Ask the Author: Amanda J. Evans
Answered Questions (13)
Amanda J. Evans
Hi Juan,
Many thanks for your question. It all depends on the story to be honest. If I am writing a novel, the first draft will usually be around 90,000 words and this can take between 3 and 4 months to complete. I will then leave it aside for about a month before I read through it to make sure the story makes sense, has no plot holes, etc. I tend to make notes as I do my read through and once I've finished reading I will go back and take care of any notes and comments. This becomes the second draft. The third draft will look at setting and description and each chapter is assessed for this. The fourth draft looks at character to ensure that the characters are real and fully formed. That their actions make sense and their personalities come across on the page. The fifth draft focuses on dialogue, so I go through the manuscript again and read all the dialogue making sure each character's voice is distinguishable. A final read-through follows this to correct any spelling and grammar elements and this becomes my final draft. After this, I send the book to my editor and another 3 rounds of revisions are carried out. All of this combined can mean a book can take between 6 and 8 months to complete.
Hope this answered your question.
Amanda
Many thanks for your question. It all depends on the story to be honest. If I am writing a novel, the first draft will usually be around 90,000 words and this can take between 3 and 4 months to complete. I will then leave it aside for about a month before I read through it to make sure the story makes sense, has no plot holes, etc. I tend to make notes as I do my read through and once I've finished reading I will go back and take care of any notes and comments. This becomes the second draft. The third draft will look at setting and description and each chapter is assessed for this. The fourth draft looks at character to ensure that the characters are real and fully formed. That their actions make sense and their personalities come across on the page. The fifth draft focuses on dialogue, so I go through the manuscript again and read all the dialogue making sure each character's voice is distinguishable. A final read-through follows this to correct any spelling and grammar elements and this becomes my final draft. After this, I send the book to my editor and another 3 rounds of revisions are carried out. All of this combined can mean a book can take between 6 and 8 months to complete.
Hope this answered your question.
Amanda
Amanda J. Evans
Oh gosh, that's such a tricky question with so many answers. My first thought was Narnia to help with the battle against the White Witch or Oz. And then I thought of recent books I've read and I'd love to visit The Hazel Wood in Melissa Albert's book which is dark and creepy. I think it would definitely have to be a world filled with magic so I could learn how to use it.
Amanda J. Evans
Thanks for your wonderful question Theresa. Yes, this has happened on more than one occasion. When I first began writing Save Her Soul, Drake was quite a nasty character and one that I thought was going to cause a lot of trouble for Kate. He turned out to be a character that really surprised me and the way he changed made for a fantastic story.
When writing Hear Me Cry, May was a character that surprised me. I wasn't expecting her to be so pivotal to the storyline and I also never anticipated that final chapter either. It was the first time I ever cried when writing a book.
In the new book, I'm working on Winterland, there are quite a few surprises and characters that I wasn't expecting but I'm enjoying it so far and can't wait to see how it turns out.
When writing Hear Me Cry, May was a character that surprised me. I wasn't expecting her to be so pivotal to the storyline and I also never anticipated that final chapter either. It was the first time I ever cried when writing a book.
In the new book, I'm working on Winterland, there are quite a few surprises and characters that I wasn't expecting but I'm enjoying it so far and can't wait to see how it turns out.
Amanda J. Evans
I thought he'd fallen out of bed. Little did I know, the thumping sound was that of his life ending, a bullet muffled in the ears of a thirteen-year-old girl.
Amanda J. Evans
Heartless by Marisa Meyer, Throne of Glass, Before I Fall, The Night Circus, Lady Midnight, and a couple of others that are sitting on my shelf waiting for the summer sun so I can read outside.
Amanda J. Evans
I'd have to say the mystery of life after death. After my father died from suicide this was an area that I wanted to explore. I think it could make a great plot for a fiction or nonfiction book. I'd love to see a story like the movie What Dreams May Come starring the late Robin Williams.
Amanda J. Evans
It has to be Anna and Christian....I love their story and how they overcame all obstacles to find their happy ever after.
Amanda J. Evans
The most recent book I published was on Angels and how to use oracle cards to receive guidance. The idea came after being frustrated on numerous occasions with oracle card decks and the small guidebooks that come with them. They really don't give you a lot of information and there is so much more to reading cards than what these little books tell you. I wanted to produce something that would give readers a headstart, show them what they might be missing and of course provide them with more information about working with angels.
Amanda J. Evans
Sometimes you just have to push yourself and sit down and just start writing. other times, an idea will just pop into my head and I have to write it down. My day job is as a content writer for various websites and companies so I am always writing, but I love when evening comes and I get to focus on my own writing. Poetry always helps to inspire me to write as it is a way of condensing ideas sort of like a plot line and then I just turn it from a poem into a story.
Amanda J. Evans
The best thing for me about being a writer is that I am living my dream. Writing is something that I have always wanted to do. Even at a very young age I was writing. I wrote my first book when I was 9 and I still remember that it was titled "The Little Elf Fairy". I wrote it in a copybook and added pictures on every page. I remember my parents had it typed out for me. I got so much enjoyment from writing and always said that that was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Now I can finally say that yes, this is what I do and I love being a writer.
Amanda J. Evans
When writers block hits as it does for every writer, I like to take a little break, go out in the garden, go for a walk, something just to clear my head and de-stress a little. I find that when I stop trying so hard the rest of the story just comes to me.
Amanda J. Evans
I am currently working on four different titles, 3 of them are non-fiction and the 4th is a YA fantasy/paranormal novel. I am also completing a ghostwriting project for a client which is a self help guide to a wonderful life.
Amanda J. Evans
Don't stop striving for your dreams. Write as much as you can and never look for feedback until you have finished. It can be so disheartening to receive negative feedback when you are only partway through your book. It can put you on a real downer and you might never finish what you started. Just keep writing and learning as much as you can along the way. My motto is, what's meant for you will never pass you by.
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