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About Amelia Legend
I live in a small town in rural Canada. Although I was born and raised in a city-suburb of California, I much prefers a quiet life with my family in the countryside. I am a teacher and a passionate humanitarian for those who are marginalized, exploited, and oppressed. I used to live and work in third-world countries rebuilding after natural disasters. By focusing my writing on issues she feels are often kept quiet by apathetic cultural norms, I believe I can make more people mindful of the issues they are often unaware of or misinformed of by those in power.
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Contents
How And When Did You Get Started Writing?
I began writing as a teenager, mostly poetry and short stories, but wrote my first novel when I was twenty-five. I began writing by what I know and by integrating characters that were based on my real friends and family into my story. This method creates authentic demential characters, this can be a helpful practice especially for a new writer. In fact, the main character’s love interest in my first and second novels are based on my husband.
What Does Literary Success Look Like To You?
Readership. Literary success means building lifelong readers that will remain loyal to your craft. Every writer has their own niche, by discovering my unique stories I can build a community of readers.
What Actionable Tips And Tricks Do You Have For New Writers That They Can Apply Now On Their Journey As Budding Writers?
I learned a lot about what to do, and what not to do, with my first two novels. I was published by a vanity press not knowing what that even was, and having no one to talk to who was a writer I misunderstood the profession. Now, I have taken control of my novels and have explored indie authorship more with a helpful community of writers. I also rely on my incredible editor to help create the best product I possibly can, and a book is a product people are buying. The product should be polished and as perfect as it can be. Social media is another tool every author should be prepared for as a tool to market your writing and to build readership. Be on every platform you can, build a website, create a following.
What Are Common Traps For Aspiring Writers?
Vanity Press Publishing houses, they often ask you to pay for services to be published and are not real publishing houses. In fact, their editing is often sub-par and their marketing is less than effective.
My second ‘trap’ to avoid is editors who are not professional. If you are hiring an editor, and you should hire someone, you need to do your due diligence and read books they have edited.
If You Could Tell Your Younger Writing Self Anything, What Would It Be?
Have patience. I would tell my younger self to query literary agents and publishing houses properly and with patience. This is what I do now, and will continue to do moving forward.
What Are Your Favorite Books? Fiction And/ Or Non-Fiction?
Jane Eyre, anything written by Sarah J. Maas, LOTR, The Witch’s Daughter, Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons series, Slammed trilogy by Colleen Hoover… I could go on endlessly. I am an eclectic reader and writer. I love a lot of different genres and authors.
Anything You’d Like To Plug?
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