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About Autumn M. Birt
I’ve been a self-published author since 2012 when I released my debut fantasy novel, Born of Water. A brief stint with a publisher had me back to indie publishing in May of 2015 when I released my post-apocalyptic thriller series and re-released my previous titles. With Born of Water approaching 375 reviews, I feel pretty good about how things are going. lol
I love stories with adventure and character you want to call your friend — ones that you know will have your back no matter what. I also like to layer in the emotional journey of characters, hardship, heartbreak, and overcoming the things that hold you back (even when that is yourself!) for both my heroes and villains. Because, I admit, I sometimes have a soft spot for the bad guys and gals. But most of my novels are noblebright, where good wins the day even if the cost is high.
I fell in love with fantasy stories in Junior High School when I stumbled on a short story called Impression written by Anne McCaffrey. That is when I discovered dragons and fantasy stories and I was hooked for life, reading like a word addict anything I could find from Mercedes Lackey to Tracey Hickman to Isaac Asimov (space is cool!). I still read as much as I can, but writing puts a dent in my free time. I’m totally impassioned to tell the stories in my head and bring the characters to life.
In 2016, I left my full time job and setup to be a full time writer, graphic artist, and writing coach. I built the Am Writing Fantasy platform and teamed up with Jesper Schmidt to grow it along with our list of writing courses, a podcast, youtube channel, and more. Plus, we’ve released non-fiction books together, are writing a fiction series together, and I’m releasing my own books as well. Life is crazy busy, has its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it for the “steady” life of my old job. With my husband, we’ve traveled over 100,000 miles across North America and are currently settled in a tiny cabin in the Vermont Woods as we weather the pandemic and decide what is next.
See their work:
Contents
How And When Did You Get Started Writing?
I actually wrote short stories quite a bit in high school and won a writing contest there my senior year. I didn’t take it seriously though even if I did pick away at stories even while working on my Master’s degree. It was my husband finding a story I wrote (instead of class notes!) and being really impressed that spurred me to writing a trilogy (not published – it was awful!), take some more writing classes, write Born of Water, rewrite it, rewrite it again, and then self-publish it. Now I’m about to release book #21!
What Does Literary Success Look Like To You?
Being listed as someone’s favorite author. That just moves me like little else. Though, having the money from my books alone to support a nice lifestyle is probably second to that. Of course, even then I wouldn’t give up drawing or helping other authors. It’s just in my nature!
What Actionable Tips And Tricks Do You Have For New Writers That They Can Apply Now On Their Journey As Budding Writers?
Write a lot and read a lot. Break down what you read too. What did you like? What did you hate? And why? And learn your craft. Understand character arcs, how they affect the plot, how to plot, how to create descriptions without overwhelming readers, and how to bring characters and worlds to life. It sounds like a lot, but those are really the crux of it. And then, when you’ve written something you like, gotten it edited, make sure you do it the service of putting a GREAT cover on it. Book covers attract readers and going skimpy is a disservice to all of your hard work. After that, do it again. Your next book will be better and easier. Learn to market and learn to be resilient. And if you have questions, ask the author community. They are amazingly supportive and helpful!
What Are Common Traps For Aspiring Writers?
Giving in to doubt or that voice that says your writing isn’t good enough, you’ll never make enough money, etc. Don’t listen to that. Write because you love it. Write a book you would have fallen in love with if you found it as a reader. Be passionate about it. You can learn to market (or hire a marketer) but without a book, you can’t send it out to the world and become someone’s favorite author!
If You Could Tell Your Younger Writing Self Anything, What Would It Be?
Start writing sooner and jump into the self-publishing market in 2008 or so!
What Are Your Favorite Books? Fiction And/ Or Non-Fiction?
The Wood Wife by Terri Windling, Star of the Guardians by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Anything You’d Like To Plug?
I’m about to release the next book in my Fae Urban Fantasy series, the Tainted Fae, with the rest of the series coming out quickly behind. So, I’m giving away book 1 for FREE. You can pick it up at https://BookHip.com/JAFAN.
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- Write For Yourself With Author Jessica Yeh
- Focusing On Your Own Creativity With M. S. Grayson
- Observing And Absorbing Everything With Author Nicole Kilpatrick
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