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!
Thanks for having me! :)
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