Words

Author, I Never: An Interview with Annie Sullivan

Annie Sullivan Headhsot FINAL.jpg

Annie Sullivan 

 

author of A Touch of Gold (August 14, 2018)

Author, I Never is a segment in which I interview fellow authors about the writing process, breaking into the industry, and breaking rules. I ask some hopefully novel questions along with some of the old standards, and finish it up with a round of I Never to find out what cardinal writing rules we've broken. 

Question the first: Annie, when did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I started out writing little short stories in middle grade, but I didn’t think about writing seriously until I went to college. That was when it really struck me how much I loved reading and how I wanted to try and be a writer. 


Question the second: What has been your proudest or most exciting moment as an author so far?

Besides just getting a book deal, one of the most exciting things that has happened is having my novel, A Touch of Gold, turned into a book sculpture by Enchanted Couture by Eileen Bos. She took pages of my book and built it into a three-foot-tall castle! It’s truly amazing to see. 


That sculpture has redefined my author goals. Question the third: At what point did you think to yourself "I've made it" or at what point do you think you'll feel that way?

I definitely don’t feel that way now. I’m not sure I ever will, but I did get a really great fan letter via my blog the other day where the fan said she’d loved the book so much she’d read it twice already. That reminded me that this is why I’m doing this. I want to share my stories with others in the hopes they’ll find characters and plots they love as much as I do. 


Question the fourth: Did any experienced authors or industry people mentor or give you helpful guidance on your journey to publication?

I love the author community because of how helpful they are. I could name so many people, but a few who gave me advice include John Green, Brenda Drake, Dee Romito, Sarah Cannon, Sarah Schmitt, Holly Black, Terry Brooks, Sarah Glenn Marsh, and a whole bunch of my fellow debut authors. 


I've never heard of any of those people, but I always love hearing stories about authors helping other authors. Question the fifth: Have you ever had a time when you've felt like giving up? 

I’ve had many times. This business is one that’s filled with rejection, which can make it hard to keep going. Writers out there just have to remember not to give up. Keep writing. Keep getting better. That’s what it takes to succeed. 
 

Question the sixth: What was the most inconvenient time or place you were struck by inspiration?

Probably in bed right before I fall asleep. I always tell myself I’ll remember my brilliant idea the next day, but then I never do! I need to force myself to get out of bed and write it down before I forget. 
 

If beds weren't the comfiest place in the world, I would banish them. Question the seventh: Can you give us hint to help us find an "easter egg" or hidden item to look for in one of your books? Maybe an obscure clue if there's a mystery thread, or a reference you threw in to a favorite book or song?

There’s a story about a one-legged animal that makes a very brief appearance in my story. That’s based on a family story. However, now many of my family members claim that wasn’t a true story—so I don’t know what to believe! 


Oh, the tangled webs we weave! And speaking of secrets and lies, it's time for the...

 

I Never Round


The basic rules of I Never, the kid friendly version- I state a generally established writing rule (or at least a norm). If you've broken that rule, state your guilt for the record.


I never made up a word in my manuscript, and stood by it during copyediting. 

I’ve done this, but I think I got away with it—so I won’t tell you what it is so that it can’t be edited out later! 

 
Oh, now I will look for it! I never had an amazing idea right before bed, and decided sleep was more important.

HAHA! Per my answer above, this is exactly what happens to me. A lot. 
 

I never started a story with a character waking up, looking in the mirror, or in a bathtub.

Guilty of starting a story with a character waking up. Sometimes it’s easy to start that way until you found your true beginning. Then, you can go back and cut all that stuff out. 

 
Ah, clever. I never worked on two manuscripts at once.

Guilty again. Although typically, if I’m working on two at once, I’m usually writing one and revising the other. It only gets confusing if the works are in different tenses or if characters have similar names. 

 
I never went several days or even weeks without writing. 

I’ve gone very long stretches without writing. Sometimes you just need a break. 
 

Exactly! We're not machines. Yet. I never wrote "for a long moment."

Hmm…I can’t verify this one for sure, but I feel like I probably have done this. 

 
I never cheated during NaNoWriMo.

I’ve never had to cheat during NaNo because the only time I tried doing it I stopped after like 3 days. Maybe I’ll try again this year!

 
Thank you so much for appearing in Author, I Never! When and where can we look for, preorder, or buy your next or most recent book, and where can we follow you on social media?

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I love connecting with readers and book lovers!


Bonus question: If your book had a theme song, what would it be? 

It would totally be Gold by Britt Nicole. The song is so upbeat and full of energy, but it also has a really great message that goes along with the themes of A Touch of Gold. Go watch the music video on Youtube and see what I mean!

DJ Spotify, can you watch Youtube videos?

I don't watch information, I learn it.

Okay, what do you think?

Here's your video.