Written in the Stars Anthology Spotlight: Emily Camp

Written In The Stars Author: Emily Camp

Interview With Emily Camp:

Tell us what prompted you to start the series?

Be as detailed as you want. Actually when I wrote this one it was book 2. But these were my first attempts at writing novels so I ended up scrapping book 1 and making this book 1 instead. I hadn’t even planned on it being a series either at first just wanted to write a story that inspired by was real. As I worked on this book I was also rewatching a favorite tv series of mine, One Tree Hill and it greatly influenced the story. Running Back is faith based, but it is not sugar coated by any means. I wanted it to be relatable.

How did you feel as you were writing the first book?

I wrote the first draft of this book during Nanowrimo in 2012. It was my first Nano ever. For those who aren’t familiar with nanowrimo, it is a challenge every November to write 50,000 words. I wrote it with pen and paper instead of typing, as I didn’t have a laptop at that time. I felt great about it. I think it was the first rough draft I wrote in 30 days. Has that feeling changed between then and now? Like I said, I wrote it in 2012, it was first published in 2014. I’ve grown a lot as a writer since then. I still believe it’s a good story, but I like to think my writing has improved since then.

How many times have you had a specific idea for the story but it has been derailed because the characters decide to go a different way?

Almost always. I am not that much of a plotter as it is anyway. I write YA romances and there were a few times when I did have a certain end couple planned and my main character ended up having more chemistry with a side character instead of the one who I’d planned to be the love interest and they end up with a person I hadn’t expected.

What was the most difficult part in writing the series?

Remembering what happened before. Especially since each book gets several drafts. I’d be writing the sequel trying to remember if a certain scene I wrote actually made it into the final draft of that previous book.

If you could give advice to anybody else considering writing a series, what advice would you give?

Just start writing, get the story down as quickly as possible then go back and revise. I wish I had a spreadsheet of all the characters with detailed information. I would say do that. Also doesn’t hurt to have several already written before you start to publish so you can rapid release. I had the rough drafts of all of mine done, but then took about a year or more revising each one, I think losing momentum hurt me in sales and in motivation.

About the Author:

Emily is the author of several young adult romances. She has a business degree and works as an office manager for a company that sells boat docks. Emily is also a photographer. Her favorite days are when she can be by her pool reading a good book. She lives in a small town in Ohio with her husband, teenage daughter, and twenty-something son.