Interview with Amanda Cale
Published 2014-08-31.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Creating. As a Christian, I believe that creating is what humans were meant to do. I write stories and make worlds. It's a wonderful experience.
What are you working on next?
The sequel to Riddle. It is as yet untitled, but I'm getting comfy with Matt, Anya, and their world again, and I am so looking forward to opening up the world of Riddle a little more.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
This might sound terrible, but I often narrow down the category and then look for the free ones. Discovered some good series this way, and stocked up on some classics.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I think it was the one about a princess and a flower. The flower died and then came back the next year, so the princess was happy. Deep.
What is your writing process?
Sometimes I will listen to music, but really all I require to get deep into writing is some quiet, a speckled composition notebook, and a pen. Sometimes the quiet isn't even required. I build my own little world when I'm buried in that lined paper.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Eastern North Carolina. When I first started Riddle, I was sort of obsessed with West Virginia, so the first version was set there. It wasn't until later, after college I think, when I brought Riddle back home to the rural area where I grew up. There's lots of kudzu and abandoned barns and houses and plenty of working farm land, including a field in my neighborhood that is sometimes cotton, sometimes tobacco, and sometimes something else. I wanted to bring that to the story.
When did you first start writing?
I first started writing seriously, with any focus, in 2001, when the first version of Riddle began. If you're talking little focus and little skill, then 2000, when my parents bought a computer. I still have some of those short stories.
What's the story behind your latest book?
It's a Young Adult novel that's very inspired by the comfy atmosphere of my hometown, along with some of the more unusual legends of North America. I wanted to write an adventure novel, but I just kept finding really good material that matched partially with some of the situations in my book. It helped me form a mythology of sorts.
How do you approach cover design?
After trying to figure out a complicated 3-D model (that no longer went with the story after a while) and toying with purchasing a pre-made cover, I just went with some good advice and kept it simple and easy for me to design.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I wanted to get my book out there, and I didn't want to wait for a traditional publishing house.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I watch too much TV, honestly, but I also enjoy running. Oh yeah...I work at my local library.
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Books by This Author
Horror Vacui
by Amanda Cale
121-31-986...
121-31-986...
In an infinite universe, people can only do so much to fill the empty spaces. Three stories of solitary wandering lead the people within to purposes they never imagined before.