Their digital site has published a piece on me and the writing of Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle. It’s part of a campaign I’m running to celebrate the novel’s wider release.

You can read the full article, “E. M. Williams Invests in Herself to Write First Book,” on their site.

As the writer notes, I am a marketer. And I have been in marketing for a long time.

I’ve pitched hundreds of profiles like this one for employers and clients. I’ve arranged the interviews, done the follow-up work, and captured the coverage.

It remains surreal now that it’s my work that’s in focus.

What does the Kirkus profile talk about?

If you’re a long-time follower of my books and writing, the points that got mentioned won’t surprise you:

• That believing my creative dream of writing a book had died was a terrible experience.
• My Tedx talk on Women, Superheroes and Power, which contributed to my series.
• I wrote a diverse story. Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. I embraced the process to get Anna’s, Jason’s and Dave’s characters right, which meant a lot of additional testing and feedback from my beta readers and editorial team, including sensitivity readers.
• My long-standing admiration for Guy Gavriel Kay. Reading The Fionavar Tapestry and seeing that it’s possible to write fantasy with Toronto-centric characters had a huge impact on my creative life.
• I wrote the first three drafts of Books I and II of The Xenthian Cycle on my phone using Wattpad, but didn’t publish as I went.

What’s most surprising about it?

Half the fun to doing an interview is remembering to stay on message. You also have to go with the flow and have a good conversation.

Here’s what I forgot I said:

• I wrote My Little Pony fanfiction as a kid. Writing on a desktop in the 1980s meant I never shared that work. I don’t even have a copy of it today.
• Anne McCaffrey provided my introduction to fantasy (specifically, Dragonsong). There’s even an homage to her dragon work in Chapter 21 of Chaos Calling.
• I write with an acute sense of my mortality and always have. It’s one of the things I admire about Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.

Hope you enjoy it!

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We recorded the episode back in November 2022, but it aired February 7, 2023. Here’s where you can listen:

• Apple podcasts
• Spotify podcasts
• Other podcast places –> Here’s a a list of other podcast sites where Kirsti’s work is distributed.

Kirsti and I met in 2021 through Growclass, Sarah Stockdale’s online growth marketing community. I’ve been a big fan of Kirsti’s podcast work since she launched her show in March 2022.

On the Thinking About Podcast, Kirsti talks with thoughtful, interesting people. Many are also entrepreneurs sharing lessons and insights they’ve picked up on their journeys.

I spoke about writing Chaos Calling and my journey through self-publishing. We also talk about balancing career commitments with creative work, having a life, and finding the motivation to persevere when chasing a long-term dream.

Who is this conversation for? Anyone thinking about writing a book, wanting to publish a book, or pursuing a long-term creative project.

It’s a tough world. Motivation can be hard to come by. We talk about that, too.

Part I: Writing Topics on the Thinking About Podcast

• 0:00 – 4:00 — Kirsti’s intro, which made me tear up, I won’t lie
• 4:00 – 6:00 — Why I chose E. M. Williams as my pen name, segmenting a professional life, thinking about privacy, and whether a pen name might be a good choice for you.
• 6:00 – 8:00 — Should you couple your business divisions? Why grouping consulting and publishing under one company works for me (so far).
• 8:00 – 13:00 — ‘Don’t Stop Believing‘: I believed at one point that my writing dreams were dead. We talk about the Medium essay I wrote, and why you can’t give up when life pivots around you.
• 13:00 – 17:00 — My wild experience writing Chaos Calling. Being open to a fresh inspiration download helped me to level-up my writing work. And, I also talk about how pivoting my approach to writing with Wattpad.
• 17:00 – 23:00 — Where did these characters and the Chaos Calling story come from? I tell Kirsti how I built the series in onion layers, and give an overview of the plot. Do I see the book in my head as I’m writing? Yes, I do. And people reading say it feels like watching a movie.
• 23:00 – 26:00 — Tricking your brain into being productive: I wrote the first three drafts on my phone while riding the TTC.
• 26:00 – 28:30 — Writing a story set in Toronto, why I wanted to write fantasy set in the city where I live, and taking inspo from the Raptors’ victory parade in 2019.
• 28:30 – 35:00 — Book production and feedback: How I took the manuscript through the editing process. We also talk about finding beta readers and editors. Is it scary to share your work? Yes, but you get over it.

