Alyssa: I wish I had a scheduled
day enough to have a ritual! I have three children 3 and under, and my day
revolves around them. When I have the time to write, I just have to jump in and
pound it out.
Paul: If someone had the power to step into your
creative mind what would they see?
Alyssa: Corn and cheese. As in,
unbearably amplified emotional scenes of action and romance and all kinds of
drama. I'm pretty sure there are a couple of filters on the way down to my
fingers... although sometimes it comes through in full force. My mother, also a
writer, says you need a good “crap-o-meter” to be a writer.
Paul: What is a typical day for you?
Alyssa: Wake up when I hear my
children squawking, get them ready for the day, catch up on emails while they
watch some PBS, lunchtime craziness, children's naptime and my writing time IF
my 3 month old isn't fussy, play with the kids, make dinner, clean up after the
day, put the kids to bed, go for a run (sometimes... I mean really, the reason I
run is so I can eat delicious food so... not a lot of dedication there), and
then write.
Paul: Do you have a favorite character in each of
your series, aside from the lead? If so, which one and why?
Alyssa: I think Gavin is one of
my favorite characters because he reminds me of my younger brother a little bit.
Paul: In all the years you’ve been publishing your
work, what is the biggest mistake you made that you could share so others can
avoid making it?
Alyssa: I'm brand new at this, so
I don't have years of wisdom to impart. However, it took me longer to get
published because the first round of queries I sent out contained a
less-than-ideal edited novel. After I had a very dear friend comb through my
work meticulously, and I worked harder on perfecting it, it was much more
likely for a publisher to find it appealing. And they did!
Paul: How do you find the
time to write?
Alyssa: When
my children are sleeping!
Paul: What is one thing
you hope I do not tell the readers?
Alyssa: I'm
a Twihard!
Paul: Do you plot your
stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Alyssa: Oh
yes, I plan them out as detailed as I possibly can. My husband is my “plot
master,” and we spend hours going over my plot and finding possible holes.
Paul: Do you do a lot of
editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?
Alyssa: I
have to edit a lot. I am a young, brand new writer, and I have a tendency to be
wordy. And corny. However, I do have a rule where I wait until the work is
finished before I start tearing it to shreds. I would never get a novel
finished if I allowed myself to edit at will.
Alyssa: Lunula is my first novel, and
it is a YA fantasy based in the kingdom of Irador. It is about a witch, the
only one born in 100 years, and the warlock of opposite powers she must run
from or risk death at his hand. On a mission for her queen, she is captured by
the warlock. The question then becomes, can she hide her identity from him long
enough to escape and save her kingdom?
Paul: Do you have any
pieces of work that will never see the light of day?
Alyssa: Sadly,
yes. I wrote a novel when I was 16-18, and it was kind of my training novel. It
was fun and really not bad, but it seems like
it was written by a teenager.
Paul: What do you do when
you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?
Alyssa: I'm
a crafty homemaker, and I hit up my Pinterest projects whenever I have a spare
hour or two.
Paul: Thanks, Alyssa. That was great. I wish you every success for the future.
Currently, Alyssa is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Marriage and Family Relations with a minor in English. She is married to her High School sweetheart, and they have three beautiful children who keep them both very occupied. Although her novels are often written in the late hours of the night and during cherished naptime blocks, she devotes a very special part of herself to the power of words and love of storytelling.
Alyssa's Blog: Alyssa Auch
Alyssa on Twitter: @alyssa_auch
Alyssa on Facebook: Alyssa Auch
Alyssa's latest book: Lunula (Amazon)
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