Ask the Author: Autumn Slaght
Answered Questions (16)
Autumn Slaght
Good afternoon!
I have never read Mere Christianity as of yet, however I probably will someday soon. I have had several people recommend it to me! :)
I have never read Mere Christianity as of yet, however I probably will someday soon. I have had several people recommend it to me! :)
Autumn Slaght
About a year and a half ago. I faced the Great Unknown. I'm not talking about an afterlife this time or some fantasy setting. I'm talking about a move. My entire family felt God calling us to move out of my home state and, like Abraham, we didn't know where.
What a journey it was! Taking that first step, a leap of faith with my eyes closed, trusting only in the Word of God and His leading. I navigated the uncertain waters of a state that was completely different than the culture I came from. I found true love, fell in love, reached for my dreams and they blossomed into existence. It would be a great plot of mystery, intrigue, humor, romance and, most importantly, A Journey of Faith.
What a journey it was! Taking that first step, a leap of faith with my eyes closed, trusting only in the Word of God and His leading. I navigated the uncertain waters of a state that was completely different than the culture I came from. I found true love, fell in love, reached for my dreams and they blossomed into existence. It would be a great plot of mystery, intrigue, humor, romance and, most importantly, A Journey of Faith.
Autumn Slaght
That is a very good question. In all honesty, (you can ask my friends and family, they will tell you) I created a land known as Lamoria, a middle ages island in the UK during the years 900 - 1100 ad for one of my trilogies. In all honesty, I would travel there if I could in a heart beat and spend the rest of my days there and marry my favorite character in the trilogy, Nehemiah. But if I had to pick someone else's writing other than myself? I would have to say Camelot. Yes, I know, they've recently discovered it and it wasn't really a fictional place, but it appears in many works of fiction. What would I do? Probably find myself a dashing young Christian knight to marry.
Can you tell that I'm a leeeetle obsessed with the middle ages? :)
Can you tell that I'm a leeeetle obsessed with the middle ages? :)
Autumn Slaght
I woke up one morning.
And my coffee was not ready.
:)
And my coffee was not ready.
:)
Autumn Slaght
Hello, Thea! It is delightful to meet you, too! Thank you for posting. At this time in my writing, as much as I love my kitten Hadassah, none of my characters seem to have cats. I have two or three characters who have dogs, but surprisingly, no cats. And I don't write much fantasy, so there are no cats as characters either. However, I do have a character named Hadassah, although she is nothing like my cat. :)
Autumn Slaght
I have so many books on my summer reading list right now. As I read through my reading list, I push my hand through my hair and sigh...will I get to them? Of course I will! I'm determined to crack the covers of at least a few! Currently I'm reading through Azalei's Riders written by Miranda Marie and that one is good! And I plan to start another one called The Dragon Within by Melody Jackson, and I'm very excited to start reading that one! Other than that, I have An Uncertain Choice, A Daring Sacrifice, and For Love and Honor By Jody Hedlund. I also want to start A Lasting Impression by Tamara Alexander, whom I've heard is really good!
Those are a handful of books on my summer reading list. I can't wait to read them all!
Those are a handful of books on my summer reading list. I can't wait to read them all!
Autumn Slaght
Well, well, well, this one is very tough for me to answer! Some types of romance books are some of my favorites to read. But as for favorite romantic couples? That's a tough question. Most of the time I like one but not the other. In Lo, Michael, Michael was great. Starr was....pretty. In the Robe, Marcellus is my fandom, however Diana is another character to me. I considered Hosea and Gomer from the book of Hosea in the Bible, but they weren't fictional. After giving much consideration, I'd have to say that my favorite couples? They might be a toss up between Marcus and Hadassah from A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers or Colonel Brandon and Marianne from Sense and Sensibility. Why Colonel Brandon and Marianne? Because Colonel Brandon was a gentleman and, well, everything good really and Marianne, after getting burned so badly by Willoughby, deserved to be loved by Brandon. Hadassah and Marcus? Because everything about Hadassah could be loved and Marcus, after the Lord changed his life, became a really great guy, too. They were the perfect couple! :)
Autumn Slaght
After I finish laughing hysterically? Well, they get you where you need to go. Just not at a pace that you'd like to go, really. And they have an insect sound to them.
Autumn Slaght
Hi, Leecowan! Well, that's a tough question. I have a lot of favorites. Other than the Bible, (which I would have to say is my favorite for more reasons than one,) my favorite book that I've read is probably one titled Get Lost by Dannah Gresh. Yes, the title is rather strange, but it is explained inside the pages of the book. God used this book to help change my life back in April and, well, I would have to say it is probably my favorite one that I've read.
Autumn Slaght
Well, that's one that I've never gotten before, haha. :) They can have many definitions. Some say that they are the musical fruit. Others say that they are seeds. But for me, they usually mean dinner. Or a picnic. Something to be enjoyed.
