Amy Holder

THE LIPSTICK LAWS:

Author Interview:

When and how did you start writing?

As a little girl, I always dreamed of being an author.  I started writing humorous poetry when I was six years old after falling in love with Shel Silverstein’s writing.  After that, I was never far away from paper and a pencil to jot down the many stories in my head. 

My poetry quickly led to fiction writing in second grade, and my first chapter book in third grade.  My middle school years were filled with journaling about all of my tween trials and tribulations, followed by spouting teen angst into melodramatic poetry during high school.

Writing has always been an important part of my life, but it wasn’t until after college that I really started thinking about pursuing it professionally.  I studied psychology in college and once I was out in the real world working in the field, I realized I wouldn’t feel completely fulfilled unless I was able to do something I truly adore.  Writing is that something … and I feel very lucky to have accomplished my childhood dream.

Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? Who were your childhood storytelling heroes?

My parents read to me every night as a child.  Their animated renditions of Dr. Seuss books cemented my love of storytelling forever. However, the first book I remember reading on my own that really made a huge impact on me was A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC by Shel Silverstein.  My copy became totally worn and dog-eared from reading it over and over again.  His fun poetry sparked my love of writing and reading at a very early age. 

Shel Silverstein was definitely one of my childhood storytelling heroes, along with Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Katherine Paterson and Madeleine L’Engle, just to name some.  My early years would not have been the same without their amazing stories and imaginations.  They still inspire me to this day. 

Describe your writing day. Where do you write? How do you organize your time? Where do you look for inspiration?

My writing day varies depending on what I’m working on and the stage it’s at, if I have a deadline, if I’m promoting a book, and if I have a decent supply of chocolate on hand. 

Most days I’m glued to my computer in my office - writing, revising, brainstorming, catching up on emails, connecting with other writers, working on promotional things, or cyber stalking…er…I mean social networking. 

As far as organizing my time, I’ve tried to write down schedules to set aside times in the day to get specific things done, but I usually end up using these well-intended schedules as scrap paper for something or another.  I’m better at spontaneous scheduling, which is a complete oxymoron, I know.  I’m also a master at to-do lists ... I love to cross things off – it’s liberating and keeps me on track.

I can find inspiration from anywhere or nowhere at all.  I’ve always had a very vivid imagination, so sometimes idea sparks will come to me out of thin air … some may call that insanity.

Creative inspiration can also be triggered by memories, something I hear or see, a song, a smell, a quirky word, an interaction, something that makes me laugh, a dream, etc.  Writing can be a full sensory experience (aka insanity)!

Are there any tips you could give aspiring writers who are looking to get published?

My tips are to practice your writing craft daily, read the genre you want to write, study the publishing market, never give up, and network your tail off (the more people you know in the industry, the better).  I also think it’s important to be careful not to stifle your own writing by comparing it to other writers’ successes or failures.  Always avoid a creative comparison coma by celebrating the uniqueness of your individual writing style and journey. 

Can you describe three aspects of writing craft that have been most important as you’ve developed as an author?

1) I’ve learned it’s really important to write what I love, not necessarily what’s popular.  Loving the project I’m working on guarantees that I’ll be able to write authentically while having fun with it. 

2) Voice is also very important to me.  I like to make sure the voice of my narrator/main character is unique and interesting enough to be in the driver’s seat of my story. 

3) It’s key for me to focus on keeping the pace active, eventful and engaging.  My goal is to entertain readers from the beginning through the end without boredom … and I usually like to add in some quirky humor to keep my writing moving in a fun direction. 

Which favorite authors would you invite to a dinner party? What fictional character do you wish you’d invented?

I’d love to have a fun, laugh-fest, girl-power dinner party with Sophie Kinsella (Madeleine Wickham), J.K.Rowling, Louise Rennison, Meg Cabot and Judy Blume. 

Of course, if someone like Henry Cavill wanted to stop by, I’d gladly make an exception to the girl-only author rule.  After all, it’s important to remain flexible and open-minded. 

I wish I had created Harry Potter and his whole wizarding world.  I adore the magic and endless creativity that J.K. Rowling put into bringing his epic series to life. 

I also wish I had created Ebenezer Scrooge from A CHRISTMAS CAROL because he’s such an awesomely vile character who goes through an incredible transformation.  Hmmm… maybe I can mash-up the two with a twist to create my own character: Scrooge Potter, a greedy, hallucinating boy wizard with a penchant for making pottery.  Now that’s an idea! Excuse me while I get to work writing…