Q&A With Stephen Amidon

Today I have the honor of doing a Q&A with Stephen Amidon. He is the author of several fiction novels, short stories and non-fiction novels. Stephen has also wrote a screenplay as well. January 17^th 2023 his new mystery novel “Locust Lane,” comes out. I read the synopsis on Amazon and of course I’m going to add it to my Amazon wish list.

Q: When in your life did you realize that you were called to be an author? 

A:  I’ve always found meaning and solace in creating stories, ever since I was very little.  I remember writing short illustrated tales when I was six or seven.  But I suppose I first started seeing myself as someone who could be an author when I was in my mid-teens and began writing stories that people around me responded to positively.  By the time I was eighteen there was nothing else I’d rather do – and there hasn’t been ever since.  

Q: Where do you get the ideas for all of your stories? 

A:  I get them from all over, although I think the common thread running through them all involves me imagining how things would have been if certain events or choices in my life had played out differently.  For instance, my novel ‘The Primitive’ is based almost entirely on what would have happened if I hadn’t married my wife Caryl, which involved moving to her native London, but rather continued to lead a rather settled and boring existence in my sleepy North Carolina city.  Spoiler alert:  the fictional version did not end well!

Q: What do you like most about writing fiction, non-fiction and short stories? What do you like least about writing them?

A:  I like writing fiction because it gives me the power to control outcomes, something we all lack in the real world.  What I dislike the most is when people scold me for not writing the book that they want me to write, rather than on how effectively I wrote the book I set out to create.

Q: What’s your advice to those who want to pursue being an author as a career? What advice do you give to anyone who struggles with writers block? 

A:  To the beginning writer, I would say simply this:  be persistent.  Never give up.  A big part of being a writer involves learning how to deal with criticism, rejection and failure.  As for writer’s block – show up at the office.  The magic may not happen every day, but you can rest assured it will not happen if you’re not in front of your keyboard. 

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to “Locust Lane”? 

A:  Let’s just say we have some interest.  Negotiations are ongoing.  

Q: If you were to collaborate with another author, who would it be and why?

A:  My daughter Celeste.  She just finished her first novel and it’s a lot better than anything I wrote at her age.  I’d be able to ride her coattails…