Today, we’re speaking with Inkubator Books’ author Emily Shiner. Emily is the author of The Secret Wife, The Promise and her newest release, The Caretaker.
Inkubator Books: When did you start writing?
Emily Shiner: I’ve been writing since I can remember! I’ve always loved coming up with stories and telling them to people. Sometimes those were creepy campfire stories I made up as a kid and others were my first books I wrote and then abandoned in a box under my bed without them ever seeing the light of day.
IB: What does a typical day of writing look like for you?
ES: I’m the first one up in our house. I always take the dogs out and make some tea before lighting a candle and getting settled in to write by 5 am. I’ll write as much as possible before my husband and daughter get up, then quit for a bit. Because I homeschool our daughter, I squeeze in writing during breaks in our day or when she’s doing something on her own. I never write after 5 pm, because my brain just won’t work any longer.
IB: Do you base your characters off people you know or are they all the product of your imagination?
ES: It’s a little bit of both. Some characters are completely new, but most have parts of people I’ve met or run into dropped into them to make them interesting. I love eavesdropping in public places and hearing what people are talking about or looking for inspiration in the news.
IB: What’s the most difficult part of your writing process?
ES: Definitely finishing up any edits and making sure I didn’t miss something that will not tie into the book later! It can be frustrating to go back through a book time and time again, but it’s that continuity that ensures a book is well done and flows the way it’s supposed to.
IB: What comes first for you – plot or characters?
ES: Definitely characters. I think people are fascinating and it’s always fun to imagine what a certain person might do in a situation.
IB: Which of your books is your favorite? Why?
ES: I love The Caretaker. There was a huge abandoned mansion at the end of the street when I was growing up and I had that house in my mind when I wrote the book. It was surrounded by amazing gardens and paths through the woods and this book really brought that space to life for me.
IB: How would you describe your ideal reader?
ES: I don’t know that this is possible! I’ve talked with some of my readers and they’re all so different that it’s hard to pin them down. One thing I can say is that they do love fast stories and connect with my characters.
IB: What are you doing when you aren’t writing?
ES: Besides thinking about writing and my next book? I love to hike and spend time outside in the garden. I also love to read and bake and will use any rainy day as an excuse to curl up with a good book and a snack.
IB: What does your writing space look like?
ES: I have a desk in the main part of our house surrounded by bookshelves and some of my plants. I’ve hung a lot of art on the wall that I find inspiring, which gives me something to stare at when I’m working through a plot twist. It’s not a huge desk, but there’s room for my candle, tea, and notes, and I love that I’m close enough to my family that I can drop what I’m doing whenever someone needs me.
IB: Have you ever traveled to research for a book?
ES: Not yet, although there are some places I’d love to travel to do just that! I do love to travel and like to pull inspiration from places I’ve been.
IB: What genres do you like to read? Who are some of your favorite authors?
ES: I’ve always loved thrillers to the point where I would sneak one under my covers at night to read with a flashlight, and I still do! I also love curling up with a good fantasy book to take my mind off what I’m writing.
IB: How do you come up with names for your characters?
ES: Sometimes I look through a baby names website if I need someone of a specific age, but normally I just ask my daughter and she’ll come up with a name off the top of her head.
IB: What was your favorite childhood book?
ES: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. I honestly wanted nothing more than to move into the woods on my own, befriend a falcon, and survive off the land. I still have my copy and it’s falling to pieces from being read so many times.
IB: Have you ever abandoned a book you were writing? How did you know it was the right thing to do?
ES: I have a few that are half-written and waiting for their time to be dusted off and finished, but that was before I started writing thrillers. Now the books I start just pour out of my fingers, driving me mad until I get them on the page, so there isn’t any way I could abandon one.
IB: Do you have any tips for first-time authors?
ES: Nothing that hasn’t been said before! Read a lot, write more. Get that first draft down before you even think about going back to make edits, then don’t be afraid to be ruthless to make sure the book is as good as possible.
IB: Who inspires you?
ES: Anyone working hard to achieve a dream. Following your passion isn’t always easy, and I admire anyone willing to put in the hours and work hard until they reach their goal.
IB: If you could eliminate one thing from your daily life, what would it be?
ES: Definitely math tests. I thought I left those behind in college, but homeschooling has thrown me right back into it. If I could spend my days writing and teaching that then I’d be over the moon, but as it is, I’m relearning Algebra. Please send help.
IB: Do you have any pets?
ES: Yes, we have two dogs, Macy-Grace and Pepper. There’s also a bunch of chickens and a few hundred thousand bees outside, but I’m not sure they really count.
IB: How do you approach your genre in a unique way?
ES: I believe thrillers by default lend themselves to being unique because there are so many changes and twists that can completely turn a story on its head. I like to find a twist in each story that makes it something completely unexpected.
IB: How do you manage the “whodunit” aspects of your story as far as clues and revelations? Do you outline?
ES: I never had an outline before I started working with Inkubator and they helped me come up with my first one. Even though thrillers have a lot of moving pieces, I always liked being surprised by them when I was working, but now I always have one when working with them. On my own, I still like to fly by the seat of my pants and see what happens so I’m just as surprised as my readers.
IB: How do you relax?
ES: I love to bake and read, but what really helps me relax is hiking. We’re lucky enough to live close to wonderful hiking spots so I’ll load up the dogs and my daughter and off we go.
IB: Who are your first readers when you write a new book?
ES: My editor. She’s amazing and calls me out on anything that might not totally work in the story.
IB: What’s one thing you wish your readers knew about you?
ES: I wish they could know how much I appreciate and love them all! Writing for me is a passion and one I never thought I’d be able to do full-time, but getting up early every morning is my favorite thing. I’m thankful for all of my readers not only taking time to enjoy my books, but also when they reach out to me to let me know they enjoyed them!
IB: Which do you enjoy writing more: dialogue or internal thoughts?
ES: Definitely internal thoughts. I think it makes it really easy to get into someone’s psyche and see where they’re coming from and how twisted they are.
Thanks to Emily for sitting down with us today.
Want to read Emily’s books? Check out her titles here on Amazon.
You can find her at the following places:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoremilyshiner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoremilyshiner/
