Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 22 years old and I have written a multitude of books, however I have only published one so far. I am a debut author with my novel The Markings. I majored in Mechanical Engineering at Bradley University in Peoria IL, and have been working as an engineer ever since. I enjoy science and how things are made, but writing is and always has been my escape. I love to write, all the time. I have notebooks filled with stories and ideas. I like to say I’m a 50/50 balance of science and the arts. I love music and acting. I was in band and choir in school as well as a part of the drama club and speech team. I grew up in southern IL and still live here today. I love the outdoors and warm weather. The only genre I’ve every written in has been YA and usually tends to be fantasy. Sometimes they don’t start out as fantasy but they always end up going that way.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest (and first!) book is The Markings. This was a book that started back in 2011. The original idea for the story (about the first 5 chapters) came to me in a dream. I jotted it down and ran with it. At the time I was a sophomore in high school so I just wrote it in my free time, and I’d continue to come back to it for the next 4 or 5 years until I finally had time to go from jotting ideas down to finishing a polished manuscript. I grew up with this story, and am so happy to see it finally have a life of its own.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to write by hand first. Everything in The Markings came from a notebook. I have to write the book out on paper first. It helps me get the story out and not get hung up on spelling or grammar. It’s just my thoughts and the story. I tend to write in sections, so I’ll handwrite 20ish pages and then I’ll sit down at my computer and type them up. This let’s me double check the plot and make sure I like where I’m taking the story. After I have it typed I read the section through and make any additions directly on the computer. It’s pretty unusual because most people tend to just type everything up, but I enjoy the physical writing of the story. It reminds me of when I was young and wrote all my stories in notebooks.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Three authors have really influenced/inspired me as an author:
John Green
Suzanne Collins
Victoria Aveyard
I grew up reading these authors and I fell in love with their books and their characters. I dream that one day I’ll have a series of books that can touch as many people as they have. They also all write to the same audience I write for and I enjoy that I’ve found authors like that to look up to.
What are you working on now?
Now I am working on book two in The Markings series! This is set up to be a series of three books, with book two and three already being outlined. I’m spending a lot of my time now filling in book two and I’m so happy I get to continue to be with these characters for a couple more books. It was fun to work on book one, knowing it would be a series because there were things I could plant in book one that I have already been able to write or reference in book two. (look out for some foreshadowing!)
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now it’s Twitter! I have connected with so many amazing writers and readers through that platform. I’ve found people who believe in me and my story and give it endless support. I love that I get to know the people who read my book and we get to connect over the same love for writing,
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing! Never stop because you never know where it’s going to take you. I started this book in 2011 with a dream of one day publishing it. Never rush the process because when it’s supposed to happen for you it will! My last piece of advice is to know your options! The publishing market is CHANGING! You should never follow the same steps as someone else, because there is a unique path for each of us. I thought I had to get an agent and be accepted by a top publishing house to be successful and it’s not true. Because to me “success” was defined by seeing my book in my hands and to have a couple of people love the story and find a connection with Adaline. I didn’t need an agent or a big publishing house to reach this success. I self-published through Amazon, I marketed where I could and I achieved everything I set out to. So know your options, decide what success means to you, and discover your own unique path!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing and always be researching how the market is changing!
What are you reading now?
I’ve started Three Dark Crowns and I’m looking forward to reading the newest release in The Hunger Games series this May!
What’s next for you as a writer?
The Markings series! I will be writing book two and three and I will enjoy living in this world a little longer. I have a couple other projects started and some ideas jotted down in notebooks that may get to go somewhere after this series is done, but we’re a long ways off from that!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring the first book in The Hunger Games, the first book in the Red Queen series, and Paper Towns by John Green.
Author Websites and Profiles
Catherine Downen Website
Catherine Downen Amazon Profile
Catherine Downen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account