Part II: Book Production Topics on the Thinking About Podcast

• 35:00 – 38:00 — What would I say to that younger version of me stuck in that car? We talk about how you don’t get to stay in the high place of inspiration, or the low place of despair.
• 39:00 – 50:00 — Book production and launch: We cover my process and decisions I made, and how to make space for the things you don’t know. Weirdly, Frozen 2 comes up a lot. I suggest places to look for resources and people to help with your creative project.
• 50:00 – 58:30 — What’s the most rewarding part of chasing your dream? I talk about the beautiful conversations I’ve had with people post launch, and why Growclass is the best. We also discuss the importance of focusing on the process and enjoying the ride.
• 58:30 – 1:04:00 — Books I recommend and how early Twitter (pre 2017) taught me how to be a better creative person on the Internet.

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TORONTO (June 27, 2022) — E. M. Williams has published Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle on Amazon as a paperback.

Set in contemporary Toronto, the series juxtaposes modern-day careers and parenthood demands with the dynamic action of a superhero film. In keeping with that choice, Chaos Calling‘s diverse cast also features adults in their mid-30s with superhero-like powers.

“I’m a long-time fan of superhero stories,” says Williams. “Toronto is a popular place to film all kinds of movies and TV shows. But, few fantasy and science fiction stories are set here. I was excited to tell a story where Toronto could be itself.”

Chaos Calling features many recognizable Toronto locations, including the SkyDome, Queen’s Park, the Stockyards, MaRS Discovery District, and Montecito Restaurant.

“My characters’ careers reflect my experiences working in healthcare and startups,” says Williams. “I’ve lived in Toronto all of my adult life, and it was important to me to create a cast of characters who reflect the wonderful people I’ve met here.”

Chaos Calling‘s paperback edition named a #1 Hot New Release

Like the Chaos Calling ebook edition, the paperback edition also charted on Amazon’s Hot New Release list. It held the #1 position in Contemporary Fantasy on June 29 and 30, 2022. The book continues to rank strongly in the category.

Chaos Calling’s paperback edition also climbed the bestseller list in contemporary fantasy, achieving a #12 ranking alongside genre classics such as Harry Potter and newer releases, such as Holly Black’s Book of Night, Naomi Novik’s Scholomance Series, and Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six.

“I’ve been reading authors like Naomi Novik, N. K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood for years,” says Williams. “It’s a thrill to see my book listed alongside work of theirs and other peers in this genre every time it happens.”

Read more about the novel’s early sales success.

Balancing work and writing life

Beginning in 2014, Williams wrote three drafts of Chaos Calling using the Wattpad app while riding the TTC. She finished the novel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the project, she worked with 26 beta readers, two sensitivity readers, an editor, a copywriter, and a proofreader.

Williams also collaborated with several Toronto designers to create a strong reading experience. For example, she worked with illustrator Helen He to visualize the series villains. Designer Wesley Lyn used He’s sketches to create the book cover for Chaos Calling and design the series brand.

“So many people encouraged me along this journey,” says Williams. “I’m excited to share this novel and help it find readers while I work on the sequels.”

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TORONTO (May 31, 2022) — Today, E. M. Williams publishes Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle on Amazon as an ebook.

Set in contemporary Toronto, the series juxtaposes modern-day careers and parenthood demands with the dynamic action of a superhero film. 

Consequently, Chaos Calling‘s diverse cast also features adults in their mid-30s with superhero-like powers.

“I’m a long-time fan of superhero stories,” says Williams. “Toronto is a popular place to film all kinds of movies and TV shows. But, few fantasy and science fiction stories are set here. I was excited to tell a story where Toronto could be itself.”

Chaos Calling features many recognizable Toronto locations, including the SkyDome, Queen’s Park, the Stockyards, MaRS Discovery District, and Montecito Restaurant.

“My characters’ careers reflect my experiences working in healthcare and startups,” says Williams. “I’ve lived in Toronto all of my adult life, and it was important to me to create a cast of characters who reflect the wonderful people I’ve met here.”

