Indie or Traditionally published? - Tell us how this works for you…
I’m proudly self-published. That being said, I’m open to traditional publishing if the right opportunity comes around.
Plot or Pants? Do you pre-plot your books, use an outline, fly by the seat of your pants or some combination of things? How do you keep track of characters in a series? Do you keep a journal of your characters’ statistics, such as hair and eye color, relatives, hometown, etc.
I’m an absolute plotter. When I was younger, I’d try and pants my way through a story, which always ended with me abandoning it within a few thousand words. Once I understood that I needed an outline, I finished all my projects.For each new book, I create a word document where I keep all the relevant details such as character profiles, world building details, the plot, etc.I plot with the “snowflake method”. The idea is to write down the story in one sentence, then in one paragraph, then one page, etc. until you have a fully fleshed out plot.The process of developing a plot, characters, the world, etc. takes me around 1 week per book.
Tell us about your first… published M/M fiction/romance
Escaping the Merman was my first published MM romance. In January 2021 I was looking for a high-heat merman romance to read where a merman kidnaps a “straight” sailor. I wanted something tropey and steamy with the good old gay-for-you storyline and dubious consent. I searched high and low but couldn’t find this particular book I wanted to read. Since I’ve written slash fanfiction and original fantasy/sci-fi before, I came to the conclusion that if I wanted this book, I had to write it myself. And so Escaping the Merman was born.
and then your most recent one..
Hunting the Merman is the sequel to Escaping the Merman, and focuses on two characters that are introduced in the first book. Both novels can be read as standalones. Hunting the Merman is even steamier and has some BDSM elements.
Something people would be surprised to know about you
I don’t know if anyone finds this surprising, but I hope someone will find this fun fact entertaining:I enjoy listening to dramatic cinematic music while brushing my teeth. “Afterlife” by Ivan Torrent is one of my favourites. Listen to it on YouTube/spotify, and you’ll know what I mean. I have no idea why I do this haha.
Where do you write? Do you have a routine?
I write at my desk. I need to be alone and have at least one hour of uninterrupted time - any shorter and I find it difficult to get into the story first and then make real progress. When I’m in writing-mode I write from when I get up until the evening. During the day I take several breaks (e.g. for lunch, dinner), and I always try to squeeze in a one hour walk. Sometimes I finish writing as early as 5pm, but often I write until 9 or 10, sometimes even later.
What are your writing goals for the next year? The future?
Stealing the Merman, which is the 3rd book in my series, releases 26 January 2022. Other than that I have some ideas, but I’d hate to overpromise and underdeliver, so I’m keeping them to myself for now.
What’s the hardest part about writing?
Revising and editing! I hate doing that once I finished writing a book, but it needs to be done. To minimise revisions, I frontload all the work by ensuring I have a cohesive plot before I start writing. I also edit while I write. That makes me a slow writer - 2000 words is a good day for me - but at least this way editing comes in smaller, more manageable chunks.
Who’s your biggest supporter/cheerleader?
The friends I’ve made in the MM community on Facebook have been absolutely amazing and so supportive. I never thought I’d find so many people who love my stories and are keen for the next one. It means the world, and I want to thank everyone who’s supported me.
What made you decide M/M romance was the genre you wanted to write? Do you write other genres?
I never thought I’d write MM. I love reading the genre, but I never had any ideas, especially not for contemporary romance. Then Escaping the Merman popped into my head, and I had to write it.
What do you do if you hit a wall while writing? How do you combat writer’s block?
Every writer’s block is different. Sometimes I just need to take a break - it can be a day, or it can be a month, it varies a lot. Other times I push through no matter what. Having a solid outline and thinking through all scenes before I start writing helps me avoid writer’s block most of the time.
What do your friends and family think of what you write; do they know?
I keep my writing to myself for the most part. Two people in my family know that I write MM, though I let them believe I write sweet romance and not the erotic romance that it actually is ;-)
How can we connect with you?
I have a newsletter that goes out 1-2 times a month. My subscribers get first dibs on everything. There’s also a free steamy short story that every subscriber receives: http://aramisjordan.com/signup
Apart from that I’m active on Facebook where I post every 1-2 days.You can join my private reader group, Aramis Jordan’s Adonis Jungle, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aramisjordan
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