We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abby Farnsworth. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abby below.
Alright, Abby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
The summer between my 7th and 8th grade year of middle school, I picked up a book that I had never heard of before at a garage sale for 25 cents. Without much thought, I handed over a quarter and placed the book on my shelf for a month or so before opening it up. The book was Twilight – one of the most sensational Young Adult Romances of all time. It only took me two days to finish, and I was hooked. That was when I discovered the YA genre, and began reading other series like The Hunger Games and Divergent. At the time, my self esteem was not very high. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about how cool it would be to write a YA Romance. It was a dream that seemed a million miles away. But only three years later, when I was sixteen, I completed my first novel, EverGreen, and successfully signed a contract with World Castle Publishing. If I had never bought Twilight for 25 cents at a garage sale, I probably wouldn’t be who I am today.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a traditionally published Author of Young Adult Paranormal Romance & Fantasy, and Adult Dark Fantasy books. All of my books are on the shorter side to make them less intimidating to people who don’t have lots of time to dedicate to reading every day. They can be enjoyed by individuals of any age, but are mainly targeted toward teen / young adult girls. However, most of my readers are actually women between the ages of thirty and sixty years old. That just goes to show that my work truly can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
I started writing when I was sixteen, and finished EverGreen, my first book, in just three months. About six months later, I signed my contract with World Castle Publishing, and EverGreen was released in March of 2020. Three years later, I have seven published works, and two others coming soon. As a kid, I never would have dreamed this would be my life. Sometimes I still can’t believe it. But I’m proud of what I do, and I wouldn’t want anything else.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve struggled with over the past three years is encountering people who think YA / Romance / Fantasy books aren’t “real books”. I honestly wouldn’t have imagined that some people believe this to be true. I’ve come to realize that some readers like to shame others in order to feel better about themselves, and this is often the case in regard to books written primarily for teenage girls. People love to criticize Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and other similar series because they find them “silly”. Well, I don’t think any books that tackle topics such as mortality, death, and love can be classified as frivolous fluff. The moral of the story is, different books are written for different people. Just because you’re not the target audience doesn’t make the book “bad”. That’s something the reader community really needs to work on understanding.
My books weave lots of diverse themes into their plots. I’ve written about everything from bullying to pregnancy, and plenty of other important topics. It does set me apart from some YA authors, because I’m not afraid to write about abuse, mental health problems, or other “hush-hush” issues. I don’t like sugar-coating, and I think we need less of it in YA literature. I’ve had lots of conversations with readers who love my writing because of what my characters experience, and that gives me extra motivation to keep covering these important themes.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
That I get to express myself. I can say a lot through my work, and I love it. Sometimes it’s an opportunity to release pain from my heart, and other times it’s a way to express joy. I can communicate so many complex emotions through my writing that I can’t in any other way. It’s so personally rewarding, because it helps me get things off my chest. But at the same time, it also gives me so much happiness when I have readers tell me that my work feels genuine and real because of how much I put into it. I write when my emotions are very raw. One thing I can never be accused of is being fake. That’s just something I don’t do. When you read my writing, you’re getting my very real emotions, thoughts, and feelings. That’s not to say I agree with all of my characters, or even their actions, but I do include my true feelings about certain topics.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Definitely. All writers work so hard to form beautiful, complex, and creative stories. We put so much effort into creating characters who seem relatable and real. It’s not an easy job, even though some people assume it is. Writing takes real energy, time, and effort. It’s just as much work as any type of physical labor, just different. What truly hurts is nasty comments, reviews, or messages. There’s simply no reason for it. Writers work hard, and I can’t understand why some people find it necessary to say rude things about their projects for no reason. On the flip side, it is so, so amazing to receive positive feedback. When I get happy messages from readers, it makes my day. I always respond, because it takes a lot of bravery to contact an author, and it puts a smile on my face. Positive reviews are so important, and readers have no idea how much we truly value them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.worldcastlepublishing.net/abby-farnsworth
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbyfarnsworth.writer/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbbyFarnsworth.Writer.Poet/
Image Credits
Anne Silvis