I often put out calls for authors to promote themselves by letting me interview them for my blog. Erin Swan was one of the first to respond. Check her out.
What inspires your writing?
I get inspiration for my stories from many places, including books, movies, video games, and even my own life. But the inspiration to actually write? I think that comes from the need to see my stories told. I’m not satisfied to just let them turn over and over in my own mind. I need to put them down. I need to see it actually come together, and see the characters come to life.
What is your process of developing characters?
I frequently start off with only a very basic idea of who my characters are. I know their names, the thing that drives them the most, but aside from those basic details, I don’t really get to know my characters until I’m deep into writing. Most of my characters develop as the story moves along. Their internal struggles and personal journeys are just as vital to the story as the movement of the plot and any external struggles they may face.
Did you Start with a story outline or did you make it up as you went along?
I usually have a very basic idea of where I want my story to go, but I’m not much of a plotter. I like to let the story flow in whatever way feels best as I’m writing.
How much research did you need for your story?
I don’t feel that I needed an excessive amount of research for Bright Star. I wrote in a world of my own creation, so I didn’t need to get into extremely in-depth research sessions for historical accuracy or anything of that sort. Most of my researching was focused on battle strategy, medieval-type transportation, and Latin translations of words and phrases for names and such.
What researching methods did you use?
Google is my best friend, and my go-to for research.
What were some of your methods for handling worldbuilding?
I view my world as a character and, in the same way other characters do, I start with only a basic idea of what this world is like. As I write, it begins to flesh itself out. Characters travel to new regions, and those areas come to life. Discussions of history or politics crop up in the story, and those things begin to fill themselves in for me. Questions regarding magic are asked, and I begin to figure out the intricacies of the various magic systems. Over time, the world simply becomes a fleshed-out character as the other characters explore it.
Did you draw on personal experience?
Bright Star is a very personal story for me. When I wrote it, I was extremely reserved, uncertain of who I was and my place in the world, and constantly doubting my own worth. This is the same place that Andra is in for the beginning of the story. I wanted to write a story about a character who was going on this journey of self-discovery just as I was in my personal life. As I discovered my inner voice, Andra found hers. As I began to believe in my own strength and abilities, so did she. In many ways, Andra’s journey was mine. You know, just without the dragons.
How did you publish?
I published traditionally, with Tor Teen.
Why did you do it that way?
I didn’t feel confident in my ability to publish and market a book myself, and I am an extremely cautious person, especially when it comes to finances, so the idea of having to invest a decent amount upfront to self-publish made me a bit nervous. Traditional just always felt like the better path for me.
How long did it take to land representation?
I never actively sought representation. Bright Star was posted online for many years before being discovered by the team from Inkitt. They contacted me and asked to represent me and help me to get published. So, I suppose in some ways you could say it took years to get representation, while in terms of actively seeking representation, it took no time at all!
Who did your cover and marketing?
My cover (which I am completely in love with and obsessed with) was designed by Larry Rostant. He’s an incredible artist that was contracted for the work by my publisher, Tor Teen. They also did a great deal of marketing for me, and Inkitt pitched in a bit too. Of course, I still try to do as much marketing as I can personally.
What are some of the methods you have used to generate interest in your book?
Personally, my efforts are mostly limited to social media. I’ve also distributed bookmarks to bookstores and libraries in my area, and booked speaking engagements at schools to try to generate interest.
Did you use beta readers? How did you secure them?
Bright Star was initially posted on FictionPress and then on Inkitt, so I suppose you could say that I had thousands of beta readers! I loved getting feedback from a large online audience, and grew a great deal from that. I’ve also utilized a few fellow writers as beta readers, but have never hired professional beta readers.
How did you keep your tone appropriate for YA audiences without making your story too “Adult” or mature for them?
I actually went through a great deal of editing that was focused on this. My editor felt that there were several themes and subplots that were too adult for a YA audience. I really had to take some time to put myself into the mindset of a high school-aged reader, and determine just how much grittiness was appropriate, and how dark was too dark.
How many revisions did it take to get a publishable book?
I’m constantly editing as I write for minor errors. But in terms of large revisions, I believe I went through four rounds of editing and rewrites, most of which was focused on cutting down unnecessary content.
What aspect of the book writing process did you find the most challenging?
The actual writing process has always been fun for me. I don’t really struggle with any part of that, aside from actually making the time to sit down and do it. It’s editing that I struggle with. When it comes to Bright Star, having to cut so much content was definitely a struggle. The original version was about twice the length of the published version, and removing entire plots and scenes that I loved was really difficult.
What are you writing now?
I’ve just finished the first draft of a YA fantasy called Four and Twenty Blackbirds. I’m working on the first round of edits now, and I’m hoping it will be my next published book.
What is your advice to other writers?
Don’t stop writing. You don’t have to write every day, but don’t let it become something that you used to do. I stopped writing for years after graduating college. I just felt like it wasn’t important anymore. It took my husband pushing me after we first got married to rediscover my love for writing, and now I just look back at all that wasted time, thinking about everything I could have written and how much I could have grown in that time as a writer. I would hate for any other writer to have learn that lesson the hard way like I did–or worse, simply never get back to something that they loved so much. So, my advice is to remember why you started writing in the first place. It’s like a relationship: Sometimes you have to rediscover why you fell in love, but it can be done. Your relationship with your writing is not a love that you should ever give up on.
Check out Erin’s Books at this link.
