Monday 6 May 2013

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - EMMA L. ADAMS


What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My full name’s Emma Louise Adams (three incredibly common names!), and I was born in Birmingham, UK. I still live there now, but during term time I’m studying in Lancaster in north-west England.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I’ve always written, but it wasn’t until I was ten that I realised I wanted to be an author. I never really had any career ambitions before that, and since then I haven’t looked back!

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?
I’ve been writing novels since I was 14, but it took me a year to write The Puppet Spell and six months of submissions before I signed the contract with Rowanvale.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It varies depending on the book. The Puppet Spell took about a year including planning, but my next book, Darkness Watching, took me only six months.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
My next book is Darkness Watching, the first in the planned five-book Darkworld series. It’s a darker fantasy than The Puppet Spell and it’s written for a mature audience (say, 16+), but it was still a lot of fun to write! I’ve recently signed a contract to publish the book later this year with Curiosity Quills Press.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
From The Puppet Spell, my favourite character has to be the chimera. He’s just so fun to write. I like writing exasperating, sarcastic characters.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
I use name generator sites to find character names, or I just hear a name and note it down. I tend to twist or adapt real place names to use for locations in my novels, but that depends on whether I’m writing about a fantasy location or a more everyday place.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I definitely plan, although I don’t follow a rigid outline. I plot out the main events of each chapter and think hard about the overarching storyline, otherwise I end up veering off on tangents or losing steam.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
I never base my characters directly on real people, but I sometimes lift events from my own experience and twist them slightly if they fit into the story. For instance, my next book is set at a university, so I have included some events – such as getting stranded overnight on a hike!  - that happened during my experience. But never people.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer?
My favourite has to be the Lord of the Rings trilogy, although the Harry Potter films are excellent, too. But my least favourite book to movie adaptation has to be the Eragon movie. *shudder*

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
I think there’s something enduring about the paperback and I don’t think it’ll ever truly be gone, even if ebooks come to dominate the market. I love my Kindle, but sometimes it’s nice to hold a book in your hand, especially if it has a pretty cover. That said, e-readers are very useful if you travel a lot, like I do – and if you have limited space for physical books!

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?
I was the shy bookworm in the corner at school! I’ve always written stories and preferred reading and making up adventures to socialising. That hasn’t changed much as I’ve got older!
(I have to say I totally know where you are coming from as that description fits myself nd more recently my daughter very well)

Did you have a favourite author as a child?
I grew up reading Roald Dahl, and I loved his books, especially The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But the Harry Potter series is the one I grew up with.

Do you have a favourite genre of book?
Without a doubt, it has to be fantasy, because the possibilities are limitless!

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