Fear, Growth, and Writing Anyway: What AK Nevermore Learned Publishing 30+ Books
Writing Growth Looks a Lot Like Fear
The last time AK Nevermore was on the podcast was almost two years ago (Season 1, Episode 8: Writing Dark Romance and Embracing Your Authentic Voice), and a lot has changed since then.
At the time, she had a handful of books out (nothing to sniff at). Since then, she’s written fifteen works over 40,000 words and has more than thirty published projects out in the world. She’s moved across genres: urban fantasy, dystopian fiction, paranormal romance and rom-coms. She’s experimented with different publishing models and different ways of getting her work into readers’ hands.
But none of that growth happened because she suddenly became less afraid.
In fact, one of the most powerful things she said during our chat was this:
“Every single gain that I have made in this industry has been by doing something that I am completely terrified of.”
So many of us are waiting to feel ready before we take the next step—whatever that might be—waiting to be less scared.
We think we need to be more confident before we query. More polished before we share our work. More experienced before we call ourselves writers. Less messy before we show up publicly.
But AK’s author journey is proof that growth happens when we choose to act in the face of fear, not after the fear disappears.
You Don’t Have to Have a Perfect Process
One of the things I love most about AK is how honest she is about her process. It’s chaotic, but it works for her. And finding that process took some trial and error. She tried what other people said she should do (outlines, deep character work, worldbuilding), and much of the time, it just felt frustrating to her.
Today, she doesn’t outline. She doesn’t build elaborate spreadsheets. She doesn’t keep detailed notes or character bibles. She writes by instinct, following the story as it unfolds and discovering things as she goes. Sometimes she rewrites endings multiple times. Sometimes she gets completely derailed by a new idea. Sometimes she has to read back through an entire manuscript just to get herself back into the world of the story.
And yet...it works for her.
That’s the part I think writers need to hear.
Because so many of us (AK included) spend years trying to force ourselves into someone else’s version of process and productivity.
We think we need the routine, the plotting method, the character development strategy.
But AK has built a prolific career by leaning harder into who she already is instead of fighting it.
She knows she can only focus on one project at a time. She knows she gets hyper-fixated on the story she’s currently writing. She knows that once she can see the ending of a story, her interest will decline and that part of the writing will be a battle.
So instead of trying to “fix” those things, she works with them.
That’s part of why she’s been able to publish so much in such a short period of time.
She’s not wasting energy trying to write like somebody else.
Fear Never Really Goes Away
Of all the amazing things AK shared, this one is worth repeating over and over again:
Doubt never really disappears.
You don’t publish one book and suddenly feel secure forever.
You publish one book, and then you worry whether the next one will be okay. Whether readers will follow you into a different genre. Whether people will still care. Whether you’re good enough to keep going.
The fear just changes shape.
But instead of waiting until she feels certain, AK has learned to keep moving anyway.
She talks openly about being terrified to put herself out there, terrified to walk into rooms where she feels like she doesn’t belong, terrified to release new books, to take up space in the industry. And yet, every major step in her career has come from doing exactly those things.
Sometimes she falls flat on her face.
Sometimes it works.
But either way, those steps move her forward. She either learns from her mistakes or succeeds in the plan. The outcome is the same: GROWTH.
Fear doesn’t mean we’re on the wrong path. Often, the opposite is true, and walking through the fear is proof that we’re growing.
Parting Shot
I think one of the biggest traps we fall into as writers is believing that if we were a “real” writer, things would feel easier.
That we’d be less afraid. More organized. More certain. More polished.
But the truth is that many successful writers (like AK and others who have come on the podcast) are doing it messily. They’re still scared. They’re still figuring it out as they go.
The secret is they just keep moving and writing.
AK’s career is such a beautiful example of what can happen when you stop waiting to become a different kind of writer and instead learn to trust the kind of writer you already are. And how do you do that? You write. You pay attention to yourself. And you keep writing.
You can connect with AK Nevermore through her website, newsletter (seriously, sign up. It’s hilarious), and events page, where she shares upcoming releases, appearances, and more free reader magnets that either of us could count!