:)
:)
Autumn Slaght
Besides banging my head against a wall and/or ranting to my Mamma about how "I can't get this story to flow!?" There are actually about four other ways I tackle it.
I've only had writer's block with my trilogy and the stand-alone that I'm currently writing. When I did, the first way I dealt with it was to walk away from it. Just set it aside and work on something else, get my mind off of that story. Sometimes if I struggled during a particular scene, I would skip it and come back to it when I read through my work again.
The most important thing I can think of to deal with it is to pray about it, ask God to give me wisdom and words and to give me the Inspiration that I need for it.
Another way is to talk to my Mamma about it. She is very instrumental in helping me look at the story from a whole new perspective and there are times that after I'm done talking to her, that I have a whole new feel on where I want to take the story.
If everything else fails, in the midst of a critical scene that I can't seem to write, this is what I do. Walk away from my laptop, (And secretly hope that my cat, Hadassah, doesn't get on the keyboard and write the words for me.)
Go out into the kitchen. Boil some water.
While I wait, I ponder aloud where I want to go with the story while I make some tea. Tea is one of my favorite ways to help with writer's block. (Well...among other things. Tea is my favorite beverage.)
I have no magical formula to overcome writer's block. I wish I did. But those are a few things that I usually try when this dreaded disease comes calling.
I've only had writer's block with my trilogy and the stand-alone that I'm currently writing. When I did, the first way I dealt with it was to walk away from it. Just set it aside and work on something else, get my mind off of that story. Sometimes if I struggled during a particular scene, I would skip it and come back to it when I read through my work again.
The most important thing I can think of to deal with it is to pray about it, ask God to give me wisdom and words and to give me the Inspiration that I need for it.
Another way is to talk to my Mamma about it. She is very instrumental in helping me look at the story from a whole new perspective and there are times that after I'm done talking to her, that I have a whole new feel on where I want to take the story.
If everything else fails, in the midst of a critical scene that I can't seem to write, this is what I do. Walk away from my laptop, (And secretly hope that my cat, Hadassah, doesn't get on the keyboard and write the words for me.)
Go out into the kitchen. Boil some water.
While I wait, I ponder aloud where I want to go with the story while I make some tea. Tea is one of my favorite ways to help with writer's block. (Well...among other things. Tea is my favorite beverage.)
I have no magical formula to overcome writer's block. I wish I did. But those are a few things that I usually try when this dreaded disease comes calling.
Autumn Slaght
What is the best thing about being a writer...hmm, that's a good question. For me, there are many things that are the best about being a writer but one of my favorite things about it is the journey that I share with each character. When I begin the story, I love putting words down, secretly hoping that they flow and praying that they don't sound like someone dropping pots and pans on the kitchen floor instead. But when the book ends and I begin the behind the scenes work on it, I can honestly say that the Journey with my characters and my Savior during the writing process is the best and most exciting part for me. :)
Autumn Slaght
Keep at it.
I will not lie to you, for many aspiring writers who want writing to be their career, it can be very discouraging at times. For myself, becoming and author seemed to be such a far-off dream that could never be achieved. But by God's mercy and kindness, it was.
My advice to you is: don't hearken to the voice of discouragement or despair. "I can never do that!" "I'll never get published!" "I will never write a novel good enough to read!" Throw those words in the trash where they belong. Even if the road is marked with hardship, keep at it. In the end, it is all worth it!
Read through your work as many times as you like, unless you are on a deadline. Doing this gives you a chance to add some stuff that would fit here and there and get to know your characters on a deeper level. Don't get discouraged if the first time you read it, you don't think it's good enough. Now that your thoughts are down, edit, review, delete and create. Editing can be fun. ...Sometimes. And also, if you're writing more than one book at a time, reading through it gives you a chance to see where you took a break to go write the other one and then re-connect it.
One thing that I cannot stress enough is this: Find a good publisher if you seek to get published. Navigating the waters of getting your book published can be scary and intimidating the first time. But it doesn't have to be. Read online reviews of how other authors viewed any particular publishing house that you are interested in. There are a lot of great ones out there so find one that works for you.
Other than that, of course there is this: Have a blast writing! You. Can. Do. It.
I will not lie to you, for many aspiring writers who want writing to be their career, it can be very discouraging at times. For myself, becoming and author seemed to be such a far-off dream that could never be achieved. But by God's mercy and kindness, it was.
My advice to you is: don't hearken to the voice of discouragement or despair. "I can never do that!" "I'll never get published!" "I will never write a novel good enough to read!" Throw those words in the trash where they belong. Even if the road is marked with hardship, keep at it. In the end, it is all worth it!
