A Perfect 10 with author Allie Potts

Today’s perfect 10 interview session is with author Allie Potts. The questions in these interviews are designed to gain more insight into the inspiration, background and strategy of the authors that stop by.

Please enjoy this edition of A Perfect 10 and look for an exciting announcement regarding all of the participating authors for 2018.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It can easily do both. When writing a first draft, I try to achieve a regular word count quota for the week. Some weeks the words are less cooperative than others and by the end of the week I feel like I’m running uphill, but then I look back and see how far I’ve come. It pushes me to continue.

Do you ever write under a pseudonym? If not have you considered it? Why or why not?

I don’t. I made the mistake of not establishing a platform specific to my writing until after the first book was written, so at that time the only name recognition I had was my own. I considered using a pseudonym for my second book as the genre was different, but as I write what I enjoy reading I thought there might be one or two other readers out there with the same reading preferences. I don’t think Amazon’s algorithm doesn’t always agree with me, though.

Does a big ego help or hurt writers? Why or why not?

It doesn’t need to be big as this is an industry that is always changing and humility helps you adapt with the times, but you absolutely have to have self-confidence.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

The cover art, hands down.

What does writing success look like to you? Have you achieved it?

I don’t need to have the newest car or the biggest house on the block, in fact I would prefer not to have either, but I would like to my writing to give me the freedom to spend my time when and where I see fit with the people who make me happiest. I’m not there yet, but closer today than I was before I started.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? What sources do you use?

It depends on the book I’m writing. A story set in more contemporary times with characters in familiar careers doesn’t take nearly the same amount of research than something which is more speculative. For my science, I read a number of technology articles in various journals.

How do you select the names of your characters? Have you ever regretted choosing a particular name? Why?

If it is a main character, I tend to overthink it. I’ll take a keyword about their personality and perform a reverse lookup for names which have the same meaning. Then I refine by age, gender, and nationality. If it is a more minor character I may use a name generator as a place holder until the character speaks to me. There are character names I like more than others, but I’ve never regretted a name once published.

What is the hardest type of scene to write?

Romantic scenes of the physical nature are the worst for me as my parents read my books. Extremely violent scenes are the second toughest for me. I am much more comfortable to alluding to both types rather than explicitly spelling them out.

If you could have dinner with four people, living or dead, who would they be and what would you want to ask them?

Jim Henson, J.K. Rowling, Nikola Tesla, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Aside from asking them all to speak in English, I would sit back, content that my wish got them into the same room, and let them collectively come up with a way to change the world for the better all on their own as none of this group needs prompting from me.

What platform has brought you the most success in marketing your books?

Blogging has been best for connecting me to readers. Being part of the Kindle Unlimited program with its promotional tools has also been beneficial starting out.

Connect with Allie:

Email: allie@alliepottswrites.com

Website: www.alliepottswrites.com

Twitter: @alliepottswrite

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliepottswrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliepottswrites/

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/alliepottswrites

Allie’s Books:

Project Gene Assist (Science Fiction / Fantasy / Cyberpunk)