About Cully Mack:
Cully Mack is a fantasy lover and student of myth, so it’s no wonder after completing her B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing and her Masters in Creative Writing she combined the three into the Voice that Thunders epic fantasy series where monsters crept into the world, myth was born, and magic first breathed.
When Cully's characters aren't invading her mind with unresolved conflicts and plot twists, she brings herself back into the real world where she enjoys travelling, reading and walking her dog in the forest. Cully is an advocate for following your dreams.
What inspires you to write?
I began writing because my mother joined a creative writing class and I asked if I could go with her. I loved it so much; I quit my job and went back to university to study English Literature and Creative Writing. I haven't looked back, and what I've learned most in my life is to follow your dreams.
I always loved the fantasy genre, and I have a keen interest in mythology. I decided to merge the two and created the Voice that Thunders series. Myth absolutely fascinates me (the older the better – think pre Egyptian, Greek and Roman). Yes, those titans, gods and beastly monsters were known to older civilizations in Mesopotamia and I feature them in my books.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Some of my favourite authors are Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist, Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson, Jay Kristof and Patrick Rothfuss.
More recently I have been reading YA/NA and I like Sarah J Maas, Raye Wagner and Jennifer Armentrout.
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm a discovery writer. I tend to know certain plot points, for example, I knew Mirah needed to reach Hermonial because I wanted to write a character who was close to my antagonist.
My start point was her on the ship, so I just started to write her journey and added conflict along the way. I love how characters grow and overcome the challenges they face. Being a discovery writer, my characters often surprise me and lead me into territory I wasn't expecting to go.
I love plot twists!
Most of my twists come from writing myself into a hole and then figuring out how to fix it. There are quite a few big ones in my books which my mind would never have imagined if I’d sat down and tried to think it up. Some people might think this tactic is insane, but for me, it keeps my writing fresh.
I remember my English Professor saying; I love how your writing is so unpredictable, how do you do it? I answered, it’s because I have no clue what’s going to happen until I write the words on the page.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to them all the time. I'm always asking my characters they would do or say in situations. Some take me longer to figure out, but the loud ones like Ammo never stay silent!
What advice would you give other writers?
Don't quit! It's really hard sometimes. Writing can be isolating, and sometimes you wonder if anyone even reads/enjoys your work. Reviews help a lot. A well-timed review has saved my sanity more than once when I've been second guessing myself.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I heard some horror stories of authors going down the traditional route and not getting their whole series published. I didn't want that to happen to me, so I chose to self publish. I enjoy all aspects of self publishing except for marketing 🙁
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Audiobooks are growing more popular. It's something I hope to expand in to at some point.
With shows like Game of Thrones and The Witcher the fantasy genre is becoming more mainstream. I see more book adapting to the screen in coming years.
What genres do you write?: Epic/high fantasy, YA fantasy, speculative fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Link To Cully Mack Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on BookBub
Your Social Media Links
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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.