Chaos Calling named a Hot New Release in contemporary fantasy

In April 2022, preorders for the Chaos Calling ebook launched on Amazon. It was named a Hot New Release in contemporary fantasy, and remained in the Top 80 until launch.

Readers can also experience the ebook through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Program. It allows subscribers to read an unlimited number of books for a set fee. The trade paperback edition is forthcoming in June.  

Beginning in 2014, Williams wrote three drafts of Chaos Calling using the Wattpad app while riding the TTC. She finished the novel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the project, she worked with 26 beta readers, two sensitivity readers, an editor, a copywriter, and a proofreader.

Williams collaborated with several Toronto designers to create a strong reading experience. For example, she worked with illustrator Helen He to visualize the series villains. Designer Wesley Lyn used He’s sketches to create the book cover for Chaos Calling and design the series brand.

“So many people encouraged me along this journey,” says Williams. “I’m excited to share this novel and help it find readers.”

The post E. M. Williams publishes Chaos Calling ebook appeared first on E.M. Williams - Fantasy Author.

The ebook edition of my first novel launches one week from today.

I started this project in September 2014. I remember standing in my living room, on fire with excitement about my idea and eager to share it with others.

Publishing early was extremely tempting. Since I wrote three substantial drafts on Wattpad with my phone, I had a direct pathway to readers literally at my fingertips. At times, the temptation to see what people thought was acute.

So, I resisted the impulse. Two of my advisors cautioned that nothing worth doing happens overnight, however much we wish it otherwise.

Good launches run on strong plans

I’ve worked in the tech sector for over 10 years. In that time, I’ve launched a lot of products. Good launches run on strong plans, and writing and launching a book is no different.

My work back plan for this launch has over 300 lines. I’ve currently completed about 188 of them.

From the beginning, focusing on Toronto has been central to my messaging strategy. Fantasy’s a competitive genre. I wrote Chaos Calling primarily because it was the story I wanted to read. It just makes sense to emphasize the aspects that make it somewhat unique in the contemporary/urban fantasy landscape.

As a young reader, I remember my surprise when I opened The Summer Tree, the first volume in The Fionavar Tapestry. It begins inside Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto. I’d never read a fantasy novel set in my city, though Fionavar is more of a portal story (people from here travel to the magical world where they encounter fantastical elements).

The Xenthian Cycle flips the portal dynamic around. Instead of going elsewhere, the fantastical comes to us in all our 2014 glory. The juxtaposition, combined with irrevocable changes for my characters, puts their experience alongside the Marvel or DC films.

I’m fascinated with how extraordinary circumstances can transform ordinary people. I hope you will be, too.

My goals for the final trailer for Chaos Calling

My working theory is that the seed audience for this story will come from people who live in Toronto (or Sudbury or Vancouver or elsewhere in Canada). I’m betting they’ll feel a similar delight in seeing their world enter the fantastic. My second theory is that urban audiences the world over will find echoes to their stories in the specificities of mine.

With that in mind, I hope you enjoy the final trailer for Chaos Calling. Next week can’t come fast enough.

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I was.

That morning, I traveled downtown by TTC with my children and my parents. We decided not to go to Nathan Phillips Square at the end of the route, figuring the crowds would be largest there (and we were correct).

Instead, we found a spot outside Union Station at the intersection of York Street, Front Street and University Avenue (it’s a five-way intersection). On the southwest corner, there’s a restaurant with a concrete retaining wall around its garden. We settled on its flat top and got comfortable.

Good thing, too. It was a looooooooong wait.

A sports thirst like no other

Toronto is a sports-mad city. The Maple Leafs haven’t won a championship since the ’60s. Until 2019, the Raptors, formed in 1995, had never made it past the second round. And, while our other sports teams like the Blue Jays have been blessed with wins over the years, we wanted more.

Badly.

So, when the Raptors triumphed over the Golden State Warriors, the atmosphere was electric. People drove and ran through our neighbourhood honking their horns and cheering. Local bars cleaned up.

The crowds that showed up to the parade were so large that the open-topped buses carrying the team had trouble advancing through the packed streets. The police presence wasn’t adequate enough to keep bystanders back.

Overwhelmed cell towers failed. For several hours, I couldn’t see my social media feeds send or receive texts.

