Here’s why:
Revelation 1: I didn’t know the heroine
Lily, was giving me a harder time, refusing to reveal her innermost thoughts and feelings for a long time. Through a lot of the first draft, I was just forcing her scenes, writing down her words and actions and none of it was feeling particularly authentic.
Writers tip for this issue. When you know which events have to happen, you can write them. They might not have much life in them yet, but you’re getting important elements onto the page, like building a human skeleton. You can add in the flesh and blood later. Just get the bones down. That’s the cure when I feel blocked—write my way through it.
Revelation 2: If you push it, the character will give in
Eventually, Lily opened up to me in a big gush of emotion that came flooding out of her onto the page. As I took dictation, I had tears streaming. This shift really opened up the entire story for me.
Writers tip to get deeper into our characters: Major literary agent Alice Orr once taught a workshop in which writers were assigned to write a letter to themselves, from their character. The letter can be griping to the writer about what she’s getting wrong, explaining to the writer why they are the way they are, telling the writer what they really think about their book counterpart, and more. It’s a powerful exercise I use frequently.
Revelation 3: The invincible character who isn’t
Another thing I learned about my Texas Brand Universe, during the drafting of this novel: I learned that Garrett Brand, the clan patriarch, is not as invincible as he has seemed throughout and has had a life-changing experience that will be explored in future books.
Writers tip for strong characters: I’ve long known that the stronger a character is coming through, the more important it is to give them an equally big weakness. Flawless characters, immortal characters, indestructible characters, bigger than life characters must have weakness or they’re boring, and you have no story.
Revelation 4: The secret identity
In the course of Honky Tonk Cowboy, I learned who Gringo Sombrero was. I honestly didn’t know when he started showing up in Manny’s Cantina, a white guy with a big bushy blond beard, in a poncho and sombrero. This has happened to me before. Now I know his identity and it’s a doozie! It’s a FUN reveal, and it carries the gringo right through into book three.
I suspect the girls in the basement knew the whole time.
Writers tip for strangers who show up in your prose: Trust the muse. She knows what she’s doing even if you don’t. If something weird comes through while you’re writing, don’t discard it. Keep it and trust that it will make sense later.
Revelation 5: There’s more to this character than meets the eye
I learned a lot more about side character Willow Brand, which is great, because her story is next. I learned how insecure she is about her job as a deputy, and how determined she is to be great at it, and I got a solid idea about how those things will play out in book 3.
You know, living up to their amazing parents seems to be emerging as a common thread in this series. And no wonder!
Writers tip for deeper understanding of side characters: Never think of anybody as a side character. Think of them as a potential future hero or heroine. That way your writerly brain will already be probing them for backstory and childhood angst. Whatever you go mining for, you always find.
I hope you’ll give it a shot.
As Maggie mentions in 5 Surprising Writing Lessons for Authors Drafting Their Next Book, storytelling is always teaching us, even after a prolific career. Whether you’re drafting your first novel or your hundredth, Maggie Shayne’s reflections remind us that every story holds revelations that can strengthen your craft and spark new ideas.
More by Maggie Shayne
The Texas Brand: Generations
Book 1: Harrison Hyde and the Runaway Bride, on sale now
Book 2: Honky Tonk Cowboy, on sale now
About Maggie Shayne
Maggie Shayne is a bestselling author with a career spanning more than 30 years and 111 published novels and novellas. Her work has appeared with major New York publishers, and she was among the first to help establish the genre of Paranormal Romance.
In 2014, she launched her own imprint, Thunderfoot Publishing, releasing additional titles to a dedicated readership. Since 2022, her entire fiction catalogue has been published through Oliver Heber Books.
Beyond her writing career, she is certified in plant-based nutrition through T. Colin Campbell’s Center for Nutrition Studies at eCornell, as well as a spiritual advisor, tarot reader, editor, and blogger.
Above all, she is a storyteller, committed to the art of fiction and to connecting with readers around the world.
Connect with Maggie Shayne
