Author Interview With Autumn Seigel
Today, we have an interview with author Autumn Seigel.
Author Autumn Seigel resides in the small town of Wapakoneta, Ohio with her parents and siblings. She has two pets. ReAwaken is her first novel.
So, what exactly do you write?
I mostly write Science Fiction and Paranormal.
How would you describe yourself in a short third person bio?
Autumn Seigel is a generous and thoughtful person who has a passion for writing.
What made you initially want to write? Has your motivation changed since then?
Um, what made me want to write was from reading the first book in the Twilight Saga back in 2008. The book was just lying on my teachers bookshelf and I asked if I can borrow it. I fell in love with most of the book. But, in the back of my mind I thought, “I could write that better.” Now, the motivation really changed for me. I just get these ideas and if I don’t write them down…I slowly start to go insane.
What do you think is the most important part of writing?
The most important part of writing is to enjoy it! If you don’t enjoy the feeling of making your own characters and worlds and telling their stories then you won’t have any fun!
What is your favourite part of writing?
My favorite part is writing the story down for the first time. I get that adrenaline rush that keeps me awake for hours in the night. Writing excites me in ways I don’t even understand myself.
Tell us an interesting fact about you.
I like mixing genres in my writing that you normally wouldn’t think would fit.
Do you have a day-job, (other than writing)?
Yes, I am a Sales Associate in Retail.
Do you prefer a physical book or an ebook? Why?
I actually prefer both. I don’t know why but I love the feel of the paper/hardback but I also like the portability of the ebook.
Tell us about your latest novel.
My latest novel is called “ReAwaken”. It’s about how climate change can effect the human race and how a group of kids try to stop that catastrophe from happening. It will be in a five book series, in the povs of the three main characters. It’s release will be August 18, 2014.
So, how long does it take you, on average, to complete a first draft?
It depends. I got “ReAwaken’s” first draft done during 2012’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).
Which projects are you working on at the moment?
Not really at the moment, but I started a new science fiction series called “The Polygon Trilogy”. I can’t tell you any details on that yet! It’s a secret!
How do you come up with the titles for your books? And do you have the final title before completing your book, or after?
Oh, I’ll give you an example. “ReAwaken” has gone through several title changes in the past few years. I’ve been going through Goodreads and if there is millions or billions of titles under that same name, I cross that name off the list. I finally got the name “ReAwaken” from a poll in a NaNoWriMo group. ReAwaken (Rebirth and Awakening mashed together) Inter-capitalized letters (like CaTalYsT) aren’t very popular on Goodreads and I only found, like, 10 of “ReAwaken”. So that’s how “ReAwaken” got it’s name.
Here was the timeline:
A New Awakening—Rebirth—The ReAwakening–ReAwaken–
How has writing changed your life?
It has helped me cope with the deaths of my two grandfathers. They both were the ones who pushed me to keep going. And, it has also helped me overcome binge eating. When I’m stressed I just type out another scene of my book and put my feelings in it. I feel much better afterwards.
Where do you get inspiration for writing from? Do you listen to music whilst writing or have a ‘writing cave’?
Music, reading, watching TV. My inspiration for ReAwaken came from watching too much Weather Channel documentaries…
Is there a particular form, style or genre that you’d like to have a go at writing? Why?
Thriller. I’ve always been scared of scary movies and just the littlest things get me nightmares for three months. I’m actually starting a fanfiction for an anime/game called “Corpse Party”. I have never seen a more bloody/gorish anime in my life. I hated the anime actually because it was a “bad ending” from the game. So, I’m adding in my fanfiction OC (original character) into the mix and see how long she can live. xD
Favourite book and/or author(s)?
JK Rowling (Harry Potter), Alyson Noel (Wings), Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl), Rand and Robyn Miller (The Myst Reader), Nadege Richards (Self-published-Burning Bridges), Ashley Nicole Shelton (The Blind Lily), Tiffany Flowers (Self-published- Missing Pieces)
Do you think it’s necessary to have a degree (of any sort) in order to be a successful author?
Heck no! Even a 9 year old can write a successful novel! Of course, it can give you insights and tips but never what you can accomplish by reading or doing it on your own.
What would you say to those who want to become a writer? Any advice?
Enjoy what you do, take the important stuff from your haters and back away before you do any real damage, and have fun. And “Have imagination”-Spongebob Squarepants. *Does rainbow thing*