By the time we spotted Kawaii and the trophy, we’d been waiting for five hours. By that point, my family had been pressed against the retaining wall by the sheer crush of people. Those moving through the crowd had to inch past us. It was a literal sea of humanity.

Media estimates claimed 1 million people attended. That’s over a third of Toronto’s population.

Nothing describes what it was like to cheer with a million people that afternoon. And as I stood there, in the presence of what felt like the entire world, I thought:

“If everyone here is ready to celebrate Toronto in sports, will they be interested in celebrating it in other forms? What if everyone here is a future reader of my book?”

Diversity everywhere you look

If you told me that there was someone in that crowd with familial ties to every country in the world, I’d believe you.

Basketball is a dynamic, exciting game that attracts a wide international fan base. During the Raptors’ championship run, the players talked about how inspiring it was to know that a whole country, not just the city, was cheering for them.

On that stifling afternoon, people moved around us in a constant flow from all walks of life: young and old, families and groups of friends. After the pandemic and so much social isolation, it’s the kind of memory that feels like a fever dream.

But standing among everyone celebrating, Toronto’s future was obvious: It’s young, passionate and diverse.

Equally obviously: Stories that hope to tell our story on the global stage must reflect that same diversity.

Toronto is ready to be itself

We have a long history in this city of pretending to be other places.

Chicago, Mean Girls, American Psycho, Good Will Hunting, The Virgin Suicides, The Umbrella Academy, Hairspray,The Shape of Water, X-Men, Pacific Rim, Suicide Squad, and The Incredible Hulk are only a few of the many films and TV series filmed in Toronto.

Even on the rare occasions when Toronto plays itself, as the city does in Orphan Black, the reference isn’t explicit. You have to catch mentions of places like ‘Scarborough’ to be sure we’re not pretending to be New York, Chicago, or literally anywhere else.

For a long time, the outlier was Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which is based on a Toronto graphic novel series of the same name:

Recently, however, things have shifted.

CBC shows like Schitt’s Creek and Kim’s Convenience, set in small-town Ontario and Toronto, respectively, found global audiences through CBC, Netflix and other streaming services.

Last spring, Pixar scored a critical hit with Turning Red, an animated feature film explicit about its Toronto connection and inspiration. Director Domee Shee is Chinese Canadian and told a story grounded in personal detail about a teenage girl entering puberty, torn at points between her mother and her friends.

Despite a few fringe reviews that questioned its relevance, audiences found glorious universality in its specifics.

A global urban brand in a changing world

In his victory remarks post-parade, Raptors President and Vice-Chairman Masai Ujiri was vocal about the Raptors and their potential to be a global brand. Here’s an excerpt from Cathal Kelly’s Op-Ed that week:

Ujiri spoke of the Raptors franchise in terms reserved for European soccer elites – truly global teams as likely to be followed in Taipei or Kinshasa as they are at home. This is a team that for years struggled to articulate why it should even exist.

Are the Raptors now bigger than the NBA?

“Yes. There’s no doubt about it,” Ujiri said, then referenced Liverpool FC: “We’re the new Reds. We’re going to capture the world.”
This is dizzying stuff. Nobody in this country talks this way. Too show-offy. Too treacly. Perhaps we should ask ourselves: Why not? Because it sounds kinda nice.

~ Cathal Kelly’s column, “With Churchillian rhetoric, Masai Ujiri envisions the Raptors as one of the world’s great franchises,” published in The Globe and Mail, June 25, 2019

Three years later, Ujiri signed another contract with the Raptors. He’s still bullish about the city and its prospects:

There is something unique about this place, which is why I took the job here. Even when we’ve won the championship, it’s almost still unknown. It’s a gold mine. Because it’s outside the United States, I don’t think people recognize that as much. There are so many things that can expand the minds of players, partners, workers.

~ Masai Ujiri in conversation with Louisa Thomas from, “How Masai Ujiri Builds a Team,” published in The New Yorker, November 7, 2021

Ujiri was the first to suggest that the power of that Raptors parade crowd could power a wider global movement. Five years into my own Toronto novel project, I was moved to hear someone of his achievements agree that there’s something special about this city’s blend of people and experience.

