Good morning, Abigail, and welcome to Vision and Verse. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
My recent project is a five-year commitment. A series called Season of the Runer and I LOVE working on it. It gives me life. It’s a Witcher-esque story in a middle eastern fantasy setting. There’s monsters, necromancers, sorcerers, and lots of clashing cultures to explore.
Other than that, I am working on a wild west/steampunk/alternate history story. Oh, there’s a vampire in it. I’m not sure yet how to categorize it. It’s been in re-writes for a while and has taken a lot out of me. I’m excited to see the final product after all this suffering and toil!
What is your favorite genre to write?
Dark fantasy! Season of the Runer is dark fantasy for sure. I’ve been told my stuff is violent, depressing, and emotional. That’s exactly what I strive for!
Favorite food.
Well, it used to be cheese. I loved all cheeses. Never met one I didn’t like. The stinkier, the better! However, sometime after 32, my body decided it didn’t like dairy anymore. I am adjusting to my new lifestyle and seeking therapy for my breakup from cheese. Now, I’d have to say pickles. I’ve branched out into pickled eggs (I make my own) pickled beets—I’ll try anything with vinegar!
Tea or coffee?
Both! I love the science behind tea. My parents are tea snobs and taught me well. I know how long to steep black tea VS green tea. What temperature to use (I have a tea thermometer), stuff like that. But I also cannot function without coffee and lots of it! My day starts at 5:30am and the first thing I do is brew my magic bean water. I take it black (and strong) as I need every undiluted ounce I can get.
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza! I have NO sweat-tooth. I can count on one hand the times in my life I have craved something sweet or wanted ice cream.
Wine or beer or soda or what?
VODKA! Haha, like cheese, I don’t discriminate when it comes to alcohol. I’ll try anything if it comes with a high percentage. But my go-to is vodka on the rocks.
On the other hand, I love Samuel Adams beer and there is this place where I used to live in Ohio called the Findlay Brewing Company. They have a house beer that is AMAZING. It’s one of the few things I miss about Ohio.
I am presently living in Ohio, so I'll have to check this Findlay Brewing Company out! Where would you like to visit?
In the USA, I want to go to Hawaii and Montana. I love mountains and I love the beach. I’m afraid if I did though, I’d never come back.
Outside the US, I want to visit my family in Scotland and Bavaria. And may as well hit the rest of the UK while I’m over there. I lived in Texas for a bit and can stand long drives.
Add the Grand Canyon to your list.It is an experience that touches your
spirit. Favorite musical artist.
I have a lot. I LOVE classic rock and listen to that mostly. I love classical (Mozart and Chopin mostly). A better question might be, “Who has been
on your playlist longest?” For that, I’d have to say Gaelic Storm,
Blackmore’s Night, and Yanni. A weird combination, but they have been
my constants for over 12 years. I also like video game soundtracks
(I cry to Xenogears a lot, haha) and musicals.
Do you listen to music when you write? What?
Nope. I need silence when I write. Don’t want to write to music, follow it’s pacing, and find the scene is janky later.
What makes you laugh?
Typos like “Smork alarm” instead of “Smoke Alarm.” Slapstick also. Grew up watching the black and white Three Stooges and old Looney Tunes. On a more relatable note, the joke that is my life often has be rolling on the floor laughing.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
Stary Night by Van Gogh and any ship painted by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky. He did the paintings of the ships on the hypnotic translucent waves. I have it on my wall at home as well as the Dr. Who version with the TARDIS. Also, Notre Dame De Paris. I was devastated when it burned and watched it live for hours. I love architecture.
How old were you when you started writing?
Like most, I started at a very young age. I think I was 11 when I hand wrote a story about a princess and her horse who lived in the clouds. It had drama, chapters—everything! Then when I was about 13, I wrote an epic 100K word fantasy on the family computer. In the throes of Lord of the Rings and the Renaissance festival, I couldn’t stop writing. It was quite grammatically correct (I looked at it recently and was shocked at my younger self’s grasp of grammar) but other than that, it was absolute toilet water.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I am a plotter. I won’t go on too much as I get very passionate about this subject. But, yes, I plot. I rearrange chapters, add new ones as I go as needed, and take some out. It cuts down on the developmental editing later. I have a goldfish brain, so plotting helps me stay the course.
Describe your perfect evening.
Working out, showering, eating, and watching a movie with a snuggle buddy. Sadly, in today’s society, I have time for about one of those, haha.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Literally everywhere! From books, movies, history, documentaries, real life, even stories from reddit. Nothing is inspiration-less!
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I have never had it. I think I get too depressed to write sometimes or I hit a section of story I don’t want to work on. But if that’s the case, I move on. Or I work on something else. I never don’t write.
Who is your favorite author?
I don’t have one. I love the old dark writers like Shelley, Stevenson, Wilde, and Stoker. Jane Austen and the Brontës. I admire Sanderson, Gaiman, and Cornelia Funke for sure. But don’t think I have one single favorite author.
Best book you ever read.
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. It has everything you need to understand what the point of writing and books is.
I love that one! It's one of my favorites. Last book you read.
The Last Seer by JV Hilliard.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I don’t make my living as a writer, sadly. I wish I did. I’m a university/college professor and English tutor, but I’m looking to leave academia. I’d like to work out of doors, with animals or plants. Something that keeps my body moving.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
As a collective, my family. I’m very antisocial and don’t really have friends. I used to, like most people. My desire to write actually started when my mother gushed about my oldest brother writing a story “with chapters and everything” when he was about ten. Out of jealousy for the praise, I wrote a story too. That oldest brother, David, was the one who understood me most out of everyone. He sadly passed away in 2017 and that REALLY spurred me on to write. I’d put writing aside as a serious pursuit (I still wrote, just not voraciously) until then. After his passing, I realized how much time I wasted not writing. I’ve written every day of every week since then. One story of his I found, crumpled in the back of his car, was so powerful. The imagery stuck with me. It was horrifying, sad. I remember reading that page and thinking, “David wrote this? We’re allowed to write stuff like this?” I couldn’t believe it. I think about that story every time the thought “My family is going to read this…should I write this?” stops me while writing. Then I continue, remembering that David had the courage.
Considering my reply above, it would be my brother. But on another note: Shakespeare! I’d tell him how no one believes he wrote everything he did and get him to tell me that he did. Kind of like a Bill and Ted adventure. I believe Billy wrote everything attributed to him and you cannot change my mind!
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Plot and write. Write anything. Stuck on your current WIP? Write something else. Write a love letter to someone you haven’t met yet. Write about what you hate about work. Write about the guy who has to clean out the unicorn stable (someone has to do it!). Literally write anything. Practicing putting your thoughts on paper is what counts.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Website: www.abigaillinhardt.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/abilinhardt
Instagram: @promthanius
Twitter: @promthanius
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@promthanius
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