Author Interview ~ Amanda Young

Welcome to Novel Journey, Amanda. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a registered nurse. I began my nursing career in 1978 as an LPN. I also have studied and have a degree in Homeopathy from the British Institute of Homeopathy. I believe that there is a place for both traditional and alternative modalities to help a person heal. I spent most of my growing up years on a farm in Georgia and could be found most oftentimes in the forest or near a lake or stream. Today my favorite and most relaxing times are spent in the forest or near a lake or stream. Or the ocean if I live near.

Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out?

Life’s Journey Home will be out next. It will also be published by Booksurge.com.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

Silent Prisoner began as a personal journal to help me understand and heal myself of my past hurts and traumas. I think in my mind I had thought of going on with more drafts and maybe putting it into a book, but when over and over after reading a draft my friends said it helped them look at their own past hurts and traumas and heal, that is when the ‘what if’ began. “What if I put this into print, could it really help others heal?” I began to ask myself in a more serious tone after hearing their comments again and again.

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

Seven years. I began in October of 2000. The book went into print and onto Amazon.com in November 2007. I sent off the manuscript to many publishers and agents over the years. The story was always the same. From the publishers, “We cannot publish you without an agent.” From the agents, “We cannot help you as you are unknown.” Fortunately I found Booksurge.com and put it into print myself. The emotional journey could be another book in itself. I was digging up things that I had buried very deep inside and with each draft more ‘stuff’ came out.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I do. I take time outs. I pray that the flow will return. I beg. I plead. And then, I wait. Sometimes I waited for the words and sometimes I waited for my emotions to calm after bringing up and writing of a painful event.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

I am still on a journey to finding out how I feel about seeing my words on paper. There has come with this a most unusual sensitivity that I never felt before about work I am doing. Letting go and to stop being so critical of my words has been difficult for me. To let the words flow and accept whatever wants to come through is not always easy for me either. I tend to overanalyze my work. But I do that with everything. When I do that, I can get stuck. Then I go to the lake, stream or ocean and stare out over the water to find a calm place within me.

How did (or do) you climb out (overcome it)?

I go for walks or go to the water and think. I am not sure if I will overcome my being critical of my work. I think I will just have to learn to be at peace with the idea that the dreams that inspire me to write will bring with them more ideas and I try to always believe that I will be guided. In my next book ‘Life’s Journey Home’ I more freely added things and words that came to me in dreams. In ‘Silent Prisoner’ which is a true story of my life, I had to accept that I was ready and willing to put my life out there for others to read about, and pray that my story would help others who have remained silent; to be their voice, so to speak.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?

In my kitchen area mostly. I have fond memories growing of me sitting on a stool in the kitchen watching my aunt, grandmother and Rose--whom I write about--cook. I have realized recently that most of my writing is done in the place that I have those pleasant memories of.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Coffee, read e-mails do computer work; write if the flow is there. I go to work, come home, more coffee or tea and go back onto the computer to write some more and hopefully there is something that wants to come through. I have some days when I am off from work and I begin in the morning and do not stop until past midnight, except for more coffee and a sandwich.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?

I have done that. I would have never thought that was possible, but I have done that. I have had to take Tylenol for the cramping in my hands when the words want to flow that fast. And I would not want to stop typing on those days because a flow like that might not come again. Right?

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.

Draft after draft after draft. And when I think it does not need another draft I will hand it off to someone and they will take things out and I will put back in things and there goes one more round.

What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?

Grapes of Wrath is one that I remember had a major affect on me years ago. That words on paper could invoke such emotions was amazing to me when I read that story. There are so many books that I like and my mood at the time governs what I read.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

“You do not find the story, the story finds you. If you feel the desire to suddenly write and you have been a nurse all of those years then I suggest you let whoever or whatever write through you. Just step back and get out of the way of the flow.” I struggle with this and have said to my friends, “Why am I getting the desire to write all of a sudden?” And I listen to those words in my head again that someone told me long ago and try to step back and get out of the way.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

To be patient. That all things that are suppose to happen or what will happen, will happen in its own time. This is easier some days more than others though.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

I believe strongly in “Word of Mouth” and I market all of the time. I handed off my book ‘Silent Prisoner’ to a police officer a few days ago. I always have a copy in my car ‘just in case.’ The officer was sitting on his motorcycle in a parking lot (not writing a ticket) and I walked over and asked him if I could give him a copy of my book. I told him I was a survivor of domestic violence and was sure he had seen lots of that. I told him that I wrote in the book of how a police officer helped me. He thanked me and actually relaxed a bit and slightly smiled. “We don’t get many thank you’s,” he said. “You do now,” I said as a tear fell down onto the book cover before I handed it to him. “I will pass it on after I read it,” he said as he cranked up his motorcycle. I thanked him and then he took off.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Follow your dreams and desires and never give up.

Thank you so very much for having me here.

To read more about Amanda Young, author of Silent Prisoner click here
http://www.amandayoungsight.com/