Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2020, are given five questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know these new authors and can offer them your support.
Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.
Inquisitive, nerdy, creative, odd, and maudlin.
I think inquisitive is an apt descriptor of my personality because curiosity is a driving force behind my writing/creativity. My books often start with a question, and my curiosity is the fuel that drives me to pursue answers to those questions through writing.
Explain your writing procedure, such as how you come up with ideas, carve out time to write (or, if you can write anywhere at any time during the day), deal with writer’s block, or anything particular or peculiar.
My writing procedure changes with every book. Usually, an image, scene, or question sort of just dawns on me, and I attempt to “excavate” the story through the process of writing the first draft. I’m lucky that I can write almost anywhere. I wrote large portions of my book behind the cash register at my retail job, between tutoring sessions at the university library where I worked, in classes, on my iPhone in my Notes app, etc. I suppose when a story really seizes me, it doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing, I find a way to write it.
Balance is the key to successful living. How do you balance the act of writing with other priorities, such as your job, family or fun activities, and self-care?
I try to let life happen and write around it. Sometimes that means I write 5,000+ words in a day and other times that means I go days (or weeks) without writing in lieu of spending time with family, friends, and other hobbies. For me, balance is achieved when I allow myself to seek what I need most at that moment.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
I’m not certain I know anything for sure about the audience that I write for. I’m often surprised by the people who connect with my stories, and I think that’s a testament to the power of books and the diversity of the audiences that authors write for.
Tell us about your book.
The Year of the Witching is a dark fantasy/horror novel that follows Immanuelle Moore, a young shepherdess, on her quest to defeat a coven of witches who have cursed her home.
The Year of the Witching (Ace, Young Adult, 368 Pages, July 21, 2020) Pre-order
Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. She grew up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. Currently, Alexis resides in the sun-soaked marshland of Charleston, South Carolina.
Connect with Alexis Henderson
