About E. Paige Burks:
E. Paige Burks is a YA fantasy author who lives in Houston, TX with her husband and son, as well as two dogs and an army of cats. If she could, she would also have a dragon for a pet. She loves Tex-Mex, napping, and singing loudly in the car.
What inspires you to write?
I love telling my story! There's this deep, innate yearning to write and to tell these characters' stories. I've carried them with me since I was in high school, so they're sort of a big part of my life now.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I recently have really enjoyed Max Brooks' Devolution, and John Sandford and Ctein's Saturn Run. I don't have favorite authors, I just like interesting stories. I'll also say that Devolution was really disturbing, but in a good way. It lingered in my brain for weeks. And I'll never look at Bigfoot/Sasquatch the same way again!
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a pantser. I try to outline, start trying to follow it, say eff it and do what I want (or rather, what my characters want). I gave up on trying to stick to any kind of outline. Plus, the time it takes to draft an outline, I could have already written half the book! I do like to have character art/sketches/maps/stuff like that though. It helps flush out my world, which has become rather expansive, and a lot of readers say that it adds a layer of realism to the world, which is awesome because that's what I want!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don't talk to them, per se. It's more like, I imagine what they would do or say in certain situations and how they would handle certain things. I once read that there is a fine line between genius and insanity; having people "living" in your head definitely makes that a reality!
What advice would you give other writers?
Write. Write. Write. And Write. And don't worry if it's been done before or it's not good enough or whatever. Tell your story and worry about the rest later.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
My book Return to Royalty won an award and part of the winnings was help publishing independently. It just sort of unfolded from there! Indie publishing is a great option, but it has a lot of nuances and facets, so it helps to work with someone who has done it before. I also discovered that I love the design process. I love the flexibility to be creative with my own stuff and make it the way I want.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Digital books, audio books, and print books – available from small, indie publishers, is the way. I can't tell you how many books I've read that were by indie authors that were amazing! Now they won't be overlooked by big publishing houses and their skills won't "go to waste". I love the indie/self-publishing route and think it's the future. Of course, you still need an editor and it doesn't mean you should put something that hasn't been thoroughly vetted into the pile. You want your book to stand out and look as professional as possible!
What genres do you write?: YA fantasy, YA fiction/scifi
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
E. Paige Burks Home Page Link
Link To E. Paige Burks Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
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.
