Emmie Hamilton is the fantasy author of the award-winning trilogy, THE DESTINED SERIES. She received her MFA in Creative Writing and Certificate in Online Instruction for Creative Writing and Technical Writing in 2019. She has since published essays and poems with Scary Mommy and Pure Slush Press. Her debut novel, Chosen to Fall, was released in May 2021 and she has since released three additional books, including the conclusion to the Destined Series, in 2023. In her free time, Emmie spends her days going on adventures with her son, reading addictive novels, and traveling the world.
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU DECIDE YOU WERE GOING TO WRITE A TRILOGY?
I actually never wanted to be a writer, to be honest. When I was pursuing my MFA, the thesis was to write a complete novel. Over the course of a year I fleshed out characters, setting, plot, all the good stuff. By the end of it, I had the first complete iteration of Chosen to Fall. When it was time to move on, I couldn’t get the book out of my head, so I reworked it over the next year and decided to publish it. I had ended it on a cliffhanger and knew a trilogy would be the right fit for the story. Overall, it’s much different than how I originally anticipated it would be, but I’m proud to have accomplished it!
WAS THE PROCESS WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE?
Hmm the process was…more emotional than I realized it would be. Each book had quite a bit of loss and grief interspersed with humor. Getting into that mind frame each night sometimes was difficult or coming back out of it. I think people have this perception that writers just sit down in front of a computer and pour whatever words they have out and that’s that, when actually it’s quite the opposite. It takes a lot to become a character and make authentic choices and plan out the repercussions of actions. Sometimes it consists of staring at the screen for an hour or reworking a paragraph or two. There are nights, of course, where the words did pour out of me, but it still wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination.
WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS?
Typically I’m a pantser. I know the vibe I’m going for, I have a general idea of the ending, and then I let the story come to me as I write. With Book One of the Destined Series, I took my time with each element as it was fleshed out during my MFA program. With the second book, Fated to Burn, I wrote a short paragraph on generally what I wanted to happen in each chapter. With the last, Destined to Rise, I only had the overall plot lines that needed a proper ending. As time went on, my plotting decreased. It’s odd how that worked out since the last book is much more complex than the previous two, but that’s what worked for me. I published one other book, which was plotted similarly in the way that Fated to Burn was. I knew the themes and vibes and write the story according to that. The latest book I’m writing has a very detailed outline simply because it’s a genre I haven’t written yet and wanted to be sure I’m hitting the right beats. I guess you could say that my process for plotting and outlining changes depending on the needs of the book.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE?
Hmm, if I take away the time I took off from school vs reworking my first book, I would say it was about four years from start to finish for all three books. I wrote and published book 2 within the same year that I published book 1, and then took time off to write a different novel before tackling book three. The biggest challenge honestly was trying to focus while I went through a heavy transition time in my personal life. Some choices my characters made were a direct reflection of what I was going through, and it changed the trajectory of how I wanted the story to progress and end. Because of that, I wrote through a lot of grief and it was sometimes difficult to get into my character’s mindset. By the end, I had four different POVs and staying on track with the correct voice and personality was a challenge.
WHAT KIND OF PRESSURE AND INFLUENCES?
It could be a number of things! Once you publish your first book, you have a readership to satisfy, right? If they share their theories, or maybe want two characters together that you never planned on, it could change the way you approach a story. This very thing happened to me, actually. I desperately wanted to kill off one of my main characters, but since she’s beloved among my fan base, I was strongly advised not to. I listened, but it changed how I approached the final book. Besides trying to meet eternal expectations, there could also be more personal matters that will shape what goes into a book. If something tragic happens, the grief might pour into the chapters, where previously it wasn’t intended to. Having the series fully planned and written ahead of time will help alleviate that from happening and mitigate the stress that comes from writing a series.
WHAT KEPT YOU GOING?
Most of the time it was nothing but sheer stubbornness. I had a goal that I promised myself I’d achieve so I find ways to get it done. I’d purposely sign up for in person events and use them as deadlines to have the next book out. But there were many times when I wanted to give up. I took months off of writing to reset when the pressure felt too high. Ultimately, I knew I couldn’t leave this story unfinished and I didn’t want to disappoint any of the loyal readers who had been so patient with me over the past few years.
ADVICE FOR AUTHORS STRUGGLING WITH FINISHING A SERIES
First I’d ask what has stopped them. Other life commitments, or if they maybe weren’t feeling attached to the story? Perhaps they felt let down by their experience with book one, or can’t afford to publish the next. I’d encourage them to keep going. Remember why they started in the first place. If they feel stuck and are unsure how to continue, I’d tell them to focus on the character’s journey. What are their motivations? Where do they need to end up? What’s stopping them? A lot of times, writers get stuck or discouraged because it feels daunting to keep going and they often lose track of where the plot intended to go, or they just don’t know their characters enough. Doing small exercises such as character profiles or mapping can help get them back in the right mindset. But, if it has more to do with a disappointing book release or lack of sales so they are no longer motivated, I’d encourage them to first temper their expectations. The market is heavily saturated with indie authors all trying to find their audience and place within the publishing world. I’d encourage them to spend time on social media building a readership, joining a writing group or some sort of writing community, and read a ton of books that are doing well. Try different marketing techniques, but don’t shove your book down people’s throats every chance you get. Set yourself apart from the others. The readers will come and the sales will follow, but nothing will happen if you give up.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
Without a doubt, I wouldn’t publish a whole series without all books written first. There’s too much pressure and outside influence that can change the trajectory of the story otherwise.
WHAT’S YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM AS A WRITER?
I was quite lonely when I first started my writing and publishing journey and quickly realized I would need some type of writing community. Once I joined Instagram, I found a very supportive community of authors and joined a few groups to ask questions and help keep me motivated. Very soon after publishing my first novel, another writer at the start of his author journey reached out to me and we instantly clicked and soon realized we’d be an excellent fit as critiquing partners, so I’ve been lucky enough to have my person for the past three years. I would have struggled to continue if I didn’t have that particular support.
WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN?
Hmmm, I think yes, or at least duologies. I end up loving my characters and the worlds I create so much that I find it difficult to leave them. But I’d need be ready mentally to do it with a lot more outlining and preparation. I’m not sure I’m ready for that huge undertaking again anytime soon, but it’s not off the table.
WHAT’S NEXT?
I’m currently working on part two of my dark fantasy duology that I hoped to have out by the fall, but I think a more realistic timeline for that one is the Spring. I’ve also drafted a rom-com that I am SO excited about and that I aim to have that published by October.
About the Author
Discover more from Geek Digest
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
