Author, Amy Grimes
Short Story: The Pit
Apologue of the Immortals
Tell us a little about your background and what led you to writing.
When I was seven, my family moved to Africa for five years. We had no internet and only two television channels, one of those channels was in another language and the other only had decent shows on at certain times, so that left myself and my brother and sister to fend for ourselves. We would spend hours in the backyard or playing dolls and coming up with these wild stories. It's little wonder I'm a fantasy writer now, at a young age I was using my imagination to come up with fantastical worlds. My sister was the writer of the family when we were kids, and it was from her stories that sparked my love of writing. I remember sitting at the computer and listening to her read a story or poem she had written, and was amazed that someone could have that kind of imagination.
How or when did you realize you wanted to be an author?
I was ten years old, living in Africa when I realized I wanted to be an author. I was reading a book, or it might have been one of the rare comic books I had managed to get my hands on, and I was so engrossed in the story that I looked up from reading, and to the empty room I said, "I'm going to publish a book." I made myself a promise that no matter how long it took, or how hard it would be, I was going to have my name on a published novel.
What is your writing process like?
In a word: Chaotic. I get a general feel for a character or story idea and I have to run with it. Usually I write chapters in order, but with some stories I write bits and pieces here and there when the inspiration strikes. Sometimes I can use the scenes, other times they don't fit and I have to scrap them. But it's all part of my writing process, if I can get a scene out of my head, even if it doesn't fit with the plot of the story, I can sleep at night knowing that the scene I had written won't keep me up all night.
What inspires you to write?
My Dad, mostly. He's my biggest fan and he's been nothing but supportive of me when it comes to writing.
What part does writing play in your life?
Writing is my outlet when I'm stressed. I can express my thoughts and feelings better through writing than I can verbally. Though I have been called some names I won't repeat for sending "the coward's way out" texts or emails, but it's not like I'm trying to get out of having a face to face conversation if something is going wrong. I just want to make my intentions clear through writing first before I have that one on one talk, because then I won't get stepped on or walked over.
What are your aspirations for your writing journey?
Simply to tell the stories I have burning in my head. These characters need to be brought to life, and I love them too much to just let them fade to black inside my subconscious.
What is something you know now about writing you wish you knew when you started?
The hero's journey sequence of events. When I first started out I didn't understand that some stories follow a sequence of events that make the plot flow effortless. Also, to not let other people commandeer the story and turn it into their story instead of my story. When I first started out I let too many people get their hands into my stories and then I was left with something I hated.
Describe your favorite character (you created). Why?
That's a tough one. I love them all. But if I had to choose, I'd say it would be Jack Beckett from my The Winter Court series, which book one is in the editing phase right now. He's a different character, for me at least, and I just fell in love with him right from chapter one.
Which author(s) inspires you as a writer?
A lot of the authors that inspire me are actually indie authors. Azshure Raine, Dewi Hargreaves, Jamie Jackson, Valerie Storm, Andrew Hawkins, Erika McCorkle, just to name a few. There are so many others and not enough time to name them all.
What advice would you give newly aspiring authors?
Trust the story and the characters. What I've found, and maybe this why I'm more of a "write by the seat of my pants" writer, is that I can have a story plotted out until I know it inside and out, but then the characters will do something you didn't see coming and the entire outline just flies out the window. This is their story, yes you're the author, but sometimes you just need to take the leash off and let the dog run.
What works can your readers expect to see in the near future?
The next big thing for me is The Winter Court. The first book is being edited, and I just started writing the sequel. I still have two more books left to publish in my Best Nightmare series, which is my debut series, but The Winter Court is what I'm working on more right now.
How can your readers find more about you and your works?
I have a blog that I update with my writing, haven't gotten up the nerve to get an author website up and running. Maybe that will be a project for the new year. I'm also on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok that I try to keep updated with writing projects.
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