About Whitney L. Spradling:
Whitney L. Spradling is a full time Occupational Therapist and autism mama, who has had a dream to write and publish a novel since she was a little girl. She lives outside of Cincinnati with her husband, son, and two cats. When she is not writing, she can be found in her craft room making custom tumblers, or curled up with a good book and a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine).
What inspires you to write?
I have always had a very vivid imagination. For as long as I can remember, I have had a running story going in my head, usually some type of fan fic. I have always felt the urge to write, and when I was younger I would write short stories for fun. During Covid, I finally decided to give it a try. I don't really know where my ideas come from, they usually just pop in my head. I get inspiration from music and quotes.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Sarah J. Maas is a huge inspiration for me. No one can write like her, in my opinion. I also love Jennifer L. Armentrout and Scarlett St. Clair.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a total pantster. I will do a very simple outline when get toward the end of the novel to make sure I tie up lose ends. I have an idea working in my head right now for another series that I feel like I may try to do an outline, but I haven't gotten that far yet. As for characters, I will do an interview with them to flush out traits and personalities, that way I can make sure they stay true to themselves during the story. However, I pretty much let them have their own way as I write. It can get pretty interesting when they go off script.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes. My characters become my family (my babies). They know what the overall plan is for the novel, but they have the ability to do their own thing, and they often times do. I am big of happily ever after, so they don't really have to worry to much, although I will make them suffer a bit.
What advice would you give other writers?
Just start. Don't worry about plot, grammar, spelling, publishing. Just sit down and start writing. Don't worry about what other people say or think. You do you. You will never make everyone happy. You will never be everyone's cup of tea. Take any advice and criticism given to you and learn from it. You will never go anywhere unless you sit down and just start.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Do you research thoroughly before making a choice, then do what is best for you. There are pros and cons to each decision. I chose self-publishing for now because I wanted to have more control over cover design, time lines, and all that jazz. The down side for me when it comes to self pub, is the cost out of pocket and advertising. I chose to go this route for my first book, with the intention of looking into traditional pub with future books. However, I'm finding I enjoy the self pub route, and may stick with it.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it's still going strong. There will always be people who choose the in hand copy versus digital. I strictly bought ebooks for a long time, and now I wish I had kept buying hard copies. I enjoy seeing them on my bookshelf, and I know there others out there who do as well. I think all the publishers doing special editions and different versions, or additional content in hard copies will keep people coming back for more.
What genres do you write?: Fantasy romance
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Whitney L. Spradling Home Page Link
Link To Whitney L. Spradling Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Instagram
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.
