About Anne C Miles:
Anne C. Miles, an award-winning author, was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois fifty years ago. She successfully avoided writing fiction for years by blogging and extensive journaling. However, one day, she logged into a writing site and scribbled. She kept going, and now cannot stop. Her book, Sorrowfish, was named Best Fantasy of 2019 by Indies Today.
When Anne isn't working or writing, she plays violin badly and spoils her four grandchildren. She is hard at work on the next book of her series, The Call of the Lorica.
What inspires you to write?
I'm inspired to write by objects or things which feel magical to me – things that are weird and catch my attention. Trees which bleed. Songs which play in my head and will not stop. Sculpting and art. I will have a story forming around these before I have blinked and really processed what is going on. I used to think everyone did this but have discovered it's part of being a writer.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
My favorite author is probably CS Lewis, though I've been influenced a lot by Tolkien as well. I love Madeleine L'Engle and Susan Cooper and Robert Jordan. I also really like Dean Koontz.
Tell us about your writing process.
I outline pieces of my books. I have an editor who really thinks I should outoine and I try but then I wander way off course or worse, get stuck. Then I go back to pantsing merrily. I've sort of discovered that if I write what I know will happen on cards in Scrivener and then arrange them, it sort of becomes an outline. That's as close as i can get.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
The scenes unfold in my mind like a movie and I write down what my characters do and say. I don't really interact with them.
What advice would you give other writers?
Looking at your novel in chapters, if you end a chapter on a positive happy tone, then the next beat should be down. The story should turn and go either to fear or sadness or something negative. The turns are important. Read Robert McKee. He discusses this idea in-depth.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I self-published because as a designer, I could not bear the idea of someone else designing my book/website/promo materials. I have been a graphic designer for 20 years and wasn't about to hand over control of my work to someone else.
If you are a new author, seek what works for you. Traditional publishing might be a long and painful process but it might be right for you. You do not know until you try.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think book publishing is going the way of music industry. It has taken longer, but we have such diversity and imagination in the self-published work. The talent pool rivals that of traditional publishing and I think the retailers will catch up. I'm already seeing it with some indie book shops.
What genres do you write?: Fantasy
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Anne C Miles Home Page Link
Link To Anne C Miles Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
