Name: Erin K. Larson-Burnett

Book: The Bear & the Rose

Genre: Mythological Fantasy

Background: Erin is an avid ink drinker who lives and breathes books. During the day, she works remotely with authors around the world, honing and perfecting books published through Atmosphere Press. By night, she crafts her own stories. The Bear & the Rose is her debut novel.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer? There was never a moment of epiphany—it wasn’t even my answer when people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up; it was always going to be That Thing I Did, whether for work or just for me. Words are a song in my bones.

Do you write full-time? If not, do you have an outside job or other responsibilities? I don’t have the discipline to write full-time, but I work for Atmosphere Press (a hybrid publisher) and I absolutely love what I do!

Where do you get your ideas for characters and plots? My insomnia is my biggest muse; instead of sleeping, I marinate story ideas, first lines, and character quirks in my head (though the idea for my WIP came from a Survivor episode where they were talking about soliloquies and the word just sparked something in me).

Have you ever written yourself into a story? There’s a little of me in every character I write. I think it’s important to project those pieces, whether quirks or passions or flaws, as they’re my reality and I know what they look like from an existential point of view.

What kind of research and preparation do you do before you write? It depends on the story, but my research is usually more on-the-fly. For The Bear & the Rose, I did more research on Celtic mythology up front to familiarize myself with the stories and find where they could be molded into something new, but for other projects it’s total Google-search mayhem.

What is your editing process? Do you hire an outside editor? I go against the common writing advice: I edit as I write. I’m a perfectionist—a sentence will nag at me until it’s perfect—and I’ve never figured out how to shut away my inner editor in a deep dark box, so they have free rein. I do hire an outside editor, because it’s important to get another set of professional eyes on my work! So, I have a sort of odd editing process where I line edit as I go, then do developmental edits, then proofread.

How do you decide on your book covers? Do you outsource? I seek out small designers whose work gives vibes that I think pair well with my stories. I love unique book covers and always look for art that I think stands out from the masses.

How did you come up with the title of your latest book? I usually have tentative titles for my projects before I ever start writing; many of my ideas come to me as title first, story later. The Bear & the Rose went hand-in-hand with its plot, so that was an easy one and I never spared much thought on a different title.

With my current WIP, I started with the title The Ghost Queen’s Soliloquy and was actually pretty sold on it, but during drafting it didn’t feel snug enough and I changed the title to A Madness Unmade. I’m obsessed with it.

What route did you take to get published? Describe your experience. I fully self-published! I never considered querying The Bear & the Rose. I wanted full creative control and didn’t want to sacrifice the story to fit the current market. Working for a hybrid publisher, I had the knowledge and tools I needed to do it on my own, and I don’t regret it one bit.

Have you taken writing courses? I think a degree in English Literature & Composition counts as a pretty rigorous writing course. I peruse craft books and articles on writing occasionally, but mostly I learn by reading and doing the thing itself: write, write, write.

Do you belong to a writer’s group? If so, is it in-person or online? Tell us about your experience. I’m in several casual/unhinged writerly GCs; it’s a fun way to connect with authors and talk about the nuances of writing, publishing, and creativity. I’ve learned so much from others—it’s the best motivation to see amazing people succeeding and chasing their dreams.

Do you ask friends/family to read your WIP? Before The Bear & the Rose, never. I held my stories close to my chest and in a weird way was embarrassed by the fruits of my imagination. I don’t really know what changed, but my mom and sisters were the first people I asked to read an early draft of The Bear & the Rose—insane, considering it’s my heart on paper and you think I would’ve guarded it closely and with venom. But they were gentle with it and their praise will stick with me forever.

Name three unread books on your bookshelf. When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo; The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Şafak; Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

What is the last book you read? An ARC of Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear (spectacular, made my top 5 of the year).

What is the riskiest or wildest thing you’ve ever done? Published a book. Easily.

In the daredevilry sense, I’m not much of a risk-taker, but once I snuck into an abandoned skyscraper in the middle of downtown Houston and climbed to the top with some friends. It was exhilarating. I also once stole a traffic cone.

What advice can you give to new writers entering the writing and publishing arena? Don’t listen to the naysayers—people say there are no “new” stories and every good tale has already been told, but that’s a load of hooey. Your story deserves to be told in the way only you can tell it.

Be unafraid. You are your greatest champion.

Website and social media links:
Website: ekbbooks.godaddysites.com
Instagram: all.you.read.is.love
Goodreads: Erin_K_Larson_Burnett

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