Author Q&A Allie Doherty

Author Q&A with Allie Doherty

Allie Doherty spends more time watching romantic comedies and reading than should be humanly possible and has a slow-building vinyl collection she hopes will be enviable one day. After trying her hand at many things, she found nothing more fulfilling than writing her first novel. When she’s not writing, she is usually found drinking too much coffee, talking incessantly about Buffy The Vampire Slayer and One Tree Hill, or planning her next tattoo. Nothing is more important to her than friends and family, which includes Staffie pups, Monty and Mitzy. She is a sucker for romance in all of its forms across all genres, age-groups, and tropes. Whether YA, NA, or Adult, she will devour anything so long as it has a swoon worthy couple to root for, and a happily ever after when all is said and done—even if it takes six books, a hundred-and-one break-ups, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Other than writing, she is a big fan of movies and TV shows. In the near future, she hopes to make a community of friends on YouTube and Patreon who love diving into all forms of media and obsessing over every little detail as much she does.

 

1.Tells us about your writing/ published book(s)

I love to write all genres, whatever pops into my head, but I class myself as an author of romance. My debut YA novel, THE HEARTBREAK GAME is set to be published by Lake Country Press in 2022. It is a first-person contemporary romance that switches POV between Nova Watkins, a girl who is sick of seeing hearts shattered by a cruel game, and Hale Ashford, the leader of the so-called Heartbreakers who also happens to be her ex. After her sister falls victim to the game, Nova is hellbent on ending it in a scathing exposé by the end of senior year, but there’s only one way for her to get close enough to find out the secrets she needs: Play the game herself. The only problem is that everything she thinks she knows is a lie, and the longer she plays, the more involved she and Hale become, leaving them both questioning if either of them can escape the game with their hearts intact.  

2. Where’s your favourite place to write?

I have a dedicated writing space in my attic. It has a desk, my entire library, a vinyl record player, all my albums and great lighting. Looking at all the amazing published (both trad and indie) books on my shelves as I write always gets me in the zone and motivates me. I only wish the view was better. The window overlooks a church, which (God knows) makes writing the added-spice scenes a little awkward, lol. 

3. How do you approach starting a new book?

I’m a pantser. I get an idea, take a long shower to really contemplate on the plotline I want to deliver, and then dive in at the beginning and work my way into a storyline from there. I wish I could be a planner because I feel like they have less editing in terms of plot-holes etc. at the end, but I can’t because I lose inspo writing it all down. I create the character basics in the first couple chapters, and then pretty much let my characters decide where to go from there. They do whatever they want until the book is finished, then I take over again and fix their mistakes lmao. 

 

4. What’s your favourite genre to read?

Swoon worthy romance/rom-com. Always! I read other genres, of course, but if a book doesn’t have a main character romance for me to ship, I find I lose interest. I need my fix of slow-burn, almost-kisses, missed opportunities, enemies-to-loves, friends-to-loves, close-proximity/one-bed… all the tropes, really. And lots of banter!

 

5. Have you always wanted to write?

Yes and No. From ages 10-16, I wanted to be an actress. Then one day, everything changed. I had neglected to do some homework/an assignment for English Lit and I completely forgot about it until I was in the class. So, I ripped out a piece of paper and frantically tried to scribble down something that would suffice, but as luck would have it, I was the first person to be called upon to read mine out loud. IMAGINE THE PANIC. Now, I was never a ‘good’ student. I did the bare minimum. My favorite teacher knew I hadn’t done it and was so smitten at catching me out, but this day, I refused to admit it. So, I looked down at the blank bit of paper, opened my mouth, and outpoured this A+ worthy BS. It was like a movie. The whole class turned to stare at me—mouths agape—in shock. The next day, another assignment (one I had done) and my teacher called on me again because (in her words) she “wanted to know if it was a fluke.” That was the day I realized I had a talent for writing and, based on what I put certain characters through, could be referred to as my villain origin story. 

 

6. What do you do when you have writer’s block?

I ride it out. Eventually it gives, but if you have any tips, send them all to me @Allie_ox on twitter. 

7. How do you choose your book’s title(s)?

My book titles always come first. Sometimes I have a character pop into my head, but I can’t start writing until I have a title in mind, and I love to make a mock cover to go with the book as inspiration to finish a manuscript.

 

8. What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?

Don’t worry about the details being wrong or a potential plot-hole, just power through. Everything can be fixed once there is a beginning, a middle, and an end. 

 

9. How do you handle criticism?

I like to think I handle criticism pretty well, especially if the criticism is constructive, coming from a place of wanting to help you become a better writer. Everyone has an opinion and not everyone is going to like the same things. Once your book is out in the world, you have no control over whose hands it ends up in. In the same breath, you may find a reader who adores your book and one who hated it with a passion. It’s all subjective—that goes for readers and industry professionals. Take the good with the bad. 

 

10. Describe your perfect character to me

A badass with a smart mouth who lives and breathes sarcasm but has a heart of gold. A character who on one page has me laughing until I cry at every one-liner, but on the next makes me go ‘Awwwww.’ 

 

11. Tell me about your current work

The last WIP I completed is Love, Liana… Sincerely, Kade.

It’s Sex and the city x You’ve got Mail x Harry Met Sally with a sprinkling of Bridget Jones’ Diary. 

Liana Dawson, a NYC romantic-advice blogger is hit with a fan-demand for sex advice. Out of her comfort zone, she teams up with Kade Jennings; a hilarious, no-filter bachelor tired of one-night stands. Professionally speaking, they’re a match made in heaven… if they can keep their hands off each other long enough to learn. 

 

12. Tell me about your main character

LLSK: Liana is a sweetheart optimist who believes in love above all else, despite never having had it herself. Kade is a smart-ass pessimist who has more sass in one finger than I have in my entire body. 

 

13. Would you want your book made into a film?

HELL YES! That is my biggest dream! 

 

14. How many books do you own?

Last I counted was in 2017 and the total amounted to around two-hundred-and-fifty, give or take. Now, who knows… could in the three/four hundreds. 

 

This or That…

Short books or Long books

Long books, but not always GoT long. 

Romance or Fantasy

Romance!

Bright book covers or Muted book covers

Bright book covers. I love seeing them on shelves, looking all pretty. 

Ebooks, Paperbacks or Audiobooks

Paperbacks all the way. I love the feel of a book in my hand. 

Writing in the Morning or Evening

Evening for sure. I love knowing I have nothing else to do for the day. 

Character Driven or Plot Driven

Character driven. I love a good plot, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the characters that make me love a book.

 

 

Finally, what’s the best piece of advice someone has given you about writing, marketing, or just generally about life?

I have had a lot of advice since I started my writing journey, but the best piece of advice I’ve gotten is one I’ve already touched on while answering the questions. A good friend told me, “Not everyone will like your books, but plenty of people will… so don’t stop writing them.” 

As far as life advice goes, I’ve never received a profound piece of solid advice, but as an avid fan of tv shows, I have picked up quite a few quotes along the way that I like to remember when going through tough times. One of my favorites comes from One Tree Hill’s Julian Baker, 

“People get lost when they think of Happiness as a destination. We always think that someday we’ll be happy, when we get that car or that job or that person in our lives who will fix everything… but Happiness is a mood, and it’s a condition, not a destination. It’s like being tired or hungry, it’s not permanent. It comes and goes… and that’s okay.” 

 

Where can you find Allie?

Twitter