Could Chaos Calling be another story that captures the hearts of a global audience?

There’s only one way to find out.

Two weeks to go until launch!

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Why did you make a book trailer?

First, book trailers have been a necessary part of marketing new novels and series for the last decade. Video has been king ever since YouTube secured its place behind Google as the second biggest search engine on the planet.

Second, factor in the growing emphasis on video-based content in online search results and one thing was clear. Making a book trailer was going to be key piece in my marketing plan.

Fortunately, my work in marketing means I know a lot of people who are excellent videographers and producers.

Sim and I have worked together on video projects in the past. Working with them, I got someone who a) understood my vibe and b) produced something way cooler than I would have made alone.

Production Process

Chaos Calling: Book 1 of The Xenthian Cycle entered production in November 2021. When I submitted the manuscript for copy edit, Wes and I were already working on the cover. I knew a book trailer was high on my list of marketing assets.

So, I approached Sim about their availability and booked the project. Freelancers often book up months ahead, which means it’s important to plan ahead of your deadlines.

After booking Sim’s time, I wrote a creative brief. Not familiar with the term? It’s a marketing document that explains the goals, intent, deliverables and budget of a project. I sent it to Sim with a loose script, some suggestions for photography, and some music I listened to when I was writing.

I LOVE the song they picked, which we agreed was perfect during the first round of feedback. Sim gave me several other options, but this one was a clear winner. Thematically, gives just the right amount of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. (To this day, it’s one of the best action movies I’ve ever seen.) Our track has more drums than synthesizers, however, making it more 2022 than Brad Fiedel’s score.

Adjusting the photos, pacing, storytelling and graphics took two rounds of feedback.

I’m so happy with the result!

Are you a TikTok person?

No problem.

You can watch the mobile version of the Chaos Calling book trailer on my Tiktok profile. Go check it out!

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I originally wrote this post on Medium in 2015. I remember being excited that some ‘important’ Twitter accounts engaged with it. I’ve left the references to the manuscript that would eventually become Chaos Calling as-is.

Once upon a time, I wrote a post assessing the pros and cons of the Wattpad platform for aspiring writers on my blog [2026 me: I’m referring to The Analytic Eye, which is now offline]. I wrote 3,000 words and took a fence-sitting position on its value.

Instead of getting into the thing to really understand what it could do, I responded like a critic. All these months later with with 100,000 words of a novel draft in hand thanks in large part to the existence of Wattpad, I’m struck by how wrong I was.

What changed?

Talking to an Angel

The first thing that helped open my eyes to Wattpad’s platform was a discussion with one of the company’s early angel investors.

I know him through my work in Toronto’s startup land; I expressed curiosity in his Wattpad involvement one afternoon and he told me about his decision to invest. During that discussion, I posed my analytical concerns about the platform, which essentially boiled down to this:

Why do the Wattpaders who generate content make nothing when the platform is valued in the millions? Doesn’t that devalue content, writing and writers?

“I didn’t really consider that,” he said [I’m paraphrasing because I didn’t make detailed notes]. “Wattpad’s power is that they’ve built something extraordinary for the Internet: a respectful, friendly community that welcomes writers and lets them thrive. A lot of them are young women. They go on there and find an audience for their work. Maybe they get better. They might do it for fun. Or, they could make friends and connect with others like them all over the world. But that community is what I thought was exceptional.”

This conversation, which took place in late September 2014, coincided with five or six other events that I now realize were pivotal in reigniting my creative writing life.

“Hmm,” I remember thinking. “All I did when I was researching that blog post was upload some existing content to Wattpad that I had already written. I didn’t try composing on it.

“Maybe Wattpad could work for me, too.”

And so when inspiration coalesced in my brain barely 72 hours after that conversation, I decided to give writing on the platform a serious shot.

On Passions, Day Jobs and Parenting

Like most adults in North America, my day-to-day life is demanding. I’m married and we have two fantastic kids in grade school. I have an intense career, love my family and wish I saw my friends more. My chore list is a perpetual motion machine. I’m disciplined about my gym membership.

But I’ve written since I was a child. It’s how I make sense of the world and the activity that most consistently allows me to experience flow.

