A.L. Mabry
A.L. Mabry is one of the Executive Editors of My Write Side. As an author, she enjoys writing in all genres and forms, even grocery lists. She is an artist and Wiccan who has an obsessive love of vampires, kilts, and blue butterflies. She is passionate about many topics and her posts are often laced with the snarky sense of humor one acquires from raising five teenagers, all at once. In her downtime, she can be found with her loving husband, Shawn and their children. She maintains her shreds of sanity with yoga, tea, and cats.
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? How did you start?
I’ve known I wanted to be an author since early elementary school. I have the first book I ever “published” on my desk. It was part of a class project. It’s truly awful. From that point on I continued participating in writing projects and ended up in the Young Author’s Society. I used my writing skills for fifteen years as a preschool teacher before starting a special needs parenting blog. It was then I discovered fiction writing communities online. That was almost ten years ago.
You’ve published numerous short story collections and a book of poetry. Many people believe that writing short stories is more difficult than a novel. What made you decide to choose that storytelling format? Would you ever write a novel?
I love writing short stories. I am a non-linear scene writer, so short stories fit my writing style perfectly. However, I also enjoy fleshing out my stories and developing full arcs and characters. My first full-length novel will be out this October. Soul Purge is the first book in my fantasy trilogy, The Chthonian Guardians.
What genre(s) do you primarily write in? What is it that you love about them? Would you ever write anything other than your genre?
I primarily write dark fiction and fantasy. I also write a lot of poetry. While these are my dominant genres I write a wide variety of stories and have something in nearly every genre in the works.
I love dark! Tell us a bit about your upcoming release 🙂
Darker Daze: The Storms Within is a collection of short stories that explore that darker side of the human condition. Each story pulsates with tragedy and a sense of desperate hope that only the suffering could understand. Ms. Mabry weaves personal experiences into fictional webs in a way that draws the reader in for a hug, then punches them in the gut. While these stories may be too emotionally charged for some readers, they give voices to the voiceless among us. Do not shrink away, the demons are not yours…or are they?
Awesome! Can you tell us about your path to publication?
I didn’t have a plan when I started. I just had stories. I made up stories for my friends, for the preschoolers I taught, and for my children. Then I started writing for myself. I never gave much thought to when or how I would get published. I just enjoyed writing, meeting other writers, growing and supporting a writing community. The writing community I launched in 2015 with my friend Stephanie has naturally evolved into a literary establishment that offers a full range of services and learning experiences. And, we offer publishing. No headhunting for me, I’m happy to stay in house.
What are some of your go-to genres when reading and who are some of your favorite authors? What is it you love about them?
I love fantasy, horror, and romance most of all. Any of these genres with a dash of wry humor and I am totally sold. Stephen King and Dean Koontz are favorites, as is Nicholas Sparks. I love blending horror and supernatural elements.
Is there anything you admire about your favorite author’s work that you wish to aspire to?
I love King and Koontz’s process of pulling a reader through a mundane set up before throwing them into horror. I want to be able to paint scenes and characters so realistically that when the pages turn dark and bloody you are so caught up in the world that you don’t even feel the transition.
Are you a pantser, a plotter or somewhere in between?
I do a strange combination. First, I write a bunch of random scenes. Then I order them the way I think they will go. Once, I have a vague grasp of my plot and arcs, I outline. Then I mostly ignore my outline and write some more. Then I update my outline. Eventually, I get to a point where my outline is my guide for finishing up.
When you first get an idea, how long until you know you’re ready to begin writing and what does that progression look like?
I actually have a backlog of ideas and I place them in a folder. I review this folder weekly and add notes to each file as they surface. Some stories jump our faster than others. But sometimes one will wan as another starts to come together. I am an incredibly undisciplined writer so I don’t have a real clear timeline for the evolution of a plot. Bonita was done with a month, start to finish. Soul Purge has been an eight-year process.
What does a typical writing day look like for you/what is your process?
A typical writing day for me is anything but. I have two out of the house jobs and run two businesses besides writing. However, each week I look at my schedules and carve out blocks of time where I can. My process is pretty simple; with coffee in hand, I seize my precious time block and my current WIP, I reread my last 500-1000 words because I feel this helps to keep my voice flow consistent. Then I write my next scene. I always write in scenes first. When all my scenes are done, I reorder and stitch my story together. Sometimes I end up with plot holes that get reworked in developmental editing.
It is such a crazy and competitive market. How do you tackle the marketing and promotion of your books?
I have learned that outside of marketing individual writing projects, I need to promote myself. I am the product essentially and I every marketing move I make, I do so with this mind frame. I work with a fantastic marketing team and we have very well-developed marketing plans that cover me as a whole, as well as my individual projects, and ongoing promotion. I don’t really think of it as a competition though. I spend a great deal of my daily hours marketing other authors, I don’t see them as competition, there are enough readers to go around.
Tell us your top three favorite movies and why they made the cut
- Age of Adeline
- The Wizard of Oz
- Pay It Forward
Each of these movies I can watch over and over and I love sharing with others. They speak to my soul on different levels; speaking on love and ignorance. Pain and compassion. Imagination and finding one’s self.
Thank you so much! Where can people find out more about you and your books?
https://www.facebook.com/amandalynnmabry/
Thank you so much for having me!
Thanks for a great interview!