EP 437 - Nerding Out Over History, Science, and Maps with Malorie Cooper

Mark interviews Malorie Cooper, who writes under the name M.D. Cooper, about the various things that fascinate and inspire her writing.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report.

In their interview, Mark and Malorie talk about:

• Meeting up in New Brunswick in the spring at a writer's conference
• Mal's passion about writing science-fiction and nerding out about science and history concepts
• Mal working with her wife Jill on The Writing Wives - designed to help authors better market their books
• Some misperceptions that authors have, such as "I'm not good at Facebook Ads"
• Mal always being curious about everything, and getting story inspiration from looking at maps
• How her fascination with maps led to mapping software for space maps, and an evolution into a sci-fi writer
• Malorie's introduction to science fiction through the books of Anne McCaffrey
• How maps can inform and inspire science fiction stories
• The various struggles that Mal likes to tackle in stories she writes
• Passion for history and looking at the US Naval build immediately after Pearl Harbor
• The frustration Mal often has in much of science-fiction and fantasy where the world's aren't "big" enough
• How Mal writes without having a story bible about the universes she has created and writes in
• The way Malorie divides her time up between writing and working with authors for The Writing Wives
• The long pause in writing new science fiction stories that happened shortly after 2020
• Thinking back to 2016 when Mal's writing really started to take off (how the money being earned from that was better than the full-time employment work as a software developer)
• The time when Mal was writing for about 14 to 16 hours a day, with her wife Jill creating a "protective bubble" around her so she could focus on writing
• The experience of having two people on Patreon who have, for eight years, given Mal $50 a month
• The power (and sense of accomplishment) that comes when you get to "the end"
• Advice Mal would give to other writers
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on the challenge of moving from part-time to full-time writer, as well as the heart-warming fact that there are those out there who resonate with a creator's works and step up to support them in heart-warming ways.

Links of Interest:

• Malorie Cooper / M.D. Cooper Website
• The Writing Wives
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• The Relaxed Author
  • Buy eBook Direct
  • Buy Audiobook Direct
• Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
• An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
• Wide for the Win
• Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books
  • This Time Around (Short Story)