Yet after our kids were born, my writing life died.

During an interview I did with Guy Gavriel Kay while working at the University of Toronto in my late 20s, he surmised I was an aspiring writer and kindly asked me about my ambitions. He warned me that writing while parenting is tricky, particularly for women. And he suggested, wisely, that I get a manuscript done before I reproduced.

Didn’t happen.

After my first child arrived, my writing slowed to a trickle. I stopped submitting work to my writing group. I also gained some perspective and shelved my research-heavy, ambitious, alternate-history/fantasy novel that I’d been trying to complete for the better part of a decade.

As Elizabeth Gilbert aptly describes in her recent book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, I’d taken too long to develop that idea and its fiery core was stone dead.

I no longer had endless evening and weekend hours to reanimate that dream or catch a new one. So I thought I’d missed my shot.

And here’s the thing:

However rewarding it is to be a parent (and it is), it’s devastating to feel your creative dream has died.

Thinking about writing during that time was like touching an empty tooth socket with my tongue. I knew what was supposed to be there, but was surprised and disappointed and sad when it wasn’t.

Enter Wattpad: 100,000 Words in 13 Months

Thirteen months after opening myself to the idea of using Wattpad as a mobile composition tool, I’ve written an entirely new novel.

I hit 100,000 words last week.

[2026 me: I finished the first draft of what was The Xenthian Cycle in full about six weeks after writing this post, completely unaware it was a series and not a standalone novel. Oh, 2015 me, you have no idea what you’ve done.]

I haven’t published as I went like many Wattpaders do, though I was tempted. While writing and work-shopping that earlier novel draft, I learned that feedback while writing derails my ability to finish. I’m more productive in a vacuum.

If you’re a numbers person, my fictional output over the last six years averages between 3,000 and 5,000 words a year (my day job also involves writing). Using Wattpad increased my productivity by a factor of 20.

By any measure, that’s a blistering shift. How’s it possible?

With Wattpad’s iOS app, I discovered I love writing on my phone while standing on the subway.

I sometimes edit with the desktop interface, but the bulk of my draft was composed by phone in the doors of TTC subway cars during my daily round-trip commute. I put my earphones on, find a spot and make out with my imagination for 25 minutes each way.

Did I know writing on the subway was possible?

Before you ask, I remember reading articles like this 2010 Telegraph story about Peter Brett writing a novel on his phone and thinking, “Yeah, right.” I’m skeptical I could have written a book this way before contemporary smartphones. Bigger mobile screen sizes coupled with better digital keyboards and the solid Wattpad interface made it feasible.

Writing with Wattpad means I don’t have to worry about how crowded the car is or about getting a seat. I’m right handed, so when I was trying to write in a paper notebook I had to have a left-sided seat on the end of a row. Ask anyone from Toronto who takes transit and they’ll tell you that’s next to impossible during peak travel times.

I also didn’t have to shoehorn writing into the time I need to work or see my family, exercise, sleep or whatever, though I’ll sometimes take my phone out and keep writing after my kids have gone to bed.

Before this change, I thought of myself as someone with no time. Wattpad found me slack I didn’t know I had, provided I was willing to upend my old writing process, Lewis Carroll-styles.

Better still, I didn’t have to quit my job, ignore my family, move to Tibet, plow through my savings or disown my social commitments to gain this freedom.

What it all means for my creativity

While it’s early to say if the novel will resonate with others, my days of siting at a desk and staring blankly at the blinking cursor on the barren white space of an empty Word document are over. Writing on my phone with Wattpad feels like play.

I don’t feel anxious about beginning a new chapter or finding the next word or scene. I just open the app and trust that flow is waiting for me.

And, like self-fulfilling magic, it usually is.

So believe me when I say Wattpad has completely changed the way I write fiction. I don’t have words for how much joy this change has brought back into my day-to-day life.

What about my earlier criticism? What if I never make a dime from the book?

It doesn’t really matter (though of course I’d be open to it).

Using Wattpad brought back my creative satisfaction. The joys of this past year have been just that: a string of pearl-like delights for me alone.

So thanks, Wattpad, for facilitating this experience (with bonus mad props to the Zen Desk support team).

Here’s to the last five chapters.

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