Ask the Author: Amy Cook
Answered Questions (8)
Amy Cook
Christiane,
You have to first become a part of the 'Author Program'. Once that is under way, there are great instructions to uploading your work. If you ever get stuck, the Goodreads staff is great at helping you. :) Good luck!
https://www.goodreads.com/author/program
You have to first become a part of the 'Author Program'. Once that is under way, there are great instructions to uploading your work. If you ever get stuck, the Goodreads staff is great at helping you. :) Good luck!
https://www.goodreads.com/author/program
Amy Cook
Thanks for asking Ricky!
My favorite author growing up was without a doubt Terry Brooks. I fell in love with reading when I cracked open the first Shannara book. Up to that point I wasn't that much into reading. Terry's written talents opened a whole new world to me, which has lead me down the road to becoming an author myself. :) After finding Terry Brooks, I was at the library at least three times a week looking for more books to devour.
My favorite author growing up was without a doubt Terry Brooks. I fell in love with reading when I cracked open the first Shannara book. Up to that point I wasn't that much into reading. Terry's written talents opened a whole new world to me, which has lead me down the road to becoming an author myself. :) After finding Terry Brooks, I was at the library at least three times a week looking for more books to devour.
Amy Cook
My debut book stems from real life inspiration. Edge of Instinct was actually written as a sort of personal therapy for me. My brother was sent over seas to fight in the war, and I tried to put on a brave face. (After I bawled like a baby of course.) Even long after my brother returned I found I had not dealt with these emotions. A few years ago I finally put pen to paper to drudge these emotions to the surface. Edge of Instinct began as my way of working through the pent up emotions I had set aside on the matter; my fears and frustrations along with my personal efforts to maintain a strong front. The scenes of Amiel and Jaron were the reflections of my fears of losing my brother. Thankfully my brother came back unharmed. From time to time I dig through my writings and I came across this scene between brother and sister. Rereading it I found that it could be turned into an amazing story. Thus Edge of Instinct was born and brought to fruition. :)
Amy Cook
Most of my ideas either come from late night musings as I try to fall asleep, or when I am doing something mindless like household chores. Whenever my mind has a moment to move into a more relaxed state, ideas just seem to flow. Of course there is also the typical author response, 'from dreams'. Dreams are always a great well to dip into for book ideas. :) It doesn't take much to get me gnawing away at a new book idea. Much of my book inspirations will spring from a simple sentence or scene that runs through my mind while up to my elbows in laundry.
Amy Cook
At any given time I have a several works in progress. I am a mood writer, and as such I bounce around from story to story depending on my mood at the time. So the straight forward answer is 'lots of stuff' LOL :)
Amy Cook
Have confidence in yourself, and what you are doing. But most importantly always remember why you are doing what you do. It's so easy for the editing and publishing process to wear a person down, to even make them hate writing. It's so important to keep in mind why you write, for the sheer love of it, the way it makes you feel and the way you know it will make others feel. Keeping that mindset helps you to sludge through the drudgery of the writing politics that go on once the fun of writing is completed. :)
Amy Cook
The delete button! If only life had a delete button too! Any time I say something awkward in a book I can go back and delete it, rephrase it to best reflect what I REALLY MEANT to say. Real life conversations don't have that option ;)
Amy Cook
Writers block sucks. It's really not something I can rush, personally. If I rush it, the gates lock down and it takes even longer to get out of my writers funk. I find the best time to work out my writers block is at the gym in the AM. I put some music on (whatever I feel like might fight the stubborn scene at hand best), pop in the ear buds, and go for a run. It may not work right away, but it helps me to clear my mind and set the mood to get the creative juices flowing. :)
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