Name:
Aria Avondale
The Title of Your Work or Group:
Her Spy
Where do you create?
I live in Washington, north of Seattle where is always grey.
In what genre do you write?
Romance
In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?
Imagine a James Bond movie but from the perspective of the "Bond Girl", that is what HER SPY is. It is the story of how an every-woman meets and falls for a British super-spy and how her life is turned upside-down because of it. The book is filled with action, suspense, emotion and sex as Jessica finds herself falling in love with a spy.
What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.
This was my first attempt at a book. I have written a few short stories before just for fun so this was something very different for me. Honestly I am still trying to figure out what my writing style is. For HER SPY I came up with the idea, jotted down some notes for a story then started writing. I wrote the whole first quarter of the book before I stopped and figured out the rest of the plot and the ending. I wanted the character to feel real before I figured out the rest of the book. With a few more plot points to know where it was all going, I just started writing and let my heroin guide the rest of the process.
Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
Honestly, no. I write for myself and a few friends and family. Would I like to have the world see my writings? Some of it, like HER SPY, but I try to write for myself and people like me for my own enjoyment and sanity.
Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
I do it all myself. I took a few journalism classes in college including copy editing. So while I am by no means a professional, I know what to look for. I also restructure as I go so by the time my second draft was done, the flow had been reworked and tweaked at least a dozen times.
9. Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
Ursula K. LeGuin fits this description for me. I have read most of her work and a few of her books are ones I will read over and over again as long as I can. The book that really inspired me to start coming up with my own stories was "Tombs of Atuan". I loved the characters and the progression of the heroin. Her ability to take a simple setting and build a whole complex world outside of the tombs with rich, deep histories and cultures is simply inspiring. And the whole time she keeps the characters and their own personal journeys in the spotlight.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The first stories I wrote were screenplays. With screenplays, a bulk of the content is dialogue and action - not descriptions. When I would write a scene, I would just put a simple descriptor like "a warehouse" or "a park", know that if it was ever filmed the directors, producers, and artists would provide the full details of the location. Same with the characters. Directors, producers and casting agents would decide what the characters looked like, not me. Writing a book really tested my patience when it came to the detail. All I wanted to do was get the lines and story going and so I had to (and still am in the process of) figure out a good way to work that does not disrupt my natural flow and still ends up being a book and not a script.
Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
I write them. Before I ever actually write anymore than a plot outline, I take a good few weeks to work through a character in my head. Then, I will try to take a whole day and think about my character on their most boring day; what they do, who they see, what they say, what they think, etc. If I can make it through the whole day without becoming bored of the character then I know I am ready to write their story.
Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
I think a part of me is in all of my characters. I do look for inspiration in friends, family, history, etc. but ultimately I am the one creating the characters so I think a little part of me is in all my characters- even the villains!
Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I have no plans to quit my job any time soon. I have too many bills that need to be paid and my cats are not going to go to the store and buy food to feed themselves!
If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
Jane Austen to just sit with her and talk about what love is.
There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
I wrote this book like it was an action movie for the romance audience. What does an action movie have to have that makes it a good movie? A solid plot, a relatable and believable character, and action! HER SPY is written to be an action/romance movie with a strong story, a very real heroin, and lots of action (both espionage action and bedroom action)!
In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
Not yet, but I am trying to keep my eye out for a good way to spread the word about my book where I do not have to spend any money. I think that what you do with this author spotlight is a great way for me to share a little about myself and my book.
Now give me your links so we can get people to your book sites!
Twitter: @AriaAvondale
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please no nasty or hurtful comments. This is a site for helping, not hurting.