Ask the Author: Amber Smith
Answered Questions (8)
Amber Smith
Yes! I did, and it's called THE WAY I AM NOW! It's out now :)
Amber Smith
Never give up on your dream!
It took me three years to write my debut novel THE WAY I USED TO BE. I started the process of trying to get that book published in 2011, and I received rejection after rejection after rejection for YEARS before it finally sold, and was published in 2016--five years later!
But all that time, I was taking those rejections and learning from them, constantly revising and reworking my book, until finally I found the perfect team who believed in my book as much as I did.
It took me three years to write my debut novel THE WAY I USED TO BE. I started the process of trying to get that book published in 2011, and I received rejection after rejection after rejection for YEARS before it finally sold, and was published in 2016--five years later!
But all that time, I was taking those rejections and learning from them, constantly revising and reworking my book, until finally I found the perfect team who believed in my book as much as I did.
Amber Smith
There are so many amazing things about being a writer--having a job where I can be creative and express myself was something I always dreamed of--but the absolute best thing about being a writer is getting to hear from readers!
It is so rewarding to hear from people who feel connected to the stories and characters I create. When I was young, I remember feeling so alone at times. Knowing that my books help even one person to feel less alone in the world means more to me than words can express.
It is so rewarding to hear from people who feel connected to the stories and characters I create. When I was young, I remember feeling so alone at times. Knowing that my books help even one person to feel less alone in the world means more to me than words can express.
Amber Smith
I'm not sure if I believe writer's block is a real thing, but that's not to say I don't get stuck, or have bouts where everything I write is terrible! That happens A LOT, but I don't think writer's block is necessarily something that happens TO you, but rather something that you often do to yourself! :)
One of the things I try to do is to make sure I have a couple of different things I’m working on at once, so that if I get stuck on one book, I can jump over to work on something else for a little while, and most often the original problem I was having tends to resolve itself when I’m not so focused on it.
For me, dealing with writer's block is mostly about determining how to get out of my own way.
One of the things I try to do is to make sure I have a couple of different things I’m working on at once, so that if I get stuck on one book, I can jump over to work on something else for a little while, and most often the original problem I was having tends to resolve itself when I’m not so focused on it.
For me, dealing with writer's block is mostly about determining how to get out of my own way.
Amber Smith
Hello, and thanks so much for your question! (I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to respond--I had no idea I had questions waiting for me).
Great question! When I first began writing this book, Eden was very similar to me, but then as the story grew and I spent more and more and more time with Eden, she started become her own person. I feel like this happens with every book I write--the main character starts out as almost an alter ego for me, but then by the end is someone VERY different!
With Eden and her story, it was not so much the specific events and characterizations that ended up being based on reality; it's the emotional world of the book is what ended up being very real for me and came out of a lot of real-life experiences I've been through.
Great question! When I first began writing this book, Eden was very similar to me, but then as the story grew and I spent more and more and more time with Eden, she started become her own person. I feel like this happens with every book I write--the main character starts out as almost an alter ego for me, but then by the end is someone VERY different!
With Eden and her story, it was not so much the specific events and characterizations that ended up being based on reality; it's the emotional world of the book is what ended up being very real for me and came out of a lot of real-life experiences I've been through.
Amber Smith
What great questions--thanks for asking!
It felt like a very natural progression for me, moving from visual art to writing. I always wrote--a lot of journaling, poetry, that sort of thing. And when I got out of college and grad school, I found that for the first time in many years, I no longer had a studio space to create art in, so I started going smaller and smaller with my artwork, incorporating mixed media and pieces of my writing and poetry into the art I was making, until writing ended up becoming my main creative outlet.
To answer the second part of your question, I don't think any one form of art is necessarily more expressive than another, but they are very different, and I think the way people interact with them is also different. To me, music is very immediate, visual art is more physical, and writing and reading can be more a little more intimate or private (if that makes sense?)
It felt like a very natural progression for me, moving from visual art to writing. I always wrote--a lot of journaling, poetry, that sort of thing. And when I got out of college and grad school, I found that for the first time in many years, I no longer had a studio space to create art in, so I started going smaller and smaller with my artwork, incorporating mixed media and pieces of my writing and poetry into the art I was making, until writing ended up becoming my main creative outlet.
To answer the second part of your question, I don't think any one form of art is necessarily more expressive than another, but they are very different, and I think the way people interact with them is also different. To me, music is very immediate, visual art is more physical, and writing and reading can be more a little more intimate or private (if that makes sense?)
Amber Smith
Hello Elisee! First of all, I'm so sorry for taking THREE YEARS (!?) to respond--I just realized I have a bunch of questions that have been sitting here forever!
Thanks for your questions! Art was my first love and I'm so thankful I was able to go to school for it. I'm a huge photography and mixed media fan. I love black and white photos, and I think Sally Mann is one of my favorite photographers. Another artist I love is Romare Bearden (I've spent a lot of time researching and writing about his work so it holds a special place in my heart!)
Writing Advice.... Other than the usual: read and write as much as possible, I would also add that it's really important to put yourself out there and connect with other writers and develop a community (it is something I wish I would've started doing much earlier than I did).
And lastly, don't give up! I started writing THE WAY I USED TO BE in 2009 and it didn't come out until 2016. I received so many rejections for this book, and there were times I truly never thought it would happen for me, but I kept going anyway, just for myself, and then it finally did.
Never give up on your dreams! <3
Thanks for your questions! Art was my first love and I'm so thankful I was able to go to school for it. I'm a huge photography and mixed media fan. I love black and white photos, and I think Sally Mann is one of my favorite photographers. Another artist I love is Romare Bearden (I've spent a lot of time researching and writing about his work so it holds a special place in my heart!)
Writing Advice.... Other than the usual: read and write as much as possible, I would also add that it's really important to put yourself out there and connect with other writers and develop a community (it is something I wish I would've started doing much earlier than I did).
And lastly, don't give up! I started writing THE WAY I USED TO BE in 2009 and it didn't come out until 2016. I received so many rejections for this book, and there were times I truly never thought it would happen for me, but I kept going anyway, just for myself, and then it finally did.
Never give up on your dreams! <3
Amber Smith
Oh my gosh--I'm sorry it's taken me three years to figure out how to see these questions!
Melissa, you are too kind! Thank you, and right back atcha, you amazing writer! <3
Melissa, you are too kind! Thank you, and right back atcha, you amazing writer! <3
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