Author Interview: Liz Long

First, a little background on Liz; she’s written three different series: The Brighton Duology, the Heroes of Arcania, and the Donovan Circus Series, and two stand alone novels: Witch Hearts and A Reaper Made.  In addition to being an author, she also is an editor for The Roanoker and bridebook magazines. Liz also offers marketing and writing tips for other writers, which you can find over at her website!

I asked Liz a little about her writing processes and about things she loves to read, so I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the mind of a wonderful writer.

1. When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote my first book about a unicorn in the second grade, so….all my life? I was also the middle school newspaper editor-in-chief, so 12-year-old me is very happy about my also being a magazine editor for the day job. I get the best of both worlds in fiction and nonfiction!

2. When you get a new idea, what does your writing process look like? Do you plan everything or just start writing?

I used to be a pantser, and write it out as fast as possible. But as I’ve grown in my writing, I’ve learned to outline not only the plot points (as many as I have at that time) but character backgrounds as well. I’ve found “knowing” them helps me better understand how they react in certain situations, which in turn helps their growth throughout the book. Getting that all down beforehand has honestly saved me some time in the long run 🙂

3. What are some of your favorite dystopian books? Did any of them inspire the Brighton Duology?

I was actually inspired to write the Brighton Duology when a family member shared an article about rats’ blood and genes being used to study human genetics – weird, right?! Between that and current political events, it sort of spiraled into what Brighton looks like now. But for other dystopian books, I loved the Hunger Games when those first came out, of course; I’d say my absolute favorite dystopian is Marie Lu’s world in her LEGEND series. She’s an incredible writer and I am so inspired by her style and world-building.

4. Do you incorporate anything from your own life into your novels?

If readers look closely, they might spot Easter eggs about my city of Roanoke, Virginia (mentions of the Blue Ridge Mountains, comparisons to the skyline or downtown features, etc.). And of course, I do tend to insert some of my own personalities, quirks or memories into characters, even if they are very small – for instance, in my Heroes of Arcania trilogy, Nova shares a story about chasing down a bully on the playground, and the kid runs into a slide and has to get stitches. I may have been Nova in that story 🙂

5. What are you currently reading?

I JUST finished Marie Lu’s Wildcard – which was terrific, by the way and I highly recommend!

Connect more with Liz on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!