The Author
Amy Durrant
The work of art:
Prisms
Where she creates his masterpieces:
Brentwood, UK
The genre that gets to claim her:
I would say Science Fiction, although I prefer the tag Futuristic Thriller.
The heart of the story:
It’s about a girl on the cusp of adulthood and her struggle against the oppressive dystopian society she lives in. All the character perspectives eventually twist into one tale with devastating consequences. I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of rebellion, although I’m no anarchist myself!
Amy's muse knows what it wants:
I just like to sit down and see where the story takes me. I’ve always seen the action unfold in my head like a movie, so I think of myself as a translator. It’s a fairly organic style; what you see on the page is largely unchanged from the first draft.
The whole world may not know about prisms but those who do will be inspired.
I don’t know about the world seeing my work, but with ‘Prisms’ it will always be about creating something people can become absorbed in. If I can inspire even one person with my work, I will consider it a success.
Who do we have to thank for the books look and layout?
I had a wonderful editor, Charlotte Emma Gledson, but I actually designed the cover art myself. The story is so full on most of the time, so I wanted a simplistic contrast for the cover. Something that was visually distinctive yet meaningful to the context of the book.
Who kick started Amy's dream?
George Orwell’s ‘1984’ is my over-arching inspiration. The dystopian brutality of the police state in which Winston must try and survive struck up some chord in me that just spurred me into writing. Even from a young(ish) age I was reading the likes of Orwell and Burgess.
The one thing she has trouble with:
One of the greatest challenges I face with my writing is having to go back and try and add a bit of subtext. It’s all very well seeing the action unfold in my head, but if the reader’s not got anything to hold on to about the character, then you’ll always end up with an empty plot. Everyone likes a bit of back story!
Amy's characters know what they want!
My characters completely write themselves. I very rarely have to sit down and think, ‘Right, who am I going to create today?’ They all have their own entity and I respect that when I write about them. I’m almost obsessive in the way that all the details have to be perfect; right down to their mannerisms when they’re nervous.
She tries not to write herself into characters but a bit of slips in anyway:
I think it’s very dangerous to write one’s self into a character completely, although little traits of mine do have a habit of creeping into certain characters. For the most part, it’s a subconscious thing that I notice when I read back through it.
Amy is still waiting to start her day job.
I’m currently a student at University and I wrote ‘Prisms’ when I was 18 years old. I consider myself still waiting to start my day job!
If she could go back in time, Amy would want to meet one of the greats!
It would have to be Amelia Earheart. An aviation pioneer and a best-selling author? I’d love to sit down and talk to her over a cuppa; she was a truly remarkable and fearless woman.
Prisms might not stand out but it will definitely inspire:
I like to think that mine would not necessarily stand out, but inspire. Through creating what I hope to be a vivid story and believable characters, if I can keep people wanting to read on then that’s the main thing. Plus there’s not that many futuristic thrillers out there that intertwine at least six character perspectives into one story.
Helping each other is always free:
If you help out your fellow indie authors, they’re more likely to throw help your way too. Give an indie book a read and leave the author a review. If you’re lucky, most of the time they’ll return the favor.
Links to reach, follow and purchase from Amy Durrant:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/amydurrantofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AmyDurrant
Website: http://www.amydurrant.com
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