Indie Support Sunday: Autumn Hawthorne
- Jun 28
- 9 min read
Autumn Hawthorne got her start, a lot like me with fanfic, poetry and short stories (also Tumblr?!). But what really got her into writing her published stories is when she played Baldur’s Gate 3 and was reminded of all the things she loved about fantasy storytelling. While I’m not a gamer, I do understand how something awesome can completely change our lives and set us down a path we never thought of before!
I loved learning about how she comes up with her story ideas and plots, because I’m the same way—inspired by songs or nature or being outdoors to do just about anything. I also loved, and you will too, Autumn’s incredible advice for authors, new and established. If you’re feeling a little lost, these five points might remind you that you’re exactly where you need to be.
His Cursed Empress is her latest release and she’s currently working on wrapping up her Garden of Hope series. Then starting on a series of fairytale remixes? Sign me up!
You can find all of Autumn’s books in Kindle Unlimited.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
I’ve been writing ever since I was little. My first ever stories were doodled ones about Mrs. Pumpkin and her bestie Miss Apple. I’ve been writing in some way ever since! I wrote a little bit of everything from fanfic to emo poetry and short stories I posted on old Tumblr. I stepped away from it for a few years and started again after I finished playing Baldur's Gate 3. The game reminded me what I love about fantasy and good story telling and got me back into reading, which in turn, got me back into writing!
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
The best part for me by far has been hearing people tell me that they have found healing, or strength, or feel seen by my characters. Knowing that my characters, in any small way, have helped someone feel a little less alone makes me cry every time I think about it. The worst part, for me, is the marketing. I’m an introvert and not really marketing-minded, so doing that part is always challenging, but it’s a skill I’m getting better at!
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
It felt right for me. I have the time and the overwhelming need to create, and the thought of putting any part of this process in someone else' s hands made me all sorts of anxious. I like having full control!
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
I’m a big gamer! Aside from books, video games are my favorite ways to consume a story. Other than gaming, I like to go on nature walks, go to museums, or visit an art gallery. I’m also really into music, so if I need to focus on a project, I’ll either create or listen to my writing playlist for that project!
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
My favorite series of all time would have to be the Duskwalker Brides series by Opal Reyne. I recommend it to everyone! Another book I’ve read and absolutely adored was May Day Flowers by Faeri Sami. Such a beautiful, poetic romance! I recently read Tempting Cargo by Lyra Strake and I’m absolutely obsessed.
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Write, just a little bit, daily. 100 words. 500. 1000. The words won’t always come easily. Sometimes you might have to rip them out of your brain and get them onto the page, but you’ll make more progress chipping away slowly like that than you will waiting for inspiration to strike. You can’t edit an empty page, but you can fix a rough chapter!
There might come a point in the drafting process, usually somewhere in the middle, where you convince yourself that you hate this, that it’s the worst thing you’ve ever written, and you should either burn the draft and start all over again or give up on the project entirely. I promise you, it’s not as bad as you’re telling yourself it is. Keep going. Get to the end. Then, once the draft is done, leave it alone for a few weeks. When you come back, you’ll see it with kinder eyes. While it will still need work (all first drafts do!), it probably won’t be as much as you’re worried it will.
All writing advice comes from what works for that specific person. There are benefits and drawbacks to every method. The most important thing when starting out is to try a BUNCH of methods to see what works for you. Personally, if I edit as I go, I will NEVER finish the book. But for some people, they can’t leave something “wrong” in the draft – their brains won’t give them new words until the others are fixed. Both are valid methods! Experiment with everything from brainstorming methods, plot outlines, editing flows, everything, until you find what works for you!
Highlight the moments in your draft that make you giggle and kick your feet, swoon, cry, or ache for your characters. Those are the scenes you can use in your marketing later on!
Find community with other creatives in any way that you can. My library has a local writers group. Attend classes. Find a group chat. Some place where you can be a silly lil weirdo with other silly lil weirdos and share in the love of being creative. The less pressure the better. There’s magic that happens when creatives get to simply exist around one another and you can learn SO MUCH in these places!
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
I’ve been a romance girlie since I was little reading a book of fairytales. My favorites were always the ones where the princes and princesses lived happily ever after. I started reading genre romance in my late teens, and never looked back. It really wasn’t a choice, it was more like “I love this so much, of course I’m going to write in this genre.”
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
If I wasn’t writing in the fantasy romance subgenre, I’d probably stick to straight up epic fantasy!
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
My most favorite trope is forbidden love. When the characters know they can’t be together, that it’s wrong for whatever reason, yet they can’t stay away anyway? Oh, I eat it up every single time. Especially if there’s also a little bit of an enemies-to-lovers and fated mates/soulmate addition to that. It’s my catnip.
My least favorite is the surprise pregnancy trope. Like all tropes, it can be done well, but it rarely works for me. Especially since when I’ve read it in the past, it tended to turn powerful FMCs into characters that suddenly lacked agency, which never sat right with me. Pregnancy is challenging, but mothers are some of the strongest folks in existence!
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
I would love to explore a second chance romance in a fantasy setting, somehow. Maybe between immortals?
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
As a mentally ill woman, I think we should have more Romance heroines who are mentally ill. There’s so much love for MMCs who act out because of their trauma, but FMCs are rarely given the same grace. I also would love to see more dominant FMCs, and in my specific little niche, I would love to see more monsters in fantasy romance!
If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?
I write open door because that’s the type of romance I read. I also find that writing characters being intimate with one another shows a lot about them, where they are in their relationship, and their needs. I write sex scenes as the relationships develop. It’s not the pinnacle of the couple falling in love, it’s part of their process, and I think it’s something that you can see in those scenes. I don’t really plan out my sex scenes. I let my characters lead them, and it has led to some moments where my jaw ended up on the floor because I was NOT prepared for the things my characters said!!! As far as inspiration goes, I don’t really have anything specific. Mostly it’s what sounds hot or pleases the ovulation demon. 😂
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
I’m inspired by so many things! I always say that my books are a love letter to everything I’ve ever adored that got chucked into my brain blender and made into story soup.
Most of my plots come to me as dreams, or I’ll get scenes while I’m listening to songs. Or I’ll be inspired by something I love and it gets tossed into the blender of whatever else is currently sitting in there right now. Sometimes I get a sensation while laying in the grass, the smell of flowers or the way a specific cloud rolls by, or I’ll see a work of art that hits me, and I’ll add that to the mix, too. Sometimes, I’ll see things that make me angry, upset, or that I find unjust and I dream of a world where the people who do those things get the punishment I know they are unlikely to get in the real world.
I think it’s hard for me to name specific inspirations because everything is inspiring. There’s so much in this world that feeds my well, and all I have to do is sit and listen. That can be the hardest part, sometimes, but the ideas are there. Waiting for their chance to come out.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
Of course! I write fantasy romance with monsters, and all my books take place in the same universe, the Universe of Fragments. All of my books are queer, spicy, and have at least one plus size MC. Most of my books are interconnected standalones, so you can jump in at any point!
His Cursed Empress is a fantasy romance with a hot shadow daddy vampire monster MMC, a marriage of convenience (or so she thinks), cursed fated mates, and 800 years of yearning! I adore yearning, and Zyhor—the MMC of this book—is my top yearner. I love him so much, and I know everyone else will, too. 😌
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
This question is so hard. But, yes. My favorite MMC is Xavier from my debut, Woven by Fate, because I’ve spent so much time with him. My favorite FMC is Astoria from Where the Shadows Land, because she carried my pain for me when I couldn’t. My favorite nonbinary character is Vyn from Bound by Their Blood. They’re just so charming, I’m not even mad that I had to rewrite half the book to fit them into my plot. 😂
If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?
This is such a hard question since I write monster love interests and half of my characters are not human and all my FMCs are plus size! So, with that in mind, I think I’d want to look for upcoming actresses/models who are plus size and have a similar body composition to my FMC. As for the monster love interest? I’d trust Jacob Elordi with any of my monsters, considering how well he did The Creature in Frankenstein.
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
All of my characters carry a little bit of me within them, because I created them. Some have more than others. But all of them have a little bit! I think that’s what makes them so alive!
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
I’m lucky enough that when I get the urge to tell a story I simply do it! However, I do have a list of concepts a mile long. I’m really excited to get into the project that I’ve been dreaming about for a few years now, but still needs to percolate.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
All of my characters are imperfect beings in challenging situations who find love and happiness, while also making an impact on their world, even if it seems small.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
My first priority right now is wrapping up the Garden of Hope series within the next year before starting my next one. I have a concept of fairytale remixes I’d love to get into soon!
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
My hope is that my readers swoon, fall in love, and find a little bit of hope. The world is dark sometimes, but it’s worth fighting for, and love—in all of its forms—is the point of everything.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV
Standalones, series or standalones in a series
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?—None! I drink soda while working for my caffeine fix. But water if I have to pick one of those lol
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?
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