Short Stories and Self-Publishing, with Terra Luft

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Hey there, Writer—welcome back to another episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show! Today, I’m chatting with author Terra Luft, a speculative fiction writer whose imagination leans toward the dark, twisty, and psychologically thrilling. 

Terra’s been writing since 2008 and just released her first solo short story collection, Nightmares of My Own. If you’ve ever wrestled with perfectionism, felt like your writing life doesn’t look “ideal,” or wondered if your small pockets of time could actually move your book forward—this episode is for you.

Terra opens up about her journey from isolated kitchen writing sessions to finding her footing in the writing community—and why that community was the game-changer that kept her going. 

For over a decade, she’s published short stories in various anthologies, always dreaming of someday putting together a collection of her own. That dream became real in December 2024, and in this episode, she takes us behind the scenes of how it happened.

We talk about why short stories became her chosen form—spoiler: instant gratification plays a big role! Terra shares how writing short fiction allowed her to sharpen her craft in the midst of a demanding life, including full-time work in healthcare IT, going back to school, and raising a family. 

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is when Terra shares how attending my Book Finishers Bootcamp shifted everything for her. She let go of the idea that she needed perfect conditions to write and leaned into consistent, realistic goals. She started writing on weekends while camping with her family—yes, literally around the campfire in a folding chair—and that’s how her book got finished.

Terra also walks us through her first foray into self-publishing, with all its surprises, challenges, and lessons learned. From choosing the perfect cover design to figuring out proofreading order (hint: it’s trickier than it seems!), Terra’s honest insights will resonate with anyone considering self-publishing. 

She shares how she curated the stories in her collection—crafting a reading journey from sci-fi to psychological horror to paranormal—and how discovering the unifying theme of “nightmares” helped her land on the perfect title.

We also talk about what she’s working on now: revising her favorite novel, with a goal of two writing sessions a week and 3,000 words. I loved hearing how the skills and confidence she built through short fiction and bootcamp are now fueling her longer work.

So if you’re wondering whether it’s “too late,” or if you have “enough time,” or if your first book needs to be perfect...this episode will remind you that the real magic is in starting anyway.

You can grab Nightmare