Welcome Amanda!
You now write cozy mysteries. What attracted you to this genre?
I grew up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and The Three Investigators and it wasn’t so much the mysteries that I loved, but they way the characters came together to solve them. Because of that I have always included a mystery subplot in my stories, but could never give it as much space as I wanted to. I had thought about doing cozy mysteries about ten years ago but my agent at the time didn’t think there was a big enough market. And she was probably right. I was still writing for the US market back then and there was only one main publisher. However, as I continued to write small town romances, the idea of writing a mystery never left me.
In the past you’ve written MG, YA paranormal, contemporary romance, and domestic thrillers. What did you learn from all these genres? Do you see these as an apprenticeship for your cozy mysteries?
I love this question 😀 As I mentioned, most of my earlier books had a mystery subplot in there but they also had lots of humour, with firm friendships and small town settings, so they were definitely an apprenticeship for the cozies. As for the domestic thrillers that I co-wrote with Sally Rigby, they definitely taught me a lot about dark secrets, red herrings and escalating tension.
Are you a plotter? Panster? Or somewhere in-between?
These days I’m somewhere in-between! When I started writing I was definitely a panster who wished she could plot. Because of that I became low-key obsessed with story structure and how it all fits together. These days I definitely plot stories out in a lot more detail – however, I also fully accept that I WILL be changing lots of it as a I go. However, because of the initial plotting, I don’t have to re-write quite as much as I used to do.
Do you have advice for aspiring writers?
Do as I say, not as I do 😀 I was talking with a non-writing friend the other day and she was under the mistaken impression that I loved writing! I burst out laughing, because most of the time I find it incredibly difficult and have to trick myself into the chair. So, I always feel a bit of a fraud handing out advice!
All I will say is that we are all wired for stories and there is no such thing as a ‘real’ writer, so try not to be too scared about ‘doing it wrong.’
How do you fill the creative well?
I go for walks, garden, read lots of books, watch lots of television and try and go second hand shopping for adorable outfits. I also love playing house and creating a nice space to live in.
What is next for you?
I have just handed in book four in The Widows’ Detective Club and am about to start book five this week. Sally Rigby and I have also signed a new contract to write another domestic thriller together, which we’re very excited about.
What is your latest release and your inspiration behind it?
The Widows’ Guide to Skulduggery is book three in my series, and Ginny and her friends end up investigating a twenty-year-old mystery after a skull is discovered at a wedding. My inspiration was literally the word skulduggery! I thought it would make a great title so I plotted out the story based on that. This isn’t unusual for me and I often start with the title! From there I let myself go down a few random research rabbit holes until I found a backstory that excited me. In this case it’s vintage maps – which I love. I have a few old maps hanging on my walls so it was a lots of fun to lean into that!
Amanda Ashby
She’s written over 30 books in a variety of genres including romance, young adult and middle grade, before turning to a life of crime with her new series, The Widows’ Detective Club.
After getting a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland, she has bounced between England and New Zealand before settling in the glorious Wellington.
Her debut book was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award, and her first young adult book was listed by the New York Public Libraryʼs Stuff for the Teen Age.
Find Amanda at amandaashby.com
No comments:
Post a Comment