Amber Lynn Perry
Amber Lynn Perry’s
by Doyne Phillips
What were your first efforts in writing?
When I was thirteen, I came up with the idea for a story
that twenty years later became my first published novel,
So Fair a Lady. It’s easy to think, “I can do this! Get me
that computer!”, and a completely different thing to sit in
that chair, be committed and consistent through draft after
draft, and not give up when you receive constructive (albeit
sometimes brutal) criticism. Those obstacles are there for
every writer, and it’s just something we must learn to work
through. My first efforts were terrible! So embarrassing.
Makes me laugh thinking about it! But my drive to tell the
story was so powerful I didn’t allow the struggle or my lack
of knowledge/skill to kill my enthusiasm and tear my dream
away. After multiple complete re-writes and lots of tears
later, my first book was out. I knew I wanted to do this
forever.
What point in your career did you feel like you went from
amateur to pro?
Despite six published books, and another three books on the
way, I still feel like an amateur. When I sit down to start a
new book, even though I know the process, have a story idea
(though not completely plotted … I’m more of a pantster)
I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. I wonder if other
writers feel this? It can be scary to see the blinking curser;
wondering can I do it again? Can I keep my readers interested?
But the joy of creation and the fire of bringing your characters
to life is so strong, I find a way to push through. Will there
ever come a day I feel like a professional? I hope so.
What’s the best writing advice you ever received and what’s
the worst?
My first writing mentor, Sandra Orchard, said, “When
writing a scene, start late and end early. This will keep the
reader excited and interested. Don’t spoon-feed everything
to your reader. Never lose track of your character’s goal,
motivation, and conflict. Make sure every scene reflects
several aspects of the story. This drives the story forward.
You don’t want things to lag or get boring.”
The worst advice, for me, is to “write every day”. I get what
they are saying, though. They mean keep practicing and keep
going. However, I feel it’s very easy for writers to imbalance
their priorities. We don’t need to put writing above our family
priorities or our own health. I tend to take long breaks in
between books—sometimes not writing for months—and
it’s been very beneficial for my family and for my mental/
emotional health. Take every bit of writing knowledge and
advice with a grain of salt until you’ve tried it and fit it to size.
Did you find your genre, or did your genre find you?
I feel like my genre found me. Ever since I was young, I’ve
had a passion for the American Revolution, and there was
never a question what I would write. I always wanted to
learn all I could about that era and share the knowledge with
others. Some people ask if I get tired of writing this genre or
will ever write anything else. I can say with certainty I will
never get bored of the Revolutionary War era, but I can’t
say for sure I won’t write anything else. As for now, I’m very
happy spending my time in the 1770’s.
What advice would you give to authors?
Don’t compare yourself or books to others. It’s easy in this
business to fall into the trap of judging your sales (or lack of ),
or income, or social media following etc., with other writers.
This strips your joy faster than anything. We write for the joy
of it. Everyone is at a different place in their writing journey,
so keep encouraging yourself as you go along. Notice where
you can improve, but don’t get down on yourself. You can do
it, and your story will be great! n
8 Southern Writers