Author Interview: Annie Louise Twitchell.

Today I'll be interviewing Annie Louise Twitchell, Author of Through the Pages.

Welcome to the blog Annie!
Q: What most inspired you to write Through the Pages ? 

• Last summer, my mom and I got a bunch of old, old books from my grandparents barn. They were from my great-grandmother Stella, who I never met, and had been sitting in their hay loft for years and years. While sorting them, I found myself wondering about old books in general, and then I started to visualize someone who watched out for the old, old stories. Someone who treasured them. Someone who probably liked the books more than the people around them. 

  
  

  When I asked God "What do I write next?", He said, "Write a book for your mother." And I knew it would be a story about books, and a book about stories. I knew that person who kept the old books would be in it. And I knew it was a terribly important story for me, for my mom, and maybe for other people.

  
  

  Q: What is your number one inspiration when it comes to writing? 

  
  

  The world around me. I live in a little village and I grew up with books, and I wander around the woods and fields and the riverbanks around here. I watch for things and people that are interesting, exciting, and I make notes of things that catch my fancy. 

  
  

  Q: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing? 

  
  

  Well, Through the Pages is my first novel, but actually my seventh published solo piece. The others are poetry books and short stories and a novella. Way back in May 2017 when I published Spinner of Secrets, my entire world flipped upside down. I wasn't writing just for myself anymore. I mean, I always write for myself, but after publishing that first book I was writing for other people to read, too. I had to change how I communicated through my writing, so I made more sense. And I had to learn to actually follow through with a project. 

  
  

  Q: What does literary success look like to you? 

  
  

  Oh goodness, I don't know. 

  
  

  I want to impact people's lives. That was the biggest goal when I decided to become an author and have that be 'what I do'. I want to touch them. And I guess I've done that already. I just want to reach more. 

  
  

  Q: How do you select the names of your characters? 

  
  

  I don't. They usually walk on page and inform me what their name is. Occasionally they change names partway through. In Through the Pages, for example, Misty's real name is Miranda, but she won't be called that. I couldn't write her like that. She's Misty, all the way through. 

  
  

  Q: What advice do you have for writers? 

  
  

  There's a blog post I wrote for a teen group I'm involved in, that's here. I also would tell them that it's okay to fail. It's okay to have bad reviews. It's okay to fall down. But that's not the end of the story for you. Cry a bit, be hurt and disappointed, then take a deep breath and stand up and own it. If you do the best you can do, that's all anyone has a right to ask of you. Do your utmost and no more. Don't push too hard for perfection. That's a relatively unimportant thing.

  
  

  Q: What's next for you?

  
  

  My mind is buzzing with possibilities. I've spent much of the summer working on a YA urban fantasy duo of books, and while I'm making progress, it's going slow. I've also been working on my contemporary novella series, The Importance Books. 

  
  

  What's most likely to be published next? I have no idea. At this point I just follow where the wind blows. 

  
  

  I'm really hoping I'll be able to present at my state homeschool convention next spring. I want to talk about doing something even when it's hard and you think you'll fail. We'll see if I get to!

I wish you all the best of luck Annie!