Jillian Meadows: All Writers Have Bad Days

Jillian Meadows writes cozy love stories that make you swoon, smile, and squeal. She lives thirty miles past The Middle of Nowhere with her husband, four wild daughters, two unruly dogs, and her sparkling water addiction. When she’s not writing, you can find her devouring a romance novel, playing board games, or enjoying the outdoors with her family. Follow her on Instagram.

In this interview, Jillian discusses the differences between self-publishing and traditionally publishing her romance novel, Give Me Butterflies, the universal experience of bad writing days, and more.

Name: Jillian Meadows
Literary agent: Lauren Spieller
Book title: Give Me Butterflies
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon Books
Release date: January 21, 2025
Genre/category: Contemporary Romance
Previous titles: Wreck My Plans
Elevator pitch: A swoony, steamy, STEM romance in which two curators at a science museum—a handsome but grumpy astronomer and an anxious but sunshine-y entomologist—realize they are the perfect match.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

For me, writing really started as a self-care project. I’m a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four, who had gotten very lost in my day-to-day life. I felt like I was spending every moment on someone else, and I remember having this awakening one afternoon when I couldn’t think of the last thing I had done for myself.

I had this story growing in my head and an itch to write it, and it just wouldn’t go away. So, one day I thought, What if I just tried? Even if it was a hobby and no one else ever read it, at least I could try doing this for myself.

Of course, this plan involved shutting myself in my bedroom, getting some noise-cancelling headphones, and letting a few things like housework slip through the cracks. But I just started sitting down to write as a form of “me time.” It was a creative outlet that used a different part of my brain, and it forced me to push myself to try something hard.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It took me about nine months to write Give Me Butterflies, and I originally self-published it. Now, it has gone through a few more rounds to get to this traditionally published version. So overall, it has been a little over two years since the idea began.

And, yes, it has definitely changed along the way! I would love to be a writer who could type out a first draft and never change anything, but my brain runs a little more chaotically than that. Everything from character names to major plot points to entire scenes have shifted, changed, or been completely taken out.

One of the biggest lessons I learned while writing this book was the importance of allowing myself to change something. At first, I was keeping myself very constricted as I edited. I thought, Well, I’ve already written this entire scene. I don’t want to waste it. But I quickly learned just how much better things could piece together if I was willing to be open-minded. It was almost like I wouldn’t allow myself to think any bigger because I was trying to fit the story into the parameters of what I’d already written. But once I listened to my instincts and learned to trust myself, everything came together so much clearer. It’s painful— oh, so painful— to throw out thousands of words, but sometimes it opens up completely new ideas you hadn’t even thought of.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Well, I can say honestly that the entire process was a learning experience. Since I originally self-published this title, every step was a surprise. I was scouring the internet for help with every single detail, and I still had to learn the hard way through my many, many mistakes.

Then shifting to traditional publishing has been another steep learning curve, but this time I have a team holding my hand along the way. They have been so patient with all my emails that start with some version of “I don’t know what this means…” But I think the most surprising thing so far has been realizing just how many people are working behind the scenes to get these books out into the world. I’m so grateful for all the teams of people helping make this happen, and I couldn’t do it without them.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I think the biggest surprise was the fact that I was able to complete a book at all! There were many days where finishing felt like an overwhelming task, and I didn’t know if I’d make it. But struggling through those bad moments and coming back to my computer the next day and then the next slowly built up my confidence in myself. And that was the most rewarding feeling.

I went from never believing in myself— never considering myself a writer— to finishing a book! Then that confidence pushed me to actually publish it, let people read it, find an agent. Literally every step that happened after I typed The End was because of that confidence I had built up in myself by sitting down to write every day, and I’m so proud of that.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

Above all, I aspire to write books where my readers feel like they’re hanging out with their best friends. When a reader opens my books, I hope they experience a cozy, comforting warmth, while simultaneously feeling a heart-bursting, butterflies-in-their-stomach giddiness over the characters and their story.

I also hope my readers feel seen and understood through my books. I want my characters to feel real— even their flaws, insecurities, and struggles— because that’s what helps us as readers see ourselves in the characters we read about. Those happy, perfect moments are important. They’re what draws us to romance novels. But seeing a character struggle and overcome something significant is what shifts are own world view. It gives us just as much hope and empowerment as the happily-ever-after.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

There are a million different ways to be a writer. We all have our own goals and journeys to get there. But the thing I wish I had realized earlier is that all writers have bad days. It’s universal.

Sometimes when you’re in the thick of it— hunched over your computer, living on caffeine, and struggling with a particularly frustrating scene— that bad moment can feel hopeless. That bad moment becomes a bad day, a bad idea, a bad book. And you start to wonder if you were even meant to do this. Should I be a writer at all? Why am I even trying? I’m so awful at it.

In my early days, I spiraled like this on a regular basis. I thought, since it’s so hard, I must not be good at it. Surely “real” authors aren’t struggling like this.

But that’s just simply not true. We. All. Have. Bad. Days. It doesn’t make you any less worthy of being a writer if you have one. In fact, I think it makes you an even better writer. You are part of the Bad Writing Day Club, and we welcome you with open arms.

So, take a break. Go for a walk. Get a snack (make sure you’ve got some protein in there, too). Stay off your phone for a bit to give your brain a chance to stretch out a little. And just know that it’s going to be okay. Somewhere in the world your favorite author might be doing the same thing that day.