Read through your work as many times as you like, unless you are on a deadline. Doing this gives you a chance to add some stuff that would fit here and there and get to know your characters on a deeper level. Don't get discouraged if the first time you read it, you don't think it's good enough. Now that your thoughts are down, edit, review, delete and create. Editing can be fun. ...Sometimes. And also, if you're writing more than one book at a time, reading through it gives you a chance to see where you took a break to go write the other one and then re-connect it.
One thing that I cannot stress enough is this: Find a good publisher if you seek to get published. Navigating the waters of getting your book published can be scary and intimidating the first time. But it doesn't have to be. Read online reviews of how other authors viewed any particular publishing house that you are interested in. There are a lot of great ones out there so find one that works for you.
Other than that, of course there is this: Have a blast writing! You. Can. Do. It.
Autumn Slaght
Currently, the main novel that I'm working on is the next one that I aspire to get published. I will not reveal the name at this time, I wish to keep it a surprise! But I will give you a hint - the title consists of three words that were taken from a Scripture in the New Testament.
This story is basically about the love of Jesus and how a young girl struggling in her faith discovers in a major-motion-picture-kinda-way how much He truly loves us.
I'm also toying with the trilogy I mentioned in the above question. This trilogy I have been working on since I was, oh, eleven, twelve, somewhere in there and I'm about halfway through the last book. :'( Other than that, well, there's really not much time to work on much else.
This story is basically about the love of Jesus and how a young girl struggling in her faith discovers in a major-motion-picture-kinda-way how much He truly loves us.
I'm also toying with the trilogy I mentioned in the above question. This trilogy I have been working on since I was, oh, eleven, twelve, somewhere in there and I'm about halfway through the last book. :'( Other than that, well, there's really not much time to work on much else.
Autumn Slaght
I cannot really point to a specific event in my life that truly inspired me to write. Since before I can remember, I have loved writing words, writing stories, creating characters. I was always drawn to it and there was a time when I was unhappy if I was doing anything else. It never satisfied me enough to read or watch stories unfold. I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to have my own stories and characters out there to join these others, someday.
But as far as inspiration goes, again, I can tell you with all my heart that it was God who inspired me. I have a five-book series completed, a trilogy almost completed and several stand alone's sitting in the files on my laptop. Not a single one of those was my own doing. God took events in my life and turned them into inspiration for stories. And things I did not experience, He gave me the words to flow across the page. I know that this sounds like a bunch of "Christian ease," or just simply words but to me, they are real words. When I look back on the books I've written, there is no way that I could have done them without God and the inspiration that He gave me.
There is that, but sometimes I get my inspiration from music. Sometimes other stories. When I find myself in a stuck point, sometimes I crank up my classical orchestral track or David Meece and just pound away at the keyboard until the words finally break through. So along with God, music and other stories help with inspiring me to write.
But as far as inspiration goes, again, I can tell you with all my heart that it was God who inspired me. I have a five-book series completed, a trilogy almost completed and several stand alone's sitting in the files on my laptop. Not a single one of those was my own doing. God took events in my life and turned them into inspiration for stories. And things I did not experience, He gave me the words to flow across the page. I know that this sounds like a bunch of "Christian ease," or just simply words but to me, they are real words. When I look back on the books I've written, there is no way that I could have done them without God and the inspiration that He gave me.
There is that, but sometimes I get my inspiration from music. Sometimes other stories. When I find myself in a stuck point, sometimes I crank up my classical orchestral track or David Meece and just pound away at the keyboard until the words finally break through. So along with God, music and other stories help with inspiring me to write.
Autumn Slaght
Well, it's really a mixture of sugar, spice and almost everything nice. Almost. :) I have always loved to write stories and series but one evening as I was watching a movie, an idea popped into my head. To this day I can honestly say that it was from God. The idea was a young girl given a wonderful talent who misuses it for her glory instead of the glory of Who gave her the talent. A few days later, with the idea still dancing around in my busy head, a title came up as well. "First Soprano." I really liked the idea for it and eventually the title was paired with the story.
That was the sugar and almost everything nice part of it. The spice was that part of it was based off of personal experience. There was a time when my music-playing, acting and writing was getting in the way of my First Love, and I was misusing the gift that He gave me. I mean, come on. A sixteen year old girl involved in all this stuff? (I was sixteen at the time.) But God gently brought to my attention how this idol that I'd raised in my heart needed to be torn down and submitted to Him. For He was the Giver of this gift. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. And that's what I wanted to bring out in First Soprano.
That was the sugar and almost everything nice part of it. The spice was that part of it was based off of personal experience. There was a time when my music-playing, acting and writing was getting in the way of my First Love, and I was misusing the gift that He gave me. I mean, come on. A sixteen year old girl involved in all this stuff? (I was sixteen at the time.) But God gently brought to my attention how this idol that I'd raised in my heart needed to be torn down and submitted to Him. For He was the Giver of this gift. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. And that's what I wanted to bring out in First Soprano.
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