Interview with Amy Brecout White

Hey everyone! I got a chance to ask Amy Brecout White about writing and her new novel, Forget-Her-Nots which is out now!

Before we start, here’s Amy’s short bio:

Amy Brecount White has played with words for most of her life. While she was finishing her M.A. in English at the University of Virginia, she also worked for a health newsletter. Her first published article was on constipation. Really. She went on to teach high school English for seven years and then turned to freelance journalism. More than 75 of her articles and essays appeared in The Washington Post. She also wrote for FamilyFun, Washingtonian, online publications, and Notre Dame magazine. With all that experience, Amy thought writing a novel would go smoothly, but it took her about eight years to get all the lovely words just right in Forget-Her-Nots and find a home at Greenwillow. Forget-Her-Nots was inspired by her own love for flowers and her desire to spread the magic around.

TeenageReader: If you’re an author, you obviously love writing. What made you become an author?

Amy: I’ve always loved words and dreamed of writing a novel, but that’s a big risk to take with no guarantee of success, and one does have to eat, pay rent, etc.  So I taught high school English for 7 years – which I loved – and then switched to freelance writing when I had kids. But that desire to write a novel always smoldered in me, so I had to try.

TeenageReader: What is your favorite part of writing, why?

Amy: Definitely revising, because you’re not starting from nothing. You have the materials; you have a shape. Now you just have to streamline and fill in the missing details.

TeenageReader: How hard is it to write a book?

Amy: Very. It took me much longer than I expected, because I had lots of articles and essays published first. Novels have a logic all their own, and sometimes it takes awhile to get it right.

TeenageReader: How did you feel when you got your first rejection letter from a publisher?

Amy: Crushed. I think every author imagines that she’s written something brilliant that will have immediate accolades.  It rarely works that way.  Usually, however, you get enough of a boost to keep you going.

TeenageReader: What about when you got your first “acceptance” letter from a publisher?

Amy: Absolutely ecstatic. It was a dream come true, after many years of writing, rewriting, and revising.

TeenageReader: You have recently gotten your new debut novel, Forget-Her-Nots, published. What was it like having your very own book being published?

Amy: The most amazing thing has been the fan mail. I’ve had the sweetest notes and letters from people of all ages – from 11 year old girls, to people I went to high school with, to librarians.  I’d never thought much about having fans before, so it’s been a wonderful surprise.

TeenageReader: I recently found out that authors don’t get to pick their book cover. Are you satisfied with yours?

Amy: Yes.  I think my Greenwillow designer, Paul Zakris, did an amazing job. It was so much better than what I had in mind. ( My idea: Forget-me-nots in a hand with a shadowy school in the background.)  I think the pink cover is eye-catching, especially against a sea of black YA covers.

TeenageReader: Any advice for young writers that want to become an author?

Amy: Read a ton. Reread anything that you really like to see exactly how the author did it. Writing is a craft.  You must apprentice yourself and practice for years.

TeenageReader: How do you get your ideas when writing?

Amy: I used to write a lot of freelance articles, so I’m always on the look-out for good story ideas.  Usually, I start to see connections between strange things – like the language of flowers and magic – so then I know I have a good and original idea.

TeenageReader: Are there any ideas of posting a sequel to Forget-Her-Nots?

Amy: Not yet. I’d love to do a companion novel that revisits the setting and characters.  It would be fun to make it more international and focus more on the intricacies of the orchid market in the world.  It’s fascinating.

TeenageReader: Or maybe another novel?

Amy: Yes, I’ve just completed my second novel, and my agent loved it.  It’s called String Theories and is about a girl who gets in over her head, the physics of relationships, a stream, and getting even.

TeenageReader: If anyone in the world could read your book, who would it be?

Amy: I’d love for Oprah or Martha Stewart to read it, because then it would spread and spread. Why?  I think we all need more flowers and flower magic in our lives!!

Thanks so much for having me.

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