Author Interview - Emé Savage
Emé Savage is the author of The Genesis Chronicles, an adult epic fantasy series. She lives in Dearborn, MI with
her author husband, A.M. Holmes, and their three feline overlords, Rosie,
Tilly, and Mylo. She has been writing since she was seven, finding great joy in
building new worlds, creating maps, and going on adventures. She is also a
storm chaser, quilter, financial whiz, sewist, and entrepreneur. Yes, she has
been struck by lightning. No, it wasn’t while storm chasing, and sadly no super
powers were acquired.
Genre: Adult epic fantasy
Q&A:
Q1:
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It is called Mirror of Ettek, and it was inspired by my experiences as a
disabled person. I knew I wanted to write something where the main
characters were disabled and how they are the heroes of this particular story.
Q2:
What is a significant way your book has changed since the first
draft?
The biggest change was switching out a side character for a different one. The original character wasn’t working, and the new one adds some additional layers in a very satisfying way.
Q3:
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest influence is Madeleine L’Engle. She wrote the Time Quintet
novel series, which is a blend of fantasy, SciFi, and Biblical retellings. I’m
drawn to multi-layered stories that make you think. So, I decided that is
what I would write too.
Q4:
What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I
use NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNo to draft my books. I didn’t do that with my first
two novels, but I did with Mirror of Ettek in 2019. I went from drafting
a book over several years to drafting this one in eight months. I did it again
in 2020 with Beneath the Copper Sky, which is my debut SciFi novel, and
I’m doing it again for 2021 with the final instalment of the fantasy series
called Gateway of the Makar.
Daily I’m either drafting, editing, or marketing my work. I do schedule breaks
between stages. When I became more disciplined with my work, I definitely
became more productive and better at what I do.
Q5: What advice would you give to a
writer working on their first book?
Develop a consistent habit. If you can only write once a week, then write once
a week. If you can do once a month, then do once a month. Five minutes a day?
Do that. Developing a consistent writing habit is how things will get done.
Q6:
What is the best writing advice you have ever heard?
Don’t edit while you are drafting. That made a big difference in my work. For my first two novels I edited while drafting and it took fifteen years to draft the first one, and ten years to draft the second one. For Mirror of Ettek, which I wrote without editing, it only took 8 months.
Q7:
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
First, I let everyone know what I did. Then I have cake. Then I rest, watch Star Trek, play video games, and sew something.
Q8: What do you think is the best
way to improve writing skills?
Practice. Get feedback. Practice more. Read a lot. Practice some more. I’m still learning how to be a better writer. No one creates in a vacuum.
Q9:
What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m drafting the fourth and final instalment of my fantasy series called Gateway of the Makar. All the promises I’ve made in the first three novels will come to fruition. No pressure.
Q10:
What are you currently reading?
Wolf
in Winter
by Barbara Lennox.
His hands shook as he carefully
wrapped the Mirror in a piece of leather and placed it in his vest next to his
heart. Stiffly, he pushed himself up with a very loud grunt. The pain of his
joints snapping and crackling distracted him from the persistent ringing that
came whenever such memories intruded on his present. He closed his eyes for a
moment, waiting for his head to stop swimming as he concentrated on the
roughness of the bark beneath his fingertips. Finally, the geo righted itself.
He sighed. The Mirror always exacted
a price. Always.
To find out more about Emé Savage, check out her social media links below or sign up to her newsletter